SO (cont.): Now that I’m on the 
ground here, there’ll be more face-
to-face interactions. On Wednesday, 
I’ll be on both Central and North 
Campuses meeting with students. 
I hope to also drop in on classes and 
other venues so I can interact with 
people spontaneously. 
TMD: Over the past few years, 
the Board of Regents has taken 
steps to facilitate the process of 
ratifying new unions. Despite these 
steps to improve labor relations on 
campus, the University has still seen 
numerous stalled negotiations and a 
strike since 2020. What do you view 
as your role in working with the 
unions and how do you envision the 
University’s relationship with labor 
on campus?
SO: I’ve come from two other 
universities that have many unions. 
One thing that’s really important 
is that I don’t interfere with the 
processes and policies around the 
negotiating table. I won’t do that. But 
I think it’s very meaningful for me to 
meet and listen to leaders and unions, 
and I’ve started to do that and I hope 
to continue to do that. It’s got to be 
something where it is really clear 
that the agreed-upon procedures 
of negotiating and bargaining are 
adhered to. 
TMD: At the University of 
Cincinnati, you were active in 
promoting the school’s athletics. How 
do you view your role in approaching 
issues like name, image and likeness 
(NIL) in college sports, especially 
when some critics have claimed that 
Michigan Athletics has fallen behind 
other schools in NIL?
SO: Yeah, it’s pretty early days in 
terms of NIL. The great thing is that 
all the great universities that are 
part of the Big Ten are having these 
conversations, so I don’t think it 
makes sense for one university to go 
off on their own. 
There are issues of parity, issues 
of values that are embedded in those 
decisions, and there are legal issues 

as well that are jurisdictional from 
state to state. So a president has to 
be involved because these are major 
decisions. One of my roles as president 
is to understand the landscape and to 
understand the specific jurisdictional 
policies and laws, and also to be a 
team player in all NCAA sports. 
TMD: Can you speak on what 
values specifically you want to see 
inform these NIL decisions? 
SO: We have a broad spectrum 
of sports here at the University with 
different positions and different 
teams, which brings certain ethical 
considerations in the recruitment 
of athletes. What Michigan values 
is that we can do things in a way 
that we can be proud of, so being in 
compliance with the NCAA is one 
thing that is really important to me. 
With NIL, certain players are 
more prominent than others, but 
the success of a team isn’t just the 
quarterback or the wide receiver or 
the running back who might have 
more popularity in the NIL space 
— the whole team is important. J.J. 
McCarthy has done something, 
which I think is indicative of 
Michigan values, to donate his NIL 
earnings to his offensive line and 
that’s something I applaud. 
TMD: You are coming to not only 
the University but also the state of 
Michigan as a representative of a 
public university, in the middle of 
a particularly contentious election 
cycle. What race or issue do you view 
as the most important going into 
November?
SO: I think it is really important 
for me as a president of a university 
with a diversity of views to not 
insert my own particular personal 
views into any kind of election, or 
anytime, actually, as president. I 
think it is really important for me 
to facilitate and support active 
debate and to encourage people to 
vote. Unfortunately, I have only just 
arrived and there appears to be a 
30-day residency requirement for 
me to vote, so I just miss being able 
to vote. But, I am going to encourage 
people to vote and to be involved in 
the democratic process of opining 

