Wayne Circuit Judge Mary Beth Kelly

By JOHN EBY
Dowagiac Daily News

CASSOPOLIS — Justice Bob Young of the Michigan Supreme Court visited Cass County Friday evening to meet with local Republicans at the free Diamond Lake picnic at Darlene Lowe’s Emerald House.

Her son, former state agriculture director and Southwestern Michigan College Trustee Dan Wyant, president and chief operating officer of the Edward Lowe Foundation, said, “We jumped on the opportunity to host this because we knew this election was going to be very important for Michigan and we wanted Cass County to be exposed to some really tremendous candidates,” including governor nominee Rick Snyder.

“Think about this,” Wyant posed. “A new governor, a new attorney general, a new Secretary of State, 38 members in the state Senate and over half of the House members are going to be new. We’re really at a crossroads. It’s important we show up and make a difference.”

A committee of Pat LaBre, Heidi Behnke, Water Resources Commissioner Bruce Campbell, Prosecutor Victor Fitz, County Commissioner Carl Higley Sr., Aaron Horner, County Treasurer Linda Irwin, Carolyn Murray, Bernie Williamson, Wyant, County Clerk-Register Barb Runyon and Sheriff Joseph Underwood devoted more than a year to putting the pork roast picnic together.

Lowe “went way overboard for us with this beautiful venue, the decorating, the service. She’s a really gracious lady,” Irwin said on behalf of the committee.

Fitz threatened to play the Ohio State fight song if any statewide candidate talked past a three-minute time limit.

Young’s visit came two weeks before the Aug. 28 statewide GOP convention where he will be nominated for what promises to be one of the most-watched races in Michigan this year.

Young is running as a tough rule of law judge and seeking to take back the state’s highest court from the self-proclaimed “New Majority” of liberal-leaning justices.

“The people of Michigan are looking for judges who are tough, fair and impartial,” the Harvard-educated Detroiter said. “They are tired of special interests exerting influence over government. I have always been a rule of law judge who adheres to the law — and not special interests. My record is clear.

“When a case comes before me, my decision is not based on who the parties are, or what my own personal beliefs are, it is based on what the law is.”

Supreme Court Justice Bob Young

Fitz, who endorsed Young along with Sheriff Underwood, said, “Without Justice Young, Michigan will return to the troubling era when criminals had their way with our Supreme Court. Prosecutors know it is critical that he be re-elected. It’s about the safety of Michigan citizens. Robert Young is one of the toughest justices Michigan has ever had. We need to keep him on the Michigan Supreme Court.”

Young has served on the Michigan Supreme Court since 1999. He previously served on the Michigan Court of Appeals for four years.

Major law enforcement groups, including the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Officers Association of Michigan, and more than two dozen prosecutors and sheriffs support Young.

“We were the one branch in Michigan that was working,” Young said. “We were following the law, applying the law — not making it. Unfortunately, we were not successful last election” and 2008 Cass Lincoln Day speaker Clifford Taylor lost “to those horrible, lying, ‘sleeping judge’ ads. We lost the majority to liberal activists.

“Let me tell you what their agenda is: ‘We, the New Majority, will help get the ship off the shoals and back on course and undo the great deal of damage that the Republican-dominated court has done. Not only will we not shirk our duties, we will not sleep on the bench.’

“They haven’t been asleep on the bench. In the last 12 months they’ve overturned 13 decisions from the Taylor court. We need to take back the court with two conservatives this November. You can elect a new governor, secure the House, retain the Senate, but at the end of the day, it’s going to come to the Supreme Court, and you’d better have a court that follows the rule of law rather than makes it up.”

Seeking Supreme Court justice is 11-year Wayne County Circuit Judge Mary Beth Kelly, appointed by former governor John Engler.
“My rulings are conservative,” she said.

“Justice Young and the other conservative justices (Young, Taylor, Stephen Markman and Maura Corrigan) of the Michigan Supreme Court did appoint me three times to be the chief judge. You may have heard of some of my rulings in Cassopolis. I am the judge who stopped absentee ballots that were being sent to dead voters and voters in nursing homes in Detroit by applying the absentee ballot statute. I’m a rule of law judge and I’m for civility on the Supreme Court. Justice (Elizabeth) Weaver has wreaked havoc. I think I’m a really good replacement for Justice Weaver. At the state convention, the first ballot will be Justice Young as the incumbent. The second ballot will be myself and Judge Jane Markey from the Court of Appeals.”

The 1987 University of Notre Dame graduate has a Web site at www.marybethkellyforjustice.com.

Her other job was a partner and commercial litigator with the Dickinson Wright law firm, where Young and former Cassopolis resident and Detroit mayor Dennis Archer also practiced.

Seeking Secretary of State is Cameron Brown.

