User:Grahamo3/Andy Schor

In 2005, Schor was a spokesman for the state Office of Financial and Insurance Services. At this time, Schor worked under the state Insurance Commissioner Linda Watters, during Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration.

By mid-November 2011, Schor officially made his announcement to run for State Rep. in the Lansing-based 68th House District. In his announcement, Schor added that he had already raised $45,000. The 68th House District seat was an open contest, being vacated by term-limited Rep. Joan Bauer. The seat was traditionally a 73 percent Democratic base, which meant the winner of the democratic Aug. 7th primary would ultimately win the general election. Schor ended up being challenged for the seat by Griffin Rivers, who was the Ingham County Democratic Party's former chairman; Anne Clayton, who was a biology professor at Lansing Community College; Dale Copedge, who was on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners; A’Lynne Robinson, who was a Lansing City Councilwoman; Harold Leeman, a former Lansing City Councilman; and finally Ted O’Dell, who was an unsuccessful Lansing School Board candidate in 2009. Schor had notable endorsements by the Detroit Regional Chamber‘s political action committee, Michigan NOW, various unions, and the City Pulse, which said that "Schor’s positions are well reasoned and defendable." Additionally, Schor received endorsements from nearly the entire Michigan Democratic House caucus, as well as half of the Ingham County Board. On August 7th, 2012, Andy Schor won the Democratic Primary for State Representative 68th District with 3,142 votes, which was 43.19% of the vote total. On November 6th, 2012, Schor won the general election against Republican candidate, Timothy Moede, who was a retired Lansing Fire Department battalion chief. Moede received 8,861 votes (23.26% of the vote total) to Schor's 29,023 votes (76.18% of the vote total).

Early Life and Education
Schor grew up in Long Island, New York with his parents; his father a diamond distributor and his mother finding work in a nursing home. Schor moved to Michigan to attend the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History. During his time at the University of Michigan, Schor took a semester off to be involved within the Clinton Gore campaign his senior year as a paid staffer.

Police
In May of 2021, Schor called for an independent review of the Police Department of Lansing, asking for assessments of their use of force, de-escalation strategies, officer wellness, arrest management, as well as body cameras and police bias. This was in response to the loud public outrage the country was feeling as a response to the results of the Derek Chauvin case where he was found guilty in the death of George Floyd.

In 2021, Schor released the Mayor’s Report on Racial Justice and Equity. This document acted as an outline to steps to work towards a higher level of racial justice within the Lansing police department. These steps included Schor signing the “8cantwait pledge”, Obama’s Mayoral Pledge, as well as adjusting Lansing Police Departments policing policies regarding traffic stops and “no knock” searches. The “8cantwait pledge” bans certain policing procedures such as strangling and choke holding individuals.

Marijuana Policies
In 2017, Schor, while he was a Michigan state representative, introduced bills that involved the advertisement of marijuana in Michigan. This bill, House Bill 4767 and Senate Bill 463 would ban billboard advertisements for medical marijuana and dispensaries and other businesses that involve marijuana. Schor was quoted as saying that Michigan doesn’t “need massive marijuana billboard advertising the availability of medical marijuana or to find shops, and shouldn’t be advertising this to our children and others who may abuse it”.

Appointments
In November 2017, then mayor-elect Schor announced his city hall appointments. He appointed Samantha Harkins as Chief of Staff, Jennifer LeFevre as Office Manager, Chelsea Coffey as Special Assistant to the Mayor, and Marilyn Plummer as Community Outreach Coordinator.

Homelessness
Schor has argued that the persistence of the homelessness problem in Lansing is a result of insufficient social safety nets. Schor claims that substance abuse plays a major role in this equation and that homeless shelters do not have adequate means of providing a solution for that issue. Additionally, Schor has advocated for putting the homeless in apartments and providing them with resources such as healthcare and education.

In December of 2020, Schor endorsed the clearance of Lansing’s “Back 40” homeless encampment due to unsanitary living conditions. This was done on the condition that the city’s top priority was to “provide safe living conditions and avoid tragedy” for the individuals previously staying at the camp. The city of Lansing provided grants totaling 1.8 million dollars to four different agencies to help the homeless or near homeless find housing.

Development
In February of 2021, Schor announced the Lansing CARES program, a community development program which gave just under 1.5 million dollars to the community to fight homelessness as well as assistance for small businesses. This initiative included $600,000 of assistance to small businesses that were at risk of going out of business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also included was another $100,000 towards businesses with five employees or less that were at risk of going out of business due to the COVID pandemic.

Ingham County Board of Commissioners (2003–2013)
In 2006 as a member of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, Schor said that people who move out of cities to townships won’t know what they are giving up until they move. “Once they make that move, they notice what they're missing,” Schor said, referring to amenities provided by city governments like sidewalks, parks, and public safety (i.e police and fire departments). He also blames state governments for deteriorating city services due to declining revenue sharing cuts.

Schor was also critical of a 2003 Michigan Supreme Court ruling that gave schools superintendents control over school construction, stripping the right from local communities to make decisions saying “These are community, local decisions, and the only people who don't have to abide by them are the schools”. He also added that this ruling has been “frustrating for local governments everywhere”.

During his time with the Michigan Municipal League, Schor was critical of a bill that would support firefighters who got cancer on the job. He stated that many local governments wouldn’t have the funds for the program.

In 2007, Schor supported a cost increase for Ingham County Sheriffs to patrol township stating he believed that out of county communities should pay an additional fee for road patrol services that are provided. He echoed these remarks again in 2010 by saying that since road patrol is a service only received by out-county areas, Lansing residents shouldn’t pay for it.

Supportive of a 2008 bill that would provide urban development areas with a 20% tax credit saying “From our perspective, anything that creates an incentive for more revitalization and redevelopment in urban areas ... is important”.

During his time on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, a bill was passed which allowed for the sale of alcohol Sunday mornings if businesses acquire a permit for $160. This, however, could be overruled by local governments. The bill also contained a technical error that would have inadvertently required prohibit the sale of alcohol all Sunday rather than just Sunday Morning. Schor publicly responded expecting a fix to the bill within a month.

In order to expand Jackson County Airport, the government seized nearly two dozen properties. Schor was quoted as saying “You have to look at the benefits to the community versus somebody's property rights. It's the good of the whole versus the needs of one.”