Cassis Announces Candidacy for Governor
Novi's own Nancy Cassis to take on Granholm
2/3/2005  More on Cassis  Oakland Press

Lansing - At a noon press conference today at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Novi State Senator Nancy Cassis (R) announced plans to run for the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan.

Cassis, chair of the Senate Finance Committee that handles all tax legislation, is the first Republican to form a committee to run for governor against incumbent Jennifer Granholm. In a survey conducted in late November, Cassis trailed Granholm in a trial ballot question by just 6%, 44%-38%.

"Governor Granholm has failed to provide leadership for Michigan during her first two years in office. Michigan lags behind the nation in job creation and is the only state that has failed to solve its budget problems. All the governor has presented is gimmicks, fee increases, and a tax shift/shaft that is really a tax increase. The state needs a governor who will make the tough choices and who will cut spending and cut taxes so we can create new jobs and emerge from the ongoing recession that seems only to be affecting Michigan and two other states. I will provide that strong leadership," Cassis said.

Another reason she cited for running was her strength against Gov. Granholm in a statewide poll conducted November 18-24, 2004 of 500 likely voters in the 2006 General Election by Mitchell Research & Communications, Inc.

"After informing voters of my background as chair of the House and Senate committees that deal with tax legislation, and of my opposition to Gov. Granholm's tax shift/shaft, I only trail the governor by 6%, 44% to 38%. The important figure here is that the governor is below 50%. In fact, if you subtract the 3% who say they lean toward the governor, her support is only 41%. This poll shows she is vulnerable and that I can beat her," Cassis said.

Sen. Cassis is in her first term as a state senator after serving three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives. In both the House and Senate, she has chaired the committees that have reported out all of the major tax cuts made by the Legislature since 1999.

As chair of the Senate Finance Committee, she was the leading opponent of Gov. Granholm's proposal last year to speed up tax collection. Cassis called the Granholm plan a tax shift and "shaft."

As chair of the House Tax Policy Committee, prior to being elected to the Senate, Cassis had a number of important accomplishments. They included:

- Shepherding the Income Tax Package of 1999 through the House. That bill cut Michigan's income tax rate one tenth of one percent per year until it fell to 3.9% in 2004. - The Income Tax Package of 1999 she shepherded through also expanded the children's deduction so all taxpayers with kids under18 are entitled to a $600 deduction. - She also shepherded the Income Tax Package of 2000 that accelerated the rate cut for one year and doubled the exemption for senior citizens and the disabled from $900 to $1,800. - She sponsored the bill that eliminates Michigan's Single Business Tax by cutting the rate one tenth of 1% per year until it is gone.

"We have to make hard choices if we are going to get the economy of Michigan moving. We must cut spending, not raise taxes. Michigan must also follow through on tax cuts that were supposed to take place," Cassis said.

Before serving in the House and Senate, Cassis was a member of the Novi City Council and was an educator for 19 years.

In addition to her tremendous accomplishments in the field of tax legislation, she has also introduced other major pieces of legislation that have become law.

- As a state representative, she introduced the law that allows libraries to filter the Internet on computers used by minors, protecting them from pornographic Web sites.

In the state Senate, she sponsored important bills to protect Michigan residents from identify theft and to improve Michigan's educational climate. These bills were signed into law last year. - Cassis authored Michigan's Social Security Protection Act of 2004 that protects our citizens from the nightmare of identity theft. - She sponsored Senate Bill 784, part of a package of bills that make hazing a crime. - She also sponsored Senate Bill 307, a bill that promotes parental involvement in Michigan schools. Both bills received strong bipartisan support in the Legislature.

"As a former school psychologist and educator, I know how critical the school years are û and how challenging they can be," Cassis said. "It is vital that we provide a safe environment for our children. Enacting a hazing law in Michigan is another step to ensure their well being."

Cassis also praised the signing of her legislation to promote parental involvement in schools. "Both research and common sense has shown that encouraging parental involvement in a child's academic life promotes educational success," Cassis said.

Cassis is Pro-Life and is a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment rights.

Cassis will be sending sent out a letter to party leaders and is beginning to raise money for her committee.

"I look forward to meeting with Republicans around Michigan to discuss the problems facing us and to discuss the solutions to the myriad problems our state faces. After those discussions, I will be presenting a detailed plan on how we can get this state moving again," Cassis said.

