(Note: This post was updated on 6/28/2010)

As our fight against expansion to Public Act 312 continues, the Michigan Municipal League has received some pretty decent media coverage from throughout the state, including on the Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS), The Center for Michigan, the Grand Rapids Press, the Associated Press, Crain's Detroit Business, the Detroit News, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Lansing State Journal, the Oakland Press, and in the Traverse City Record Eagle.

Under the headline, “P.A. 312 Reform A Hot Potato?”, the MIRS article was particularly strong and effectively outlined the points being made by the League’s Samantha Jones Harkins against SB 1072, which is a bill that many argue expands PA 312 to the detriment of Michigan communities. For details about PA 312, which is a law over the local arbitration process, and the League’s stance on it go to abilitytopay.org. The article quoted State Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester, as saying "Anyone who votes for this (SB 1072) should just forget about making any complaints about local governments suffering revenue sharing cuts," McMillin said.

The League’s Board President Jeff Jenks, mayor pro tem of Huntington Woods, also wrote an opinion piece that we’ve sent to media throughout the state and it has so far been posted by the Traverse City paper and Center for Michigan. John Bebow of the Center for Michigan even expanded on Jenks’ comments explaining how the public  needs to know the difference between real reform and faux reform.

Here’s a letter to the state Legislator by Ann Arbor City Administrator Roger Fraser about the harm caused by PA 312 to local municipalities. For previous League blog posts about what happened in Lansing this week related to PA 312 go here, here and here. The League also encourages you to contact your state lawmakers in opposition to legislation that expands PA 312 and has made it easy for our members to do so here.

In the photo above: League members and staff help fill the audience of a recent hearing on legislation that could expand the scope of PA 312.

Matt Bach is communications director of the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.

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