Three Democrats from Washtenaw County seeking 18th District state Senate seat

They also face Scio Township Democrat Thomas Patridge, an active advocate for civil liberties and mass transit who is known for regularly speaking before the Ann Arbor City Council, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board.

Wednesday's candidate debate was hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area and was taped inside CTN's television studios for rebroadcast.

Candidates answered a series of questions that touched on environmental issues, tax reform, term limits, job creation, infrastructure, legislative redistricting and their strengths.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face off against either John Hochstetler or Gary Wellings, who are vying for the Republican nomination in the 18th District.

The seat currently belongs to Liz Brater, D-Ann Arbor, who is term-limited.

Warren said Michigan needs serious reform and argued her record stands out above Byrnes in that regard.

"We need real reforms that really get to the structural deficit that Michigan is facing," she said. "We need real reforms that last past the 5 o'clock news headline. We need the kind of reforms that are going to put Michigan back on the path to prosperity and not leave a single individual behind."

Byrnes, House speaker pro tempore, highlighted her work as chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee and as a member of the state Transportation Funding Task Force.

"This is an area that I have led the charge that we need to have stable funding for our roads, for our bridges and our public transportation system," she said, lamenting the fact that the state has let its infrastructure deteriorate.

"What company wants to locate in a state where the roads are crumbling, the bridges are closed and people can't get to work?" she said.

Byrnes and Warren agreed the money coming from the state's current gas tax and vehicle registration fees isn't getting the job done.

"We have a very old transportation funding formula," Warren said. "It has not been updated in a long time, and it doesn't reflect our transportation needs today. We have a formula that says no more than 10 percent of our funds collected can go to public transit."

Partridge said he wants to increase access to buses and paratransit services for seniors and people with disabilities. He also supports a graduated income tax on businesses and individuals.

Partridge described himself at the start of the debate as a progressive Christian Democrat. He said he also is a father, a grandfather and a dedicated advocate for vulnerable residents.

He vowed to put forward an agenda to unite Washtenaw County with transportation programs, road improvements and access to affordable housing, education, health care and jobs.

Byrnes, who joined the House in 2005, said she has been active in the community, serving on the board of Child and Family Services and as chairwoman of the Ypsilanti Central Business Community, among other groups. She also founded the Western Washtenaw Democratic Club.

"I've been living and working in this community for 35 years," she said. "I worked my way through law school and, as a single mom, I became an advocate for families, children and victims of domestic violence. I ran my own law practice for many years, taught at Eastern Michigan University ... and was the first woman road commissioner in Washtenaw County."

Byrnes said she believes she's the most qualified candidate to represent Washtenaw County in the state Senate due to the extent of her experience, her accessibility to constituents and ability to get the job done.

"You need a legislator who focuses on creating job opportunities in Washtenaw County and in Michigan," she said. "We need a legislator who can work across party lines to move Michigan forward."

Warren, who joined the House in 2007, said she came to Ann Arbor like many others to attend the University of Michigan and ended up finding a home.

"For the last 20 years, I have worked to make our community a great place to live, work and visit," she said. "I spent seven years working in the trenches of the pro-choice movement and 10 years in Lansing as a legislative staffer and a legislator."

Warren said she has worked diligently in the House to provide leadership on a number of issues critical to Michigan's future. She has served as chair of the Great Lakes and Environment Committee, co-chair of the Legislative Biotechnology Caucus and chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus.

"We worked across party lines to enact the Great Lakes Compact, an international treaty that protects our Great Lakes from diversions out of the basin," she said. "When funding cuts threatened our 30-year-old wetlands protection act, I again reached across the aisle and across the dome to find a compromise."

"We've done a lot that we can be proud of but there's plenty more to do," she added. "We have a constant threat from invasive species, everything from plants and mussels to invasive species like Asian carp."

Byrnes said protecting the state's natural resources is a priority of hers as well.

"We have just passed a resolution for a constitutional ban against drilling under the Great Lakes," she said of legislation that came out of Warren's committee. "It's very important that we do protect our water, and I will continue my efforts to maintain the controls that we do have."