about and advocating for things that 
they believe in.
TMD: The University of Michigan 
has been plagued recently with 
sexual misconduct scandals, from 
the decades-long allegations against 
former 
athletic 
doctor 
Robert 
Anderson to more recent allegations 
against former American Culture 
Professor Bruce Conforth. What 
are the biggest problems you see in 
terms of sexual misconduct at the 
University? And, how do you plan to 
begin to rectify them? 
SO: Having been president to other 
universities, I can tell you that sexual 
misconduct is pervasive. It is not just 
in this sector, but it is in every sector of 
society. It is not just at the University 
of Michigan. Nevertheless, it is a very 
important thing to address, and I plan 
to be actively involved in addressing 
the situation here. We have been 
hard at work over the past three 
months and intensively over the past 
several days. You should stay tuned 
for the actions that I will take and 
statements that I will make regarding 
this issue, but it is a little bit early for 
me to say. But I have, during the three 
months, listened and talked to many 
people who have made it clear that 
this is something important for me to 
address, and I will do so.
TMD: In August, Students Allied 
for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) 
released a statement criticizing a 
May 2014 trip to Israel you went 
on as president of the University of 
Cincinnati. SAFE also criticized an 
April 2022 decision of yours to decline 
to have the University of British 
Columbia divest from companies 
located in the West Bank. What do 
you have to say to these criticisms 
and how do you plan on engaging 
students on both sides of this very 
contentious issue? 
SO: The trip that we went on to 
Israel when I was president of the 
University of Cincinnati was really 
focused on technology, innovation 
and academic linkages. There are 
great universities in Israel, and I’ve 
visited universities across the world.

Since 2017, Michigan legislators 

have been debating whether or not 

to prohibit local governments from 

imposing more controls on short-

term rentals. The push for restricting 

local control gained new momentum 

in the past year following the 

passage of bills banning short-term 

rentals in residential neighborhoods, 

such as the banning of Airbnb 

houses in Ann Arbor. House Bill 

4722, introduced by state Rep. Sarah 

Lightner, R-Springport, would limit 

the local governments’ ability to 

enact zoning restrictions on short-

term rentals. The bill, which passed 

in the house last year in a late-night 

session, was advanced by a Senate 

panel this September and referred to 

the Committee of the Whole.

State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann 

Arbor, said in an interview with The 

Michigan Daily that he opposed the 

intention of the bill.

“I think the communities should 

have some limited authority to 

make rules about these things,” 

Irwin said. “(They should have) 

limited authority to make sure that 

(short-term rentals) don’t present 

a 
persistent 
problem 
to 
their 

neighbors, that they are positioned 

in a way where it’s more fair to the 

hotels.”

For Ann Arbor, a college town 

and popular tourist destination, 

short-term 
rentals 
have 
long 

symbolized its tourism paradox. 

The 
thriving 
tourism 
industry, 

buoyed by weekend football games, 

has benefited property owners 

who convert their properties into 

short-term rentals to host visitors. 

However, city officials have said 

short-term rentals contribute to 

the city’s affordability challenges 

by taking housing stock away from 

prospective buyers and long-term 

renters.

In 2020, City Council passed 

an ordinance banning dedicated 

short-term rentals in residential 

neighborhoods. 
In 
2021, 
amid 

possible 
legal 
challenges 
from 

affected short-term rental owners, 

City Council updated the previous 

ordinance 
to 
allow 
existing 

dedicated short-term rentals to 

continue operating. However, the 

continued to prohibit the creation 

of new dedicated short-term rentals 

in residential neighborhoods. The 

city also introduced a new licensing 

system requiring annual renewal by 

all short-term rental owners. 

The 
House 
bill 
bans 
local 

governments 
from 
restricting 

short-term rentals to lower than 

30% of total residential units. In 

2020, 1400 out of 47,214 housing 

units in Ann Arbor were short-term 

rentals. While Michigan Realtors, 

a 
statewide 
organization, 
has 

advocated for the bill, in interviews 

with The Daily, the Ann Arbor Board 

of Realtors said they didn’t take a 

stance on this legislative initiative.

Prentice 4M is a local real estate 

company that operates dozens of 

short-term rental units. Founder 

Heidi Poscher said the current city 

regulations reflect a reasonable 

compromise.

“(The cost of operating short-

term rentals) is more expensive 

(than in the past) because there are 

licensing fees to pay,” Poscher said. 

“But I understand that because the 

licensing fees are necessary to police 

the program … there hasn’t been any 

real change. We have continued to 

adhere to the regulations and try to 

be good neighbors to the people that 

surround us.”

Jennifer 
Rigterink, 
assistant 

director of state and federal affairs 

at Ann Arbor-based policy advocacy 

group Michigan Municipal League 

(MML), said the bill has gone 

further than in the past.

