Here's some refreshing evidence of a change in Michigan's direction by Governor Snyder's administration. The State of Michigan will stop deducting union dues  people who provide child care at home and receive state reimbursement to do so.  The arrangement was created under Governor Granholm and had forced 16,500 providers to pay union dues, because the State declared them to be "state employees."  Nearly $4 million had been paid in dues to the United Auto Workers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unions.  The arrangement with the unions had been created under the auspices of Michigan Home Based Child Care Council, which was affiliated with Mott Community College.

The providers' successfully argued that although they receive government subsidies for watching children from low-income families, they are not state employees because they are not on any state payroll.  Michigan Human Services chief Maura Corrigan said in a statement, "The Council has not delivered on its original goals to enhance and improve the delivery of quality care for children whose parents receive assistance from the department. That's why we will stop all funding and, because these providers are not state employees, will also cease collecting union dues."

The Detroit News notes that the case will continue however, because the day care providers are still seeking to recover  over $3.7 million already deducted from their earnings and paid by the State to the unions.

A smaller but related story from Clare County shows Michigan's  Attorney General Bill Schuette is also backing away from bad decisions of the previous administration.  Grant Township in Clare County just won a settlement in a lawsuit against the State Tax Commission.  The suit was filed in 2009 when the Township was notified by the Commission of their failure to pass the required "14-Point Mini Tax Review."  The Township then asked what the scoring and criteria were, the Commission refused to tell them.  According to the Clare County Review, the Township filed a Freedom of Information Act request and the Commission again refused, claiming that the information was "exempt and that the release of such scoring, or how many points are assigned for each question would damage the integrity of the process."  So it appears you cannot know what you did wrong, because you might then fix the problem!

After a few appeals and filing of a lawsuit by the Township, the new Attorney General announced a settlement in early January, 2011.  Grant Township Supervisor Dan Dysinger said, "The Grant Township Board is pleased with the outcome; we will recover nearly all our costs for litigation and have received the documents as originally requested under FOIA in December 2009. Upon review of the documents provided under the settlement and as requested under FOIA it is disappointing to see what has been contested by the State Tax Commission as secret. This is a firm example of rulemaking authority which fails to serve in the best interests of the public."

It turns out the State's main point of contention was an internal policy which is not even part of law.  The Tax Commission tried to require the Township to perform a "20 percent re-inspection" and had to admit it can't be made a "rule'", as that would require an appropriation to fund the mandate.  So, in an effort to subvert the Headlee Amendment, the State was trying to allow its bureaucrats to use policy instead of law.  Thank goodness the new administration has seen the light.