Dan DeGrow has had a long, varied and distinguished tenure as a public servant in Michigan, as a state House and Senate member, Senate Majority Leader, and then as head of the St. Clair County Regional Education Services Agency. It all started when some older lawmakers from the other party invited him to dinner – a reminder that personal relationships are vital to good government.
Democrat Bob Emerson and Republican Dan DeGrow served together in the Michigan House and Senate for many years (before term limits restricted the ability of lawmakers to get to know their jobs and their colleagues). They rose to leadership positions, and learned how to compromise and collaborate to make Michigan work a little better.
It’s important for governments to talk with each other. Federal to state, state to locals. And for those involved in policy to develop relationships. Longtime legislative staffer, then lobbyist, and co-founder of MiGoodGovernment, Charles “Fritz” Benson tells how that works.
Title IX was major civil rights legislation approved by the U.S. Congress that continues to have a significant impact on women and girls in the United States. But even years after the federal law passed, major challenges were still being pushed to limit Title IX’s effect. You might be surprised who worked together in the U.S. Congress to protect Title IX when some special interest groups wanted it abolished or weakened.
The Michigan Education Trust (MET) was the nation’s first state-administered pre-paid college tuition program. Over time, it has been one of the most popular education programs ever passed by the Michigan Legislature and signed into law. Over 115,000 people have purchased MET prepaid college tuition contracts since the program started in 1986. However, passage was no slam dunk. Here’s how it became law in Michigan.
