And my State Senator Jim Marleau is trying to tell everyone that he knows NOTHING about the secret Michigan Jobs and Labor Fund.. that is being used for Special Interests and their unlimited donations .. Such as .. the sole interests of the McLaren Health System to build a health care facility in Independence Twp .... LANSING (WXYZ) - A bill designed to favor one major company was voted down today in the Michigan senate, 26-11, following a 7 Action News investigation that revealed that same company made significant contributions to a secret fund used to benefit senate Republicans campaigns. Senate bill 1073 was introduced this fall, benefiting McLaren Health Systems. The hospital chain came to the Michigan senate, trying to move 200 hospital beds from its underutilized facility in struggling Pontiac to a sprawling new hospital in Independence Township, where more patients are insured and profits are bigger. McLaren convinced lawmakers to introduce a bill that would let them open that new hospital, even though state officials had shot down their request twice, saying that the area already had almost 1,200 hospital beds too many and that any more could actually increase the cost of healthcare in the region. But a 7 Action News Investigation revealed last month that at the same time McLaren was asking lawmakers to push their bill through, they were making multiple, six-figure donations to a fund called the Michigan Jobs and Labor Foundation. Virtually unknown outside of Lansing, the fund is a war chest for Lansing Republicans that’s used to pay for expenses like polling and research and can share contributions with other senate republicans to help them win election. The fund is allowed to keep donors a secret, and McLaren’s contributions would have been until we uncovered them. Last month, 7 Investigator Ross Jones asked Sen. Majority Leader Randy Richardville if the bill was connected to McLarens donations. They are one of the biggest donors to this fund, Jones said. Yesterday, you introduced some legislation that would benefit only them. Is that just a coincidence? Yeah, well, they’re not tied together if that’s what you’re asking, Richardville said. Richardville has long been supportive of the bill, even though his district is more than an hour from the hospital. I think it’ll be a good thing for Oakland County, Richardville said. But he was outnumbered big time today, even by his fellow Republicans who watched our investigation like Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge). You’re saying this hospital’s going to win and this hospital’s going to lose, Sen. Jones said. We’re going to violate a policy that we have put into effect. I don’t think it’s appropriate, and I won’t vote that way. The senate is in session for about two more weeks. They can bring the bill up for another vote, but right now it appears stalled. - by Ross Jones, Adam Brewster 6:32 PM, Dec 4, 2014 wxyz/…/bill-favoring-major-donor-to-secret-g… 2014 Senate Bill 1073: Grant medical facility rationing exception to McLaren Health Systems-------- [Sponsors Randy Richardville - (primary)Michael Kowall, Jack Brandenburg, Michael Green, James Marleau] Introduced by Sen. Randy Richardville (R) on September 11, 2014, to authorize a special exception to the health care facility rationing imposed by the state’s “Certificate of Need” law that would allow McLaren Health Systems to build a new facility in Clarkston. In return for this special carve out the bill would force McLaren to provide a certain amount of charitable care and meet other requirements specified in the bill. The Certificate of Need (CON) program rations the availability of health care facilities and technology by requiring health care providers to seek permission from a state commission for new or expanded facilities. --- Referred to the Senate Government Operations Committee on September 11, 2014. michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165278
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:16:04 +0000
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