(The following column by Jonathan Oosting appeared at www.MLive.com on March 10.)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan Senate on Wednesday approved controversial legislation giving broad powers to emergency financial managers, individuals appointed by the state to oversee struggling cities and school districts.
The legislation, which could hit Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk next week, was drafted in the wake of an extended dispute in the Detroit Public Schools, where Granholm-appointee Robert Bobb repeatedly clashed with elected school board officials over the scope of his powers.
That dispute highlighted the need to clarify the role of emergency financial managers, but critics say the legislation drafted and approved by Republicans goes too far by giving a single individual unchecked powers to break union contracts and potentially dissolve local units of government by merging them with neighbors.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer and Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) joined host Paul W. Smith this morning on WJR-AM 760, where they debated the merits of the legislation in successive interviews. Listen in the embedded player or read on for staggered highlights…
Click here to read the rest of the column and to listed to the audio clip.