James Bolger

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Share this article:  E-mail this story Bookmark with Facebook Share on Google+ Share on twitter.com

James Bolger
Jase Bolger.jpg
Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Incumbent
In office
2009-Present
Term ends
January 1, 2015
Years in position 4
PartyRepublican
Leadership
Speaker, Michigan State House of Representatives
2011-present
Compensation
Base salary$71,685/year
Per diem$10,800 yearly expense allowance
Elections and appointments
Last electionNovember 6, 2012
First elected2008
Next electionNovember 4, 2014
Term limits3 terms
Education
Bachelor'sWestern Michigan University.
Websites
Office website
Campaign website
CandidateVerification

Contents

James "Jase" Bolger is a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 63 since January 1, 2009. Bolger currently serves as Speaker of the House.

Rep. Bolger graduated from Charlotte High School and attended Western Michigan University where he earned his Bachelor's of Business Administration. He achieved dual majors in Finance and Political Science. Rep. Bolger has been married to his high school sweetheart Molly for 15 years. They have two children together, Nicholas and Megan.

Bolger has come under fire in 2012 in the wake of a primary controversy in District 76.

Issues

Campaign themes

Bolger's website highlights the following campaign themes:[1]

Working for Jobs

  • Excerpt:"As a local small business owner, Jase Bolger understands the solutions we need to create jobs and make Michigan competitive. Representative Bolger has made working for jobs his top priority."

Putting Us First

  • Excerpt:"Jase Bolger has demonstrated he has the courage to oppose special interests and work for us. State government is struggling because our families are hurting. He stood strong to control spending and make sure state government lives within its means."

Previous offices held

Bolger was previously the Calhoun County, Michigan commissioner.

Voting record

Key votes of 2009-2010

  • Click below to see how this representative voted.
  • Super Speedway, Lawmakers voting on whether TO EXTEND A SPECIAL TAX PERK for a super speedway.
  • Driver Responsibility Fees, Lawmakers voting on whether TO IMPOSE 'driver responsibility fees.'
  • Crony Capitalism, Lawmakers voting on whether TO RESTRICT THE RIGHT of shareholders to sell their own stock.
  • Right to Work, Lawmakers voting on an amendment SUPPORTING RIGHT-TO-WORK zones.
  • Dept. of State Cost-Saving, Lawmakers voting on whether TO SLOW DOWN PROGRESS ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S COST-SAVING CONSOLIDATION PLAN.
  • Golf Carts, Lawmakers voting on whether TO SUBSIDIZE the production of electric vehicle batteries.
  • Home Court Disadvantage, Lawmakers voting on whether TO GIVE MORE TAXING POWER to local government in Kalamazoo so it can finance a taxpayer-subsidized sports arena.
  • Fire Safe Cigarettes, Lawmakers voting on whether TO BAN the sale of cigarettes that are not "fire safe."
  • Balancing Act, Lawmakers voting on a budget to CUT REVENUE SHARING PAYMENTS to local governments as a way to balance the state budget without raising taxes.
  • Balancing Act 2, Lawmakers voting on a cut of less than 3 percent to K-12 school aid payments so as to balance the state budget without tax increases.
  • A Good Tax Gone Bad?, Lawmakers voting on the Michigan Business Tax.
  • It’s From the Children, Lawmakers voting on whether to RAID $90 MILLION from the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority.
  • Left Behind, Lawmakers voting on whether TO FINANCE "No Worker Left Behind" with a 59.9 percent increase in general fund spending in the 2009 DELEG budget.
  • First Class Schools, Lawmakers voting on whether to keep Detroit Public Schools' "first class" status even though the district no longer meets the population standard.
  • Politically Correct Capitalism, Lawmakers voting on whether to INCREASE SUBSIDIES for plug-in traction battery packs used in electric cars.
  • Politically Correct Capitalism 2, Lawmakers voting on whether to GIVE SUBSIDIES for Michigan film production.
  • Politically Correct Capitalism 3, Lawmakers voting on whether to INCREASE ELECTRIC CAR SUBSIDIES for a subsidiary of a Korean battery company.
  • Secret Ballot, Lawmakers voting on whether to keep a SECRET BALLOT for union elections.
  • Property Taxes Assaulted Again, Lawmakers voting on whether to allow public schools to EXPAND THE USE OF SINKING FUND property tax spending.
  • Sneak Attack, Lawmakers voting on whether to allow public schools to EXPAND THE USE OF SINKING FUND property tax spending.
  • Grapes of Wrath, Lawmakers voting on whether TO BAN home shipment of beer and wine to Michigan consumers.
  • Subsidize Manufacture of Electric Cars, Lawmakers voting on whether to authorize a refundable Michigan Business Tax credit for makers of plug-in traction battery packs used in electric cars.
  • Authorize Special Tax Breaks for Ethanol Gas Stations, Lawmakers voting on whether to authorize a non-refundable Michigan Business Tax credit equal to 30 percent of the costs incurred by a gas station to convert existing pumps and tanks, or acquire new ones that deliver E85 ethanol or biodiesel fuel.


