EDITORIAL: Ann Arbor State-Level Representatives’ Roll Call Vote Attendance Records

THE MAJORITY OF the new and returning members of the Michigan House of Representatives can boast perfect attendance records with respect to the 534 roll call votes taken between January and December 2013. Michigan legislators earn $71,865 plus expenses, making them the fourth highest paid state legislators in the United States after those of the states of California, Pennsylvania and New York. As such, Ann Arbor voters should expect elected officials to be present when roll call votes are called.

Since her 2010 election, State Senator Rebekah Warren has missed 18 of the 3,209 roll call votes called. That makes her a state senator with one of the best overall attendance records. Only four other Democratic state senators have better attendance records than Senator Warren. While five Republicans in the Michigan Senate have perfect attendance records, six Democratic senators have the worst attendance records, having missed a combined 1,076 roll call votes out a total 3,209 called since 2010. Senator Bert Johnson represents Highland Park and has missed 367 of the 3,209 roll call votes at which he was expected to vote, the most of any state senator.

In the House of Representatives, Ann Arbor Representative Jeff Irwin has not missed a single roll call vote since his 2010 election. He has been present for each of the 2,051 votes in which he was expected to participate. Likewise, Representative Gretchen Driskell has an excellent attendance record. She missed just one of the 534 roll call votes held since her 2012 election.

We commend these three elected officials on their excellent records of attendance at roll call votes.

While Senator Rebekah Warren has missed 18 votes since her 2010 election, Ann Arbor’s 55th District Representative Zemke has missed 19 votes over the course of the past 12 months. There are dozens of members of the State House who can boast perfect attendance records since 2010, and 20 members of the Michigan House of Representatives elected in 2012 have perfect attendance records. Another dozen representatives elected to the Michigan House that same year have missed only one roll call vote.

Representative Zemke missed votes including Senate Bill 471: “Restrict releasing juvenile criminal history record information.” This bill restricts law enforcement agencies from disseminating juvenile criminal history record information, except in response to a fingerprint-based search. This would make the information available to employers required to do criminal background checks but not to journalists reporting on subsequent crimes a juvenile may later commit as an adult.

Mr. Zemke also missed an opportunity to vote on House Bill 4952: “Halt unemployment benefits for failed drug test.” He did not vote on House Bill 4714: “Accept federal health care law Medicaid expansion.” Likewise, he missed the vote on Senate Bill 352: “Exempt disabled veteran’s home from property tax.” These were important votes. By no means does Mr. Zemke have the worst attendance record among his colleagues in the Michigan House. However, he gets paid the same salary and expense money as those first year representatives who have been present at all of the roll call votes taken since January 2013. We believe Representative Zemke must post a better attendance record in 2014, and that voters should take note of his attendance should he run for re-election in 2014 as he is widely expected to do.