GOP Rep. Lucido emerges as junkyard dog of Lansing politics

State Rep. Pete Lucido this weekend stepped into the staid atmosphere of Public Television’s “Off The Record,” where pundits and state officials discuss politics and policy in a PBS-style format, and he quickly emerged as the Legislature’s junkyard dog.

From the moment of the first question, the lawmaker from Macomb County’s Shelby Township went on the offensive in combative tones, defending his plan to fund road improvements by siphoning about $800 million in interest earned from a fund that finances medical care for those severely injured in auto accidents.

When a questioner suggested that he would be damaging the healthcare needs of quadriplegics, Lucido lectured the reporter about the difference between money collected annually on interest and tapping into the principle of the $20 billion Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fund.

A follow-up question: The plan to use MCCA money seems to be going nowhere, isn’t it? No new money is needed to fund the roads, he barked, adding that legislative dysfunction is the reason why his bill has not moved forward before the Capitol’s long summer break.

The three-member media panel seemed a bit startled at the freshman lawmaker’s tactic of putting the questioners on the spot, much as host Tim Skubic is want to do with his featured guest at some point on each weekly show.

Perhaps what they didn’t realize was that they were dealing with someone who is a Macomb County politician to the core. Lucido is a House member who gained his seat by surviving a particularly nasty 2014 primary election where exchanging verbal blows with his opponent became a daily occurrence.
Skubic, a Macomb County native, is familiar with the Macomb swagger. Others on the panel, not so much. Kyle Melinn, editor for the MIRS news service, deserves credit for not getting rattled as Lucido repeatedly turned on the intensity, asserting that Melinn’s queries were based on uninformed opinions.

This kind of high-octane aggressiveness is nearly never seen on Skubic’s show, except in some versions of the blogger’s edition. The panel of partisan bloggers will be back on next week’s show.

With his slicked-back hair and intense facial expressions, Lucido, an attorney, can be a bit intimidating without speaking a word. But he had plenty to say.

After his first six months in office, the political newcomer has found a lot not to like in the Lansing political process. He had some unkind words for fellow Republicans -- especially House Speaker Kevin Cotter and an unnamed committee chair who has refused to give his bill a hearing.

Skubic, the jaded dean of the Capitol press corps, sensed that Lucido is already laying down his chips with a higher office in mind.

“What are you running for?” the host asked.
Instantly ready with a response that demonstrated constituent loyalty, Lucido responded: “Macomb County.”