2014 MI Senate debate: on Government Reform

Mike Bishop: Limit people driven by thirst for power, pride, and envy

Bishop: Strongly Agree

Q: What in the nature of mankind caused America's Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers within the Constitution?

Bishop: The nature of mankind drove America's Founders to carefully define, separate and limit powers within the Constitution. Man can be driven to accomplish great things when motives are pure and outcome is driven by humility and Godly intent. However, man is inherently flawed and, there are people whom are driven by a thirst for power, pride, and envy. By limiting powers and creating checks and balances, our Founders ensured an environment where no one man or woman could force change alone.

Q: People should be able to vote without photo identification?

Bishop: Strongly Disagree

Gary Peters: Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees

Terri Lynn Land: Super PACs are committed to Michigan

Created in the wake of the landmark Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, super PACs can raise unlimited funds from corporations, unions, associations and individuals to advocate for or against candidates, but money must be spent on independent political activity.

"The Citizens United lawsuit actually started here in Michigan," Land said. "And that changed the dynamics of politics, restricted the parties, but it let individuals and others raise resources to do that. Our campaign has talked to a lot of those folks," she added. "They're committed to Michigan. They really want to support us here in Michigan. And if we can do this in Michigan, that means they win in the other states."

Terri Lynn Land: Allow "dark money": secret campaign donations for issue ads

The State Bar, which represents 43,600 Michigan lawyers and judges, said secret contributions--dark money--prevent the public from knowing when [an elected] judge is being asked to rule on an issue involving a major donor. Dark money increasingly is playing a role in Michigan judicial campaigns. Last fall, someone secretly spent $2 million on misleading attack ads in an unsuccessful effort to defeat an incumbent Oakland County Circuit Court judge.