LANSING-Some Oakland County lawmakers are already focusing on next year's legislative goals and elections.

For example, Rep. Andy Meisner, D-Ferndale, said that the economy has to come