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher 

Taylor told The Daily in an interview 

that 
the 
city 
would 
leverage 

communication channels with state 

officials to prevent the bill from 

passing. 

“Certainly we are communicating 

to our delegation,” Taylor said. 

“Also, in the event that (the bill) 

passes in the Senate and gets onto 

Governor Whitmer’s desk, we would 

encourage her to veto it.” 

Rigterink 
also 
said 
MML 

encourages representatives from 

college towns to look into adding 

exemption language to the bill 

grandfathering in their policies. 

The bill allows cities that have 

restrictions before 2019 that don’t 

explicitly 
discriminate 
against 

short-term 
rentals 
to 
continue 

to enforce them. Ritgerink said 

East Lansing might have already 

been exempted since the city has 

restrictions on rentals in general 

before 2019. 

“The bill doesn’t name a specific 

municipality, ” Rigterink said. “But 

the only one that we have found 

that fits that kind of language is 

the city of East Lansing … In other 

communities that host universities 

or are college towns, I would be 

asking my legislator, ‘Why is that 

community carved out and not going 

to have to deal with this, but we’re 

preempted in our regulations?’”

State Senate 14th District

Tim Golding (R) and Washtenaw 

County Commissioner Sue Shink 

(D) will face off for Michigan’s 14th 

District State Senate seat. The seat 

is currently held by state Sen. Ruth 

Johnson, R-Holly, who is running 

for the Senate seat in the 24th 

District. The 14th District has been 

held by a Republican since 2014, 

but Shink is looking to flip the seat. 

She has centered her campaign on 

climate policy, supporting small 

businesses and improving access 

to healthcare. Shink won the 

Democratic primary with 75% of 

the vote. Golding’s campaign has 

focused on pandemic recovery, 

defending 
Second 
Amendment 

rights and restricting access to 

abortion. He ran unopposed in the 

Republican primary.

State Senate 15th District 

Scott Price (R) will challenge 

incumbent state Sen. Jeff Irwin, 

D-Ann Arbor, for the 15th District 

state Senate seat. Price won the 

Republican primary with 72% of 

the vote. Price did not respond 

to a Michigan Daily request for 

comment during the primaries and 

has not spoken to other outlets. 

Price does not have a website and 

has not shared his platform on 

social media. Irwin was elected 

to the state Senate in 2018 after 

serving as a state representative 

from 2011 to 2017. Throughout his 

time in office, he has focused on 

public education, climate action 

and 
infrastructure. 
Irwin 
has 

campaigned on accomplishments 

in these areas, including passing 

legislation to increase support for 

students with dyslexia. Irwin also 

touted legislation he supported to 

increase corporate accountability 

for environmental damage and 

provide 
support 
to 
Michigan 

residents 
harmed 
by 
disasters 

resulting from climate change. 

6th Congressional District

U.S. 
Rep. 
Debbie 
Dingell, 

D-Mich., 
will 
face 
Whittney 

Williams 
(R) 
for 
the 
6th 

Congressional 
District 
seat. 

Dingell has been the representative 

of the 12th District since 2015, 

winning the seat after her husband, 

at the time the longest-serving 

congressperson, died. Dingell ran 

unopposed for the Democratic 

Party. Williams won 53.7% of the 

vote in the Republican primary. 

Dingell is focused on the auto 

industry for jobs, protecting the 

environment and increasing access 

to health care. Williams has a focus 

on lowering taxes, securing the 

border and restricting abortion.

Attorney General

Matthew 
DePerno 
(R), 

incumbent Dana Nessel (D), Joe 

McHugh (L) and Gerald T. Van 

Sickle (Tax) are running for the 

position 
of 
Michigan 
attorney 

general.

Trump-backed 
candidate 

DePerno is an attorney currently 

under criminal investigation an 

alleged plot to tamper with voting 

machines . He believes the 2020 

presidential election result was 

fraudulent, abortion and Plan B 

should be banned and critical race 

theory should be outlawed.

Nessel is a former prosecutor 

and civil rights attorney. She is 

focused on protecting consumers, 

defending 
civil 
rights 
and 

protecting the environment and 

health care.

