TitCapitol

Michigan's Jewish state legislators cooperate on
Jewish issues and agree to disagree on others.

Shari S. Cohen I Special to the Jewish News

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Callton (R-Nashville) and Rep. Andy Schor
(D-Lansing), represent areas with few
Jewish constituents. While social contact
between the Jewish legislators is limited,
they come together for the legislature's
Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration.
Four of the legislators were part of a
roundtable discussion April 29 at the IN
office; Schor was interviewed by phone
May 2.
Kahn has served in the state legislature
for nine years, the longest tenure of the
group, and says that being Jewish hasn't
been a problem in his election campaigns.
Callton described "a little bit of anti-
Semitism" in a county where he is the only
Jew.
"One of the mega-churches in the area
has a pastor who said that he knew I was
the best-qualified and the best person, but
was struggling with voting for a Jew. But I
always kick butt in elections," he said.
Schor, whose district includes Lansing
Township and most of the city of Lansing,
faced six opponents. "There was a little bit
of a whisper campaign in the primary to
remove some of my support; he said.
As Jewish legislators, they are sometimes
confronted with insensitive comments and
prayers recited in the legislature that end
"in Jesus' name" or references to "smiting
those who do not believe in Jesus:'

United Causes
"There are good reasons why you would

want Jewish legislators:' Barnett said.
"There is a representative in Traverse City
who keeps putting in these horrible resolu-
tions that are very anti-Semitic, and Mike
is able to put a stop to them in his caucus:'
She was referring to House Resolution
0038, introduced by Rep. Ray Franz of
Onekama, who is vice chair of the House
Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
This resolution would establish U.S.S
Liberty Day in Michigan to commemo-
rate the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty, an
American intelligence-gathering ship that
was sailing under Spanish identification
during the Yom Kippur War. The Liberty
was mistakenly attacked by Israeli forces,
injuring and killing American soldiers.
"I've had to sit down with the leader-
ship and ask why they aren't singling out
every friendly fire incident throughout
history:' Callton said. "This is supported
by Holocaust deniers who claim that it was
a deliberate hostile attack by Israel on a
clearly identified U.S. ship. Rep. Franz says
that one of his constituents had a relative
who died on the ship. We've had to head
off this resolution three times — the third
time this year:'
Jewish legislators also worked together
to modify a House bill to help county
coroners dispose of tissue after autopsies.
Sometimes limbs and organs remain intact
after autopsies, and Jewish law requires
their burial with the body. Muslim doc-

trine also requires specific care for human
remains. Three Jewish legislators and a
Muslim legislator pointed out the reli-
gious issues to the House leadership, then
Democratic, to no avail.
"The bill was well-meaning but reli-
giously insensitive Barnett said. "Dr. Kahn
was able to fix it for us in the Senate:'
Lipton recalled, "We thought that we
were offering a sensible fix, but it was
interesting that there was this push-back
to the three Jews and the Muslim saying,
`Why are you creating this problem?"'

On The Issues

Issues that are important to the Jewish
community are not always a tough sell. An
annual line item that funds culturally sen-
sitive mental health services for Jewish and
other groups, including Arab Americans,
has widespread support.
A bill to prevent students' attendance
records from being affected when they
miss school to celebrate the High Holidays
was recently introduced by Rep. Kate Segal
(D-Battle Creek), a Christian married to
a Jewish man whose children are being
raised as Jews. A Jewish high school stu-
dent from Kalamazoo suggested the bill.
"It is critically important that we respect
the religious diversity of our schools and
that starts by ensuring that kids are never
forced to choose between observing their
faith or earning a perfect attendance award

Rep. Vicki
Barnett

Rep. Mike
Callton

Sen. Dr. Roger
Kahn

Rep. Ellen
Cogan Lipton

(D-Farmington,
Farmington Hills)

(R-Berry County,
part of Ionia County)

(R-Saginaw and
Gratiot counties)

(D-Berkley, Fern-
dale, Pleasant
Ridge, Hazel Park,
Huntington Woods,
Oak Park, Royal
Oak Township)

• Career: Former
investment coun-
selor, mayor of
Farmington Hills
and president of the Michigan
Municipal League
• Legislative interests: educa-
tional funding and access, job
creation and retention
• Family: Married to Mark; two
adult children.
• Jewish affiliations: board mem-
ber, Jewish Community Relations
Council; member, Temple Kol Ami

8 May 16 • 2013

"Among some of my colleagues, being
Jewish is more of a curiosity:' Schor said. "I
get questions occasionally:'
Callton, a Republican, has to cope with
the far right in his party who refer to the
U.S. as a Christian nation.
"I remind them that not everyone here
is a Christian:' he said. "Usually someone
quickly changes it to a Judeo-Christian
nation. I try to do things like bring hamen-
tashen to the all-Christian Republican
caucus when it's Purim and take bagels and
lox to fundraisers, and they're respectful;
he added.
"Well-meaning people think it is a
Christian country, which isn't a problem
as long as it isn't offensive or damaging, or
has the smell of a pogrom:' Kahn said. He
pointed out that the Michigan Legislature
recognizes the Jewish High Holy Days as
holidays.
During one House session several years
ago, Barnett said that the House was very
late on the state budget and the speaker of
the House expected legislators to work on
the eve of Yom Kippur. Jewish representa-
tives explained that the need to prepare
and eat a pre-fast meal would make that
impossible for them. Eventually, the speak-
er backed down and agreed to reschedule
the session.

• Career: owner of
Nashville Chiroprac-
tic Center; former
Berry County com-
missioner; former member, Nash-
ville Village Council
• Legislative interests: chair,
House Financial Services Com-
mittee; vice chair, Health Policy
Committee
• Family: married to Shelly; two
adult sons.
• Jewish affiliations: Chabad Lan-
sing/MSU

• Career: medical
doctor who prac-
tices cardiology in
Saginaw; former
Saginaw County commissioner;
former state representative
• Legislative interests: chair,
Appropriations Committee and
Infrastructure Modernization
Committee
• Family: married to Nyla; togeth-
er they have eight children
• Jewish affiliations: member of
AIPAC

•Career: patent attorney
•Legislative interests: resources for
education, renewable energy, preser-
vation of natural resources, stem cell
research; minority vice chair, House
Education Committee
•Family: married to Marc; two chil-
dren.
•Jewish affiliations: active in Aish
HaTorah, Jewish Federation; member,
Temple Emanu-El