Macomb reps put tea party Speaker of the House over the top

Cotter

Tea party favorite Kevin Cotter was elected Speaker of the House in Lansing on Thursday with some big help from three Macomb County lawmakers.
Rep. Cotter, 37, a Mount Pleasant Republican, defeated fellow GOP Rep. Al Pscholka of Stevensville for the top spot in the state House after Reps. Jeff Farrington of Utica and Tony Forlini of Harrison Township, plus Rep.-elect Pete Lucido of Shelby Township, switched their allegiance. I'm told that Farrington, Forlini and Lucido had pledged their support to Pscholka in writing prior to the caucus election.

But the Macomb trio apparently got swept up in the post-election conservative wave that began on Wednesday when tea partiers newly elected to the House, such as Triston Cole, Todd Courser and Lee Chatfield, emerged as king makers for Cotter.
After scoring a resounding 63-47 edge in Tuesday's elections, the GOP reps gave the nod to the more conservative candidate. 
The new Speaker of the House, who succeeds term-limited Jase Bolger, is likely to make it much more difficult for the Legislature to approve an LGBT protection in the Elliot-Larsen Act that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“This is a strong team ready to lead a unified caucus as we continue to address issues of vital importance to this state and the families who call it home,” said Cotter, an attorney who was elected to a third and final term on Tuesday. 

"The Republican majority has accomplished a lot in the past four years but there is still much more to do. An even stronger majority means even better things are ahead for Michigan’s families and hardworking taxpayers. We are coming off an incredible four years during which we created a lot of momentum. This is not a time to coast and we will continue our momentum with an even larger majority to accomplish even more for Michigan.”

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It should be noted that the 11-member leadership team selected by the GOP caucus for 2015-16 includes no House members from Macomb except for Rep. Andrea LaFontaine, who represents a tiny portion of the county. LaFontaine, whose district includes New Baltimore and Chesterfield Township, was chose as the deputy majority caucus whip.

Here is the leadership lineup:

Speaker Pro-Tempore Tom Leonard, DeWitt Township

House Majority Floor Leader Aric Nesbitt, Lawton

House Majority Caucus Whip Rob VerHeulen, Walker

House Majority Caucus Chair Peter Pettalia, Presque Isle

Associate Speaker Pro-Tem, Ray Franz, Onekama

Associate Speaker Pro-Tem, Laura Cox, Livonia

Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Ken Yonker, Gaines Township

Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Daniela Garcia, Holland

Deputy Majority Caucus Whip, Andrea LaFontaine, Columbus Township

House Majority Caucus Vice Chair, Eric Leutheuser, Hillsdale

It should also be noted that Pscholka was given the consolation prize of Appropriations Committee chairman. If he plays his cards right, Pscholka could end up being more influential in the House over the next two years than anyone listed above.