McHugh is a Marine Corps 

veteran. Based on his campaign 

website, he supports the legalization 

of all drugs, protection of the 

environment and free speech. He 

believes in a debunked conspiracy 

theory that there is a “Shadow 

Government” 
manipulating 

elections and the Supreme Court. 

He also thinks the September 11 

terrorist attacks were orchestrated 

by the U.S. government and planned 

to use COVID-19 “to collapse the 

economy and move the world onto 

Bitcoin.” These theories have been 

disproven.

Van Sickle is also vying for 

the position of attorney general, 

representing the U.S. Taxpayers 

Party. The party’s priorities are 

limiting government control and 

intervention, including opposing 

education 
regulations 
such 
as 

compulsory 
attendance 
laws 

and standardized curricula and 

protecting 
Second 
Amendment 

rights. 

Secretary of State

Jocelyn Benson (D), Kristina 

Karamo (R), Larry Hutchinson Jr. 

(Green), Christine Schwartz (Tax) 

and Grego Stempfle (L) are running 

for Secretary of State.

Benson was elected Secretary 

of State in 2018. She is a graduate 

of Harvard Law School and was 

the dean of Wayne State University 

Law school from 2012 to 2016. She 

was the youngest woman to lead a 

top-100 accredited law school. She 

is a supporter of voting rights and 

has transformed customer service 

by 
creating 
a 
ballot-tracking 

website for voters to monitor the 

status of their absentee ballots.

Karamo is a former community 

college instructor. According to her 

campaign website, she currently 

leads a research team focused on 

identifying election inefficiencies. 

Karamo gained public attention 

after claiming she witnessed voter 

fraud in 2020 in Detroit while 

working as a poll watcher.She 

supports fair auto shop inspections, 

eliminating election fraud and 

preventing identity theft.

Hutchinson ran for Lansing 

mayor in 2021 and lost. He believes 

in publicly funded elections. In 

his 2021 campaign, Hutchinson 

supported 
campaign 
finance 

reform and said he was passionate 

about gun control, school safety, 

education and taxes. Hutchinson 

did not elaborate on these issues 

and did not share a secretary of 

state platform on social media.

On the U.S. Taxpayer Party’s 

website, 
Schwartz 
included 
a 

statement outlining her platform, 

which 
focuses 
on 
limited 

government 
and 
building 
safe 

communities. “I am 100% Pro-

Life, a traditional family supporter 

and a 2nd Amendment defender,” 

Schwartz said in the statement.

Stempfle 
was 
a 
clinical 

laboratory scientist at the Henry 

Ford Hospital organ transplant lab. 

He has 25 years of experience as a 

political activist. Stempfle believes 

in election security. His initiatives 

include 
introducing 
ranked-

choice voting for state elections, 

nonpartisan 
county 
and 
local 

elections and stopping subsidies for 

Democrats and Republicans.

Michigan 
Supreme 
Court 

Justice

Five candidates are running to 

fill two open seats on the Michigan 

Supreme 
Court, 
including 

incumbent 
Richard 
Bernstein, 

Michigan state Rep. Kyra Harris 

Bolden, attorney Paul Hudson, 

attorney Kerry Lee Morgan and 

incumbent Brian Zahra. The race 

is nonpartisan, though candidates 

can be nominated by political 

parties. 

Bernstein, 
a 
University 
of 

Michigan alum, was elected to the 

Supreme Court in 2014, becoming 

the first blind justice to serve in 

the state of Michigan. Bernstein 

has also previously served on 

Wayne State University’s Board of 

Governors. Bernstein and Harris 

Bolden have been endorsed by The 

Michigan League of Conservation 

Voters, 
Michigan 
Association 

for Justice and the Michigan 

Democratic Party. Harris Bolden 

is currently serving in her second 

term as a representative for the 

35th House District. If elected, 

Harris Bolden will be Michigan’s 

first Black woman justice on the 

state Supreme Court.

Former Michigan Gov. Rick 

Snyder appointed Zahra to the 

Michigan 
Supreme 
Court 
in 

2011 following the retirement of 

former Justice Maura Corrigan. 

