Last week I had the good fortune to witness something not often seen in politics today. Two state legislators from different parts of our state, with different backgrounds and from different political parties found common ground on several tough issues plaguing their districts. They discovered not only that issues like health care, affordable housing and poverty are important in each other’s districts but that they might be able to work together on legislation to address those problems.
Imagine that. A Democrat and Republican were able to separate partisan politics from trying to figure out a way to serve the best interests of their constituents by working together.
What could possibly have led to this? Did these two legislators lose a bet? Far from it. It turns out that when two individuals from opposite sides of the partisan divide have an opportunity and are open to hearing from someone else with different views, solutions present themselves.
State Reps. Brenda Carter, D-Pontiac, and Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, spent a full day together in and around Carter’s Oakland County district that includes Pontiac, parts of Auburn Hills and Waterford as part of a new program called the Michigan Legislative Exchange (MILE).
MILE is the brainchild of Jonathan Perman, a veteran of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The program pairs legislators from different parties who represent districts that differ geographically, culturally and politically with the goal of having legislators learn about the host member’s district and generating discussions on shared interests. Perman founded a similar program at the federal level, the American Congressional Exchange (ACE), which is now housed at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Markkanen serves the 110th state House district, which runs along the Wisconsin border and roughly from Iron Mountain to the Keweenaw Peninsula which juts into Lake Superior; the district spans nearly 5,500 square miles. The 53rd district, which Carter represents, is less than 40 square miles. Yet, both districts are well below the state average in per capita and median household income and above the state average in terms of people living in poverty. Access to health care — proximity in the 110th and funding in the 53rd — is a problem in both areas.
During their day together, the legislators met with other elected leaders from Pontiac and Oakland County including Mayor Tim Greimel, City Council President Mike McGuinness, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and Oakland County Commissioner Kristen Nelson. The pair also met with community leaders like Damany Head, President of the Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce; Elizabeth Kelly, Executive Director and CEO of HOPE Shelters; Ahmad Taylor, Executive Director of the Pontiac Housing Commission; Debra Brinson, Chief Executive Officer of Honor Community Health; and a number of veterans from VFW Post #1370.
Rep. Markkanen serves the 110th state House district, which runs along the Wisconsin border and roughly from Iron Mountain to the Keweenaw Peninsula which juts into Lake Superior; the district spans nearly 5,500 square miles.
I was fortunate to be a part of the last session of the day, a debriefing over dinner. Although they had known each other somewhat over their time in the House, MILE clearly enhanced the relationship Reps. Carter and Markkanen have. At dinner, Markkanen noted that he learned more about Carter’s district and the challenges it faces. Carter remarked that she deepened her respect for her colleague, and she appreciated how he sunk his teeth into their jam-packed day.
They also both reported that they discovered they had more in common than they originally thought. For instance, they each have experience in education, Markkanen as a teacher and Carter as a member of the Pontiac Board of Education. Markkanen served in the Army for 26 years; one of Carter’s children is a veteran. They also enjoy the same brand of bourbon.
Two legislators spending time getting to know each other as well as the issues that significantly impact their constituents may not sound remarkable. Indeed, it should be something we expect from our leaders.
But in today’s polarized and often-vitriolic world of politics this is rare. We should congratulate Reps. Carter and Markkanen. I imagine some of their partisan colleagues may not appreciate that these two reached across the aisle in a very intentional way; they may even hear complaints from some of them.
Indeed, at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s recent Mackinac Policy Conference, a session featuring the party leaders of each legislative chamber ended in the group unable to even schedule a meeting. In past years this group of four held regular “quadrant” meetings. Today, they can’t even agree to go that far. So, yes, even this small step toward working together, finding common ground and promoting greater civility in public life needs to be celebrated.
It isn’t going to end here, however. While breaking bread last week, Reps. Carter and Markkanen started planning Carter’s trip to the 110th district. There’s no doubt that she will learn as much on that trip as Markkanen did during his time in the 53rd.
These visits are the easy part. For this effort — and for MILE in general — to have a real impact, it will take these legislators diving into the nitty gritty of policy on possibly thorny issues. This could be made even more difficult by the partisan rancor that is seemingly ubiquitous.
However, if Rep. Markkanen’s visit to Rep. Carter’s district is a sign of things to come, they’ll get something done for the good of not only the people of the 53rd and 110th districts but the entire state.
David Dulio is a political science professor at Oakland University and director of the Center for Civic Engagement. The MILE program is an initiative of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University.