“I can beat Jocelyn Benson,” he said, citing 18 years in manufacturing and 26 years of “beating liberal Democrats, first as a Sturgis city commissioner for five years, a (St. Joseph County) commissioner for 10 years — three times board chair — a member of the House for two terms and now in my final term in the Senate. Since my wife (Helen) and I launched our campaign nearly two years ago, I haven’t missed a vote. In the 12 years I’ve served in the Michigan Legislature, I haven’t missed a day. I have 100-percent attendance.”

Also seeking Secretary of State is Calhoun County Clerk Anne Norlander, endorsed by Runyon.

Norlander related, “My husband Jim’s family moved here from Battle Creek in 1969, built a house on Sassafras Lane and his brother graduated from Niles High School. He dad was chief engineer in Cassopolis with Clark Equipment. We have a little history in Cass County. I’m a fiscal and social conservative and a member of the NRA (National Rifle Association). I just renewed my concealed pistol license and I was told by my instructor I’m a darn good shot for a lefthander. I’ve reduced my budget every year for the 22 years I’ve been in office. I would like to take my vision and make government work in Lansing. I’ve been doing the job of Secretary of State, albeit on a smaller scale. I defeated a 24-year Democrat incumbent to become the first woman and the first Republican to hold the office of county clerk in the 179-year history of Calhoun County. I’ve gone toe-to-toe with ACORN and will have no problem whatsoever going head-to-head” with Benson.

“I will put my BA degree from Michigan State University up against her Harvard law degree any day of the week and my 22 years of experience against her non-experience and my six generations of rich family history up against her five years of residency,” Norlander said.

Attorney general candidate Bill Schuette usually pours coffee to mingle at Cass Republican functions, but this outing served tea to make TEA Party activists feel welcome, Fitz said.

Schuette lives in Midland with his wife, Cynthia, a daughter, 17, and a son, 16
“I’ve served America in all three branches of government,” Schuette said of his remarkable resume. “As a congressman when Ronald Reagan was president, as a state senator and agriculture director when John Engler was governor and six years on the Court of Appeals. I’m in the private sector now — the only candidate who is.

“We need a safer Michigan with less taxes, less government, less spending and more freedom. That’s why I’m running. You should hire me because I was a strong, tough” appellate judge.

“As Vic knows, I have the support of 48 prosecutors and 47 sheriffs. Law enforcement is standing with me. I’m pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, I’m a Second Amendment guy. My son got his first deer last November. My Democrat opponent is a prosecutor from Flint — hardly the model for public safety. We’ve got to fix Flint, but we cannot let those who manage Flint manage Michigan. He’s a UAW, left-of-center, Obama-loving, socialized medicine guy who wants to dismiss the lawsuit filed by our current attorney general (Mike Cox) against Obamacare. I will fight Obamacare day in and day out. That’s where I stand. The attorney general rules on so many issues across the board.”

Candidates attending also included: Dr. Richard Zeile, state Board of Education, “where we are dealing with bureaucratic wreckage from the era of affirmative action and progressivism; I’d like to bring some common sense and help us live within our means”; and Brian Breslin, Michigan State University Board of Trustees, who sprinted through a five-part platform.

Breslin, “a social and a fiscal conservative,” has been endorsed by former governor John Engler. “I love (MSU). My family’s roots are broad and deep. Second, I have a deep, abiding concern for proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Third, as a trustee, I’ll always be focused on affordable tuition and quality academic opportunities for our students. Not just the kids there today, but the next generation. My wife and I have been married 36 years. It’s our eight grandchildren. Fourth, I’ll be committed to building the research capabilities at Michigan State and keeping it true to its land grant mission of disseminating information to advance knowledge and transform lives. Fifth, as we Republicans provide leadership to reinvent Michigan, (MSU) will go through a series of challenges all its own. To meet them will take sound, experienced leadership. I think I can help. I’m 59, retired after almost 30 years at Meijer. I retired as senior vice president and was among that company’s management committee. I served on the board of directors of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and am a past president of the Michigan Grocers Association. I’m asking that you make me one of two Republican candidates to represent us against the Democrats.”

Fitz announced campaign headquarters opening in September will be moving from Cassopolis to Edwardsburg and located at 68897 Cass St., adjacent to Chairman Bill LaBre’s law office.

County officials present also included Dr. Fred L. Mathews, chairman of the SMC Board of Trustees; and Commissioners Bob Wagel, Carl Higley, Minnie Warren, Ed Goodman, Gordon Bickel and Vice Chairman Ron Francis, as well as state Reps. Matt Lori of Constantine and Tonya Schuitmaker of Lawton, former state representative Rick Shaffer, former state senator Paul Wartner and Elkhart, Ind., County Prosecutor Curtis Hill.