Partridge said he would include in his agenda more affirmative protections for the state's water supply and wetlands. He said he would balance that with a greater attention to funding and advancing the causes of what he called "people services," including housing for the homeless, affordable housing, transportation services, and universal access to education for everyone with an "18th District Promise" for all students to enable them to attend college.

Partridge said he's an advocate of tax reform. He said he supports a constitutional convention that would rewrite the ability of the state and local governments to have fair and equitable ability to raise taxes. He also said he supports eliminating property taxes for the middle class and lower-income individuals.

"Michigan has a pretty antiquated tax system," said Warren, who also supports a graduated income tax. "We have a lot of work to do to bring our tax system into the 21st Century. Michigan is one of just a handful of states that still relies on property taxes heavily as we do. Property used to be a very serious indicator of wealth. If you ask anybody who owns property now ... it tends to be people's biggest indicator of debt."

Warren and Byrnes agreed on expanding the sales tax on services. Byrnes said it could provide more stability to the state's school aid fund.

The two also agreed term limits in the Legislature have had a negative impact.

"I think you see a lot less folks willing to trust each other and work together because it is a very fast process — six years at most in the House and eight years at most in the Senate," Warren said, noting the state is still a $43 billion enterprise and requires leaders with experience.

"I don't think it's a very good form of governance for the state of Michigan, and I think it does not serve the citizens well of this state," Byrnes said of term limits. "It takes several years to get acclimated and by the time you hit the ground running, you are out of office, so there's constantly a revolving door."

Byrnes pointed out what will happen later this year: The state will see 30 out of 38 senators replaced, and at least half of the House. Along with a new governor, new attorney general and new secretary of state, Byrnes said, Michigan will have a brand-new government.

Partridge said he thinks term limits are healthy but would like to see them expanded so legislators can serve longer terms.

Warren and Byrnes both said they have worked to create jobs during their time in the Legislature. Warren offered two examples, one of which was legislation that provided for the permitting of 3,500 new acres of cranberry bogs in Michigan.

"Which means 1,000 jobs in construction of those bogs, $150 million of investment, 383 permanent ongoing jobs and about $30 million of new agricultural investment in the state of Michigan," Warren said.

Her other example was her support for the state's renewable portfolio standard, which she said has resulted in auto factories building gear boxes for wind turbines.

Byrnes highlighted her work in support of a second bridge span linking Michigan with Canada, which could bring 10,000 jobs during construction and lead to some permanent jobs. She said she also shepherded through the aerotropolis legislation, which will combine the Willow Run and Detroit Metropolitan airports.

"And recently I have introduced legislation that's passed through the House to add information technology to the 21st Century strategic jobs fund, which will allow more high-tech and software companies to hire new people," she said.

Partridge said in his closing comments that it's time for change.

"The current legislator, including the current representatives representing Washtenaw County in the Legislature, have not achieved the results that the residents of Washtenaw County ... need and urgently require," he said. "That's why I'm putting myself forward."

Byrnes, who has been endorsed by the building trades, local first responders and small business owners, vowed to keep fighting for seniors, solving problems and reforming government.

"I believe that a leader must lead by example in these difficult times and that's why I voted to reduced legislative pay by 10 percent, to eliminate legislative retirement benefits and to dock pay of legislators who don't show up for work," she said. "I believe that every citizen in Michigan should be treated equally and fairly and that's why I sponsored legislation to repeal the ban on same-sex marriage and to end wage discrimination by calling for fair and equal pay."

Warren said it's no secret that times are tough in Michigan, but she believes the state's economy can be rebuilt with the right people in office. Warren said her record has led to support for her campaign from the Michigan Education Association, Michigan Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, Clean Water Action, Michigan Nurses Association and UAW.

"We have challenges right now and I want to go to the Senate to help find the solutions," she said, vowing that if elected to the state Senate, she will remain committed to the values that first drew her to public service: "healthy families, a clean environment and strong public schools."

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.