"My campaign will not diminish my Senate service, but in fact, it will invigorate my efforts on behalf of the citizens of my Senate district and the people of Michigan," Cassis concluded.

Sen. Cassis is married to Vic Cassis and they have seven grown children and eight grandchildren.

The following is the poll question that was asked:

"A potential candidate against Gov. Granholm in 2006 is State Senator Nancy Ka-SEESE from Oakland County. Senator Ka-SEESE is Chair of the Senate Finance Committee that handles all tax legislation. Before being Chair of that Senate Committee, she was Chair of the Michigan House Committee dealing with taxation. She is a strong supporter of tax cuts and was a leader against Gov. Granholm's tax program this year that moved up the time in which property tax payments had to be made. She was a State Representative for 6 years before being elected to the Senate two years ago.

"Thinking about the November 2006 General Election for Governor of Michigan, if the election for Governor of Michigan were being held today and the candidates were (ROTATE) û Gov. Jennifer Granholm the Democrat and State Senator Nancy Ka-SEESE the Republican, would you be voting for Granholm or Ka-SEESE? " Granholm 41% Granholm lean 3 44% Cassis 33 38% Cassis lean 5 DK/Refused 19 IF DK/REFUSED ASK: (Which way do you lean today?)

Statewide Telephone Poll (N=500 Likely Voters) November 18-25, 2004 by Mitchell Research & Communications, Inc.

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BIOGRAPHY

State Senator Nancy Cassis, a Novi Republican, was elected to represent the citizens of the 15th Senate District in November 2002.

Born in 1944, she grew up in Southampton, Long Island, NY. She earned a bachelor's degree with highest honors from Ohio University in 1966, a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1979, and an educational specialist degree, also from U of M, in 1980.

Prior to her election to the state Senate, she served six years in the House of Representatives, having been elected to fill a vacancy in 1996. Senator Cassis also has experience in local government û she served as councilwoman for the city of Novi from 1985-93 and from 1995-96.

Before holding elected office, Senator Cassis was a school psychologist for the Novi Communtiy Schools from 1980-96, and she taught in Cleveland for the Ohio Public Schools from 1966-68.

Upon her election to the state House, Cassis made history for her appointment as the first female chair of the House Tax Policy Committee. When she took office in the Senate, she was selected as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, based on her extensive knowledge of finance and tax policy issues, and experience as chair of the House Tax Policy Committee.

Since taking office, Senator Cassis has made tax policy, tax relief, improved educational opportunity for all children and transportation her priorities. Her efforts have improved the business climate and helped individuals, families and children across the state.

She has worked to create jobs, provide and maintain health benefits and sharpen Michigan's competitive edge by authoring legislation to eliminate the Single Business Tax by 2010, cut in half the state's tax penalty on employer-funded health benefits and keep manufacturing businesses in Michigan by allowing a personal property tax exemption for special tools. Additionally, she has worked to simplify the tax code and reduce the state's income tax from 4.4 to 3.9 percent, taking it to the lowest level in a quarter of a century.

Senator Cassis has led the way in protecting children by sponsoring legislation creating the Amber Alert of Michigan, criminalizing the act of hazing in schools and universities, and allowing public libraries to restrict minors from accessing pornographic Web sites on the Internet.

She also has been a staunch consumer advocate, sponsoring the Social Security Number Protection Act, a crucial tool in helping to protect against the misuse and abuse of a person's Social Security number.

As a former educator, Senator Cassis knows that a quality education gives students the key to unlock the future. As vice-chair of the Senate Education Committee she has worked to provide adequate funding for our schools, reduce costs for school districts, and help parents become involved in the education of their children.

Since transportation and traffic/congestion relief are intimately and vitally connected to economic development, Senator Cassis has taken a leading role in negotiating the reinstatement of 17 projects to the Department of Transportation's Five-Year Road and Bridge Plan. The projects are essential to the health and safety of motorists and the economic vitality of the state. In fact, she is responsible for placing the reconstruction of the Beck Road interchange off I-96 on MDOT's 2004-05 priority list, and continues to press for other improvements, especially to the Wixom interchange.

Throughout her time in public office, Cassis has been an effective voice for taxpayers, businesses, families, children, seniors and the educational community.

Senator Cassis, and her husband Victor, have seven children and eight grandchildren and are members of St. Mary's Orthodox Church in Livonia.