More voting record details

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Bolger served on the following committees:

Michigan Committee Assignments, 2012

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Bolger served on these committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Bolger served on these committees:

Issues

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

James Bolger endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. [2]

Elections

2012

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2012

Bolger won re-election in the 2012 election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63. He was unopposed in the August 7 Republican primary and defeated Bill Farmer (R) in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[3]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 63, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark.jpgJames Bolger Incumbent 50.9% 22,196
     Democratic Bill Farmer 49.1% 21,440
Total Votes 43,636

Controversy

Bolger is embroiled in controversy as a result of a press release from Kent County Prosecuting Attorney William Forsyth which revealed that Bolger and incumbent Roy Schmidt were involved in a plan to tilt the election in Schmidt's favor. Schmidt had defected to the Republican Party just before the primary, and made an arrangement with Bolger to pay 22 year-old Matt Mojzak to run as a Democrat in the election, but not actually conduct a real campaign. On this move, Forsyth claimed, "it is clear that the only logical reason for his [Mojak's] recruitment was to prevent the Democratic Party from mounting a viable write-in candidacy."[4]

Forsyth deemed that no laws were broken, stating, "Although this scheme by Rep. Schmidt and Speaker Bolger was clearly designed to undermine the election and to perpetrate a ‘fraud’ on the electorate, it was nonetheless legal...While Mr. Mojak ill-advisedly agreed to participate in this misadventure, it is clear that he was duped into doing so and is the least culpable of anyone involved in this fiasco.”[5][6]

In defense of his actions, Bolger told mlive.com "I encouraged a Democrat to be recruited, but the bottom line is that I have always encouraged the law to be followed. This is political gamesmanship and we lost sight that we ought to be focused on the people and bringing them results."[6]

Bolger's opponent, Bill Farmer, has said of the incident, "Speaker Bolger knowingly attempted to deceive the voters by making shady deals behind the scenes with Roy Schmidt. This was a blatantly political move to benefit the Republican Party. This isn’t how our democracy was meant to work."[6]

On July 18, Democrats in the legislature called on Bolger to step down from the position of Speaker. In calling for a resignation, Senator Gretchen Whitmer said, "Regardless of whether charges are ultimately filed, we know that one of Michigan’s highest ranking leaders engaged in unethical and fraudulent behavior, putting personal politics above the good of Michigan... [Bolger and Schmidt] knew what they were doing. They knew it was wrong... And even now that it’s become public, they still refuse to accept the consequences." [7][8]

2010

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2010

Bolger won re-election to the District 63 Seat in 2010. He had no primary opposition. He defeated Dave Morgan (D) in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 63 General election (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark.jpg James Bolger (R) 20,935
Dave Morgan (D) 12,408

2008

On November 04, 2008, James Bolger ran for District 63 of the Michigan House of Representatives, beating Phyllis Smith. [9]

James Bolger raised $192,377 for his campaign.[10]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 63
Candidates Votes
Green check mark.jpg James Bolger (R) 27,641
Phyllis Smith (D) 21,188

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Bolger is available dating back to 2008. Based on available campaign finance records, Bolger raised a total of $941,578 during that time period. This information was last updated on June 11, 2013.[11]

James Bolger's Campaign Contribution History
Year Office Result Contributions
2012 Michigan State House, District 63 Won $639,067
2010 Michigan State House, District 63 Won $110,134
2008 Michigan State House, District 63 Won $192,377
Grand Total Raised $941,578

2012

Bolger won re-election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2012. During that election cycle, Bolger raised a total of $639,067.

2010

Bolger won re-election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2010. During that election cycle, Bolger raised a total of $110,134.

2008

Bolger won election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2008. During that election cycle, Bolger raised a total of $192,377.

Campaign contributions

Contributions Report from Michigan Secretary of State

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term James + Bolger + Michigan + Legislature

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

James Bolger News Feed


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found


Scorecards

Tea Party Scorecard

The Independent Tea Party Patriots, a Michigan Tea Party group, grades the votes of this and every other Michigan legislator on “core tea party issues” in a regularly-updated scorecard. 100% is considered an ideal rating.[12]

January 2011 - March 2012

James Bolger received a 71% rating on the January 2011 - March 2012 Tea Party Scorecard.[12]

Recall efforts

See also: James Bolger recall, Michigan House of Representatives (2011)

In early May 2011, the Committee to Recall Rick Snyder took aim at Bolger in an attempt to recall him from office. It did not go to a vote.

