http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/04/michigan_senate_successfully_b.htmlMichigan Senate successfully blocks Granholm's appointments to university boards
By Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press
April 28, 2010, 2:20PM
Michigan's citizens and universities "are the real losers today" after the state Senate rejected the Gov. Jennifer Granholm's appointments to college boards, Granholm's spokeswoman says.
The Senate voted 21-17 on Wednesday, mostly along party lines, to reject 14 of Granholm's appointments to the Grand Valley State, Ferris State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Michigan Technological, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan university boards.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop has said the appointments, which were for terms starting next Jan. 1, should be reserved for the next governor.
"The citizens of this state and our state universities are the real losers today," Granholm Press Secretary Liz Boyd said in a statement. "Sen. Bishop rejected qualified appointees to serve our state universities, making them nothing more than partisan political pawns.
"He chose to ignore the advice of an attorney in his own caucus and rejected sitting board members like Doug Roberts, who Republicans have confirmed in the past, just to make a partisan point.
"Given his penchant for pushing such a personal, partisan agenda, it's no surprise that he is unwilling to work on bipartisan solutions to the more demanding issues, like the state budget, that are facing the state of Michigan."
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