Billington seeking Democratic nod for state House

Neil Billington may have found another way to get Gail Haines out of office.

The Waterford Township resident has filed candidate paperwork to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for the new 43rd state House of Representatives District, which includes the bulk of Waterford Township, along with Independence Township, Clarkston, and Lake Angelus.

This comes after Billington challenged Haines — whose current district includes portions of Waterford and West Bloomfield townships — as a Republican in the 2010 GOP primary election, a contest in which he fell 76 percent to 24 percent to Haines, who is in her second term in the state House and chairs the Health Policy Committee.

In addition, last year, Billington also embarked on a recall effort targeting Haines, citing her vote in favor of an expanded emergency financial manager law that has drawn criticism from many on the left and public employee unions, and faces a petition drive seeking to repeal it.

On Aug. 4, a three-member county panel voted to approve the following petition language to be circulated in his effort to oust Haines:

“State Representative Gail Haines on February 23, 2011, voted YES on Michigan House Bill 4214 now Public Act 4 of 2011.”

PA 4 of 2011 is the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act, known largely for giving state-appointed emergency financial managers greater authority in dealing with financial crises in municipal governments and school districts.

Billington’s Tuesday, Jan. 31 deadline to turn in recall petition signatures passed without any petitions being filed, according to county Clerk/Register of Deeds’ Elections Division staff.

Haines confirmed earlier this week that she will be seeking a third and final term in the state House of Representatives.

“There’s a lot of stuff I want to finish,” she said.

The filing deadline for candidates is May 15.

State representatives serve two-year terms and are currently paid $79,650 per year.

A woman who answered the phone at Billington’s house last week said he would not comment to the Spinal Column Newsweekly.