In November 2012, Zahra was 

elected to serve a partial term 

and was reelected for a full 

term in 2014. Zahra dissented in 

September decisions to place two 

constitutional amendments on the 

Nov. 8 ballot. Zahra and Hudson 

have been endorsed by the Michigan 

Chamber of Commerce, Michigan 

Farm Bureau and the Michigan 

GOP. On his website, Hudson says 

his platform is “grounded in his 

commitment to the Constitution, 

the rule of law, and respect for the 

separation of powers.”

Morgan has been endorsed by 

Michigan’s 
Libertarian 
Party. 

Morgan ran for the Michigan 

Supreme Court in 2020, 2018, 

2016, 2014, 2012 and 2006. Morgan 

also filed a brief on behalf of the 

LONANG 
Institute 
opposing 

affirmative action before the U.S. 

Supreme Court. In it, Morgan states 

he supports petitioners’ challenge 

to Harvard’s use of racial factors in 

college admissions.

Gubernatorial

The Nov. 8 midterm election 

marks a historic gubernatorial race 

for Michigan, as two women from 

major political parties are facing 

off for the first time in Michigan’s 

history.

Incumbent 
Gov. 
Gretchen 

Whitmer was first elected as 

the 48th governor of Michigan 

in 2018 when she ran against 

Republican 
candidate 
Bill 

Schuette, attorney general under 

the 
Snyder 
administration. 

Whitmer’s platform has largely 

focused on reforming Michigan’s 

abortion policy and highlights 

her May lawsuit, which resulted 

in the ruling currently blocking 

the enforcement of a 1931 abortion 

ban. Whitmer has also said she 

supports policies to prevent school 

shootings, including red flag laws 

and safe storage requirements.

Whitmer 
gained 
national 

attention in 2020 due to her 

pandemic response, which is a 

large talking point of opponent 

Tudor Dixon’s (R) platform. Dixon 

was endorsed by former U.S. 

President Donald Trump on July 

27, days before the primary, and 

joined Trump at his “Save America” 

rally on Oct. 1 to garner more 

support for her candidacy. Dixon 

has emphasized her anti-abortion 

views as a part of her platform, in 

addition to vowing to make parents 

more involved in their child’s 

education. Specifically, Dixon has 

promised to limit education on 

gender and sexuality in schools 

and to outlaw critical race theory, 

an academic theory not generally 

taught in K-12 schools.

Whitmer and Dixon faced off in a 

televised debate hosted by WOOD-

TV on Oct. 13. They are scheduled 

for a second debate at Oakland 

University on Oct. 25.

Donna Brandenburg of the U.S. 

Taxpayers Party, Mary Buzuma, 

the Libertarian candidate, Kevin 

Hogan of the Green Party and Daryl 

Simpson of the Natural Law Party 

are also on the ballot for governor 

this year. 

Brandenberg, 
a 
business 

owner, has built her platform 

on maintaining the integrity of 

elections, 
limiting 
government 

overreach, and rebuilding mental 

health 
services. 
Buzuma’s 

campaign includes promises to 

cut taxes and allow individuals 

the freedom to choose their own 

health care, including revoking 

vaccine 
and 
mask 
mandates, 

lifting restrictions on abortion 

and 
decriminalizing 
marijuana. 

Simpson said the three main points 

of his campaign include economic 

growth, 
improving 
public 

education and having a “common 

sense approach to every issue.” 

Hogan has not shared his platform 

on social media.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022 — 3
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

What’s on your midterms ballot?

CAMPUS LIFE

Ann Arbor restrictions threatened by 
short-term rental proposal in State House

The Daily’s government beat outlines the races and proposals Michiganders are voting non Nov. 8

House Bill 4722 looks to limit cities’ ability to regulate services like 
Airbnb, VRBO

Design by Sophie Grand

 CHEN LYU
Daily Staff Reporter

ANN ARBOR

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

ANNA FIFELSKI, 
SAMANTHA RICH & 
CAROLINE WANG
Daily News Editor & Daily Staff 
Reporters

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

ONO INTERVIEW
From PAGE 1

