Senate to consider moving primary election to February

In this case, the next statewide election is the presidential primary of 2000. The Michigan Senate this week plans to take up a bill to hold the election earlier than planned.

The measure, approved last week by a Senate committee, would shift the primary election to the fourth Tuesday in February, instead of the third Tuesday in March - Feb. 22 instead of March 21 in 2000.

That figures to shine the spotlight of presidential politics more brightly on Michigan as the parties' delegate selection process unfolds.

"Most states are going a lot earlier than they have in the past for the simple reason that the later you are, the more irrelevant you are," said Sen. Ken Sikkema (R-Grandville) the measure's sponsor.

Two dozen states, including New York and California, will hold primaries between March 8 and March 14. So by the now-scheduled Michigan date of March 21, the presidential fight might be over.

"The more you move it up, the more significant Michigan will become," said Bill Ballenger, editor of "Inside Michigan Politics." "The whole thing has become so front-loaded," he said.

Politics being politics, the two major parties see things differently. Moving the primary date likely will affect only Republicans, because Democrats use party caucuses to divvy up their presidential delegates among Democratic White House hopefuls.

No date has been set yet for Democratic caucuses in 2000. Democrats shun the open primary system because it permits non-Democrats to vote in the Democratic presidential primary.

But with Republicans controlling the House and Senate, it's a good bet the GOP presidential primary will be moved to February.

The Senate has little major legislation before it this week, as the chamber works its way up to speed in the new session. It could vote on a bill approved last week by the Government Operations Committee that would rename the state Transportation Building the Murray D. Van Wagoner Transportation Building.

That would honor former Gov. Murray Van Wagoner, who served a long time on the state highway commission when he wasn't holding the state's highest office.

The hottest dispute this week is likely to come in the Senate Education Committee, which is scheduled to vote on controversial legislation to give Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer power to dismiss the elected school board and name a reform board to improve city schools.

The legislation has attracted heated opposition in two public hearings, and shows no sign of ebbing as the bill moves toward the full Senate.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) said he's preparing several amendments for the bill. If none are accepted by majority Republicans, he said, there likely will be no Democratic support for the measure. That could threaten the two-thirds vote needed to implement the plan immediately.

"There needs to be some give and take or I can't see getting any Democratic support," he said.

Peters wants to amend the bill to call for a referendum in Detroit on the school plan.

"I think that's necessary because you're abolishing an elected school board, and the mayor was not elected to run the schools," Peters said. "It really is an extraordinary action of the Legislature. It's a voting rights issue more than anything else."

He also wants to require an election in five years on whether to continue the new arrangement. Under the present bill, voters could petition for such an election after five years, but it wouldn't be automatic.

In the House, lawmakers plan to deal with minor issues this week as committees continue to wrap up orientation meetings and move on to debating proposed bills.

The House will not be in session Thursday, as some House members will be in a budget training session.

Action set for tomorrow and Wednesday includes bills that would allow the state to require drug tests of welfare applicants in a pilot project.

Other than that, House lawmakers planned to debate three resolutions dealing with the state's tobacco lawsuit settlement and a federal transportation formula.

The tobacco settlement resolution asks Congress to enact legislation that would stop the federal government from siphoning off part of the state's $8.2 billion share over 25 years. It also would urge Congress not to dictate how states spend the settlement money.

The transportation resolution asks the federal government not to divert highway money into mass transit programs. Such a move would cost Michigan $42 million, said Rep. Jud Gilbert (R-Algonac).

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