New Saginaw County lawmakers weigh in on Gov. Rick Snyder's State of the State address

LANSING, MI — Two new state lawmakers from Saginaw County settled into their seats in the Michigan House of Representatives chambers Tuesday, Jan. 20, to listen to Gov. Rick Snyder's fifth State of the State address.

But State Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth, and State Rep. Vanessa Guerra, D-Bridgeport Township, focused on very different things during Snyder's 45-minute-long speech.

Related: Gov. Snyder: Saginaw violent crime down 26 percent; 'We're going to stay committed'

Horn said, in his mind, topics that stuck out from the governor's remarks included a message of growth for the manufacturing, automotive, agriculture and tourism sectors of the state's economy and plans for economic development and job training initiatives.

"Those are the messages I'm seeing," he said. "Creating jobs and training people to fill those jobs."

Guerra said her ears perked up during the governor's comments about education initiatives, discussion of the state's new regional prosperity zones and when he made a comment about revisiting amendment of Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

"I was excited he even brought it up," she said of the governor's mention of Elliot-Larsen reform.

Snyder used strong language in his request for state lawmakers to again take up the issue, which was closed without any action taken in the legislature's last session.

"Let's show that we can deal with issues of discrimination in our state," Snyder said.

Guerra said she would have liked to see the governor be even more bold, setting a timeline for the issue to be addressed. She pointed out that most Republicans in the room Tuesday were reluctant to stand, while most all Democrats in the chamber rose to give Snyder's comments a standing ovation.

"Hopefully that's not telling of what's to come with Elliott-Larsen," she said. "But I do hope that we are able to continue that conversation."

Horn said he was less focused than Guerra on that particular portion of the governor's comments Tuesday.

"Nobody should be discriminated against for what they believe, including people of faith," he said. "We'll have a robust conversation when the issue comes up."

Horn said he was glad to hear the governor celebrate job growth in Michigan and talk about a comeback for the state's automotive, agriculture and tourism industries.

"The state of Michigan is seeing two million more people from outside the state every year," he said. "Pure Michigan is working. It's a good start, but we can do better."

Horn said no child in Michigan should be left out of the new opportunities being developed in various sectors of the state's economy.

The senator said that is why he believes strongly in improving early college and skilled trades programs, and in helping to link job seekers with industries most in need of workers.

Both Horn and Guerra agreed on at least one thing, that Snyder's commitment to invest in early childhood education is a step in the right direction.

But Guerra said the "devil is in the details" when it comes to the state's education budget.

"But whether or not that's properly funded is another question," Guerra said. "We'll learn more about that as the budget process continues."

Horn said he saw the governor's prenatal to third grade education proposal as an important step that, in the long term, could both improve Michigan's economic future and reduce crime in its communities.

He said the proposal could help create "curious students" and ultimately give Michigan's youth "a compass" to succeed.

Guerra said she wants to learn more about the regional prosperity zones referenced by the governor Tuesday. But she said there are a few concerns she has with the plan intended to bring best practices to communities throughout Michigan via new regional divisions.

Guerra pointed out that many of the other areas grouped into the same region with Saginaw County don't have a lot in common with communities in her district.

"The basis of it makes sense," she said. "But I think it's important that we can't take local control from local public officials."

Both Horn and Guerra had the privileged of inviting a guest to join them Tuesday for the governor's annual address.

Horn's guest Tuesday was Linda Sims, a personal friend and executive director of public affairs for Consumer Energy.

Among other assignments, the new state senator sits on the Michigan Senate's Energy and Technology Committee. Horn said energy will be a very big issue facing the Michigan Legislature in the coming year, pointing to Snyder's reference to a recent energy crisis in the Upper Peninsula.

Guerra's was Kelley Peatross, who was appointed in October 2014 as the interim superintendent for Saginaw Public Schools.

The new state representative, who campaigned on platform of improving education in Michigan, said she chose to invite Peatross because she knows decisions made in Lansing directly impact local school districts like Saginaw's.

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook orGoogle+.

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