On May 10, Autumn Smith submitted language to the Calhoun County Clerk citing Bolger's support for cutting school funding and legislation easing restrictions on voiding public employee contracts.[13]

The Election Commission rejected the petition on May 25, saying the language was unclear and relied too much on opinion.[14] Smith turned in six additional language submissions in June, one of which was to have been considered at a hearing on June 24. The day before it was to occur, Bolger's lawyers were granted a Temporary Restraining Order and Injunction against the election commission, effectively stopping the hearing.[15]

On August 30, Smith announced she was frustrated by the legal process and was ending her recall efforts against Bolger.[16] Just days later, Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge Conrad Sindt rejected Bolger's arguments, allowing the recall process to continue. Smith said she would continue to help if someone else leads the campaign, but that she no longer had the time or resources to lead it herself.[17]

Contact

Rep. James Bolger
N-997 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 373-1787
JamesBolger@house.mi.gov

External links

Light Bulb Icon.svg.png
 		Suggest a link

References

  1. ↑ "electbolger," Official Campaign Website
  2. ↑ Mitt Romney Campaign Website "Mitt Romney Announces Support of Michigan Speaker of The House Jase Bolger and Additional Members of The Michigan Legislature," September 19, 2011
  3. ↑ Associated Press "Michigan - Summary Vote Results," Accessed August 7, 2012
  4. ↑ Michigan Live "Prosecutor: Roy Schmidt tried to 'undermine' election, did not commit crime," Accessed July 20, 2012
  5. ↑ Daily Kos "Jaw-dropping election fraud by Michigan GOP House Speaker Jase Bolger," Accessed July 20, 2012
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Michigan Live "Democratic opponent calls on House Speaker Jase Bolger to apologize for role in election scandal," Accessed July 20, 2012
  7. ↑ [http://www.michiganradio.org/post/rep-roy-schmidt-gop-leader-apologize-recruiting-fake-democrat-party-switch Michiganrado.org "Rep. Roy Schmidt, GOP leader, apologize for recruiting fake Democrat in party switch," Accessed July 23, 2012
  8. ↑ The Morning Sun "Dems call for Bolger to step down as Michigan House speaker," Accessed July 23, 2012
  9. ↑ Michigan House of Representatives official election results for 2008
  10. ↑ Follow the Money's report on Bolger's 2008 campaign contributions
  11. ↑ Follow the Money, "Bolger, James." Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Michigan Votes, "Tea Party Scorecard Jan 2011-Mar 2012," accessed June 25, 2012
  13. ↑ MLive, "Recall drive for Michigan House's GOP speaker," May 10, 2011
  14. ↑ MLive, "Recall petition targeting House Speaker Jase Bolger rejected by Calhoun County Election Commission," May 25, 2011
  15. ↑ Daily Kos, "More on MI Spkr of the House Jase Bolger's cowardly attack on constituent Autumn Smith," June 25, 2011
  16. ↑ Battle Creek Inquirer, "Recall effort against Rep. Jase Bolger ends," August 31, 2011
  17. ↑ MLive, "Judge rejects Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger's arguments against recall effort," September 1, 2011
Political offices
Preceded by
- 		Michigan House of Representatives District 63
2009–present 		Succeeded by
NA
v • d • e
Speakers of the House
SLP badge.jpg
(AL: Hubbard) • (AK: Chenault) • (AZ: Tobin) • (AR: Williams) • (CA: Perez) • (CO: McNulty) • (CT: Donovan) • (DE: Gilligan) • (FL: Cannon) • (GA: Ralston} • (HI: Say) • (ID: Denney) • (IL: Madigan) • (IN: Bosma) • (IA: Paulsen) • (KS: O'Neal) • (KY: Stumbo) • (LA: Tucker) • (ME: Nutting) • (MD: Busch) • (MA: DeLeo) • (MI: Bolger) • (MN: Zellers) • (MS: McCoy) • (MO: Jones) • (MT: Blasdel) • (NV: Kirkpatrick) • (NH: Norelli) • (NJ: Oliver) • (NM: Lujan) • (NY: Silver) • (NC: Tillis) • (ND: Devlin) • (OH: Batchelder) • (OK: Steele) • (OR: Kotek) • (PA: Smith) • (RI: Fox) • (SC: Harrell) • (SD: Rausch) • (TN: Harwell) • (TX: Straus) • (UT: Lockhart) • (VT: Smith) • (VA: Howell) • (WA: Chopp) • (WV: Thompson) • (WI: Fitzgerald) • (WY: Lubnau)
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the Michigan House of Representatives
House Majority Floor Leader: Jim Stamas (R) • House Minority Leader: Tim Greimel (D)
   
Democratic Party (49) • Republican Party (58) • Independent (1) • Vacancy (1) • Michigan House of Representatives • Michigan State Senate
Retrieved from "http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=James_Bolger&oldid=1819778"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Encyclopedia
Calendar
Get Involved
Donate
Toolbox