How close is too close for family members who lobby and legislate? The Allegan News kicked off more research with an editorial on Lansing power couples. It seems state government has problems even more deeply entrenched than DEI.

MDHHS: biggest bureaucracy / lobby

Director Hertel of MDHHS visited Allegan County last week to promote yet another state Medicaid pilot program.

State bureaucrats fear limits to their power. Right now they face federal cuts to Medicaid enrollment and funding, so they use publicity like this MDHHS Press Release, or this earlier one to pressure state lawmakers (and voters, and local officials) to maintain the status quo in their world.

This is merely a bureaucratic refinement on lobbying, so how is it worse than DEI?

Do you know which lawmaker is related to Dir. Hertel AND chairs the Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee?

My local paper nailed it a few weeks ago in an editorial by Mike Wilcox. From the Allegan News:

Legislators, lobbyists married to one another is a conflict of interests

“… Now we can’t regulate who marries who, but it would seem if you are of of 147 legislators running our State, and paid by taxpayer money, that either you or your spouse should step down from your position. It’s not illegal but most certainly a conflict of interest and one you would think an upstanding legislator would want to avoid.

“Just to be clear, lobbyists are paid to influence legislators. …

“So, I question how this works with the four legislators and their spouses. The spouses are paid to influence their partners. Something doesn’t smell right with this arrangement.

“The four legislators with lobbyist spouses are:

• Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit). Her spouse is Harvey Santana, who works for the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a non-profit focused on criminal justice reform. [And he is a former legislator.]

• Rep. Pat Outman (R-Six Lakes). His spouse is Autumn Outman who has been a lobbyist since 2017 for Trinity Health.

• Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia). Her husband is the former mayor of East Lansing but now is a lobbyist for the State Bar of Michigan.

• Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-Grand Rapids). Kate Skaggs works for a multi-client firm that lobbies for a variety of organizations.”

Perhaps the longest-playing Lansing power family

Surprisingly, Mr. Wilcox missed one of Lansing’s familial conflicts of interests.

My follow-up letter to the editor published on August 28.

The former Senator Curtis Hertel removing himself from the appropriations committee aside, this family’s participation in two branches of government continues to be the most powerful one in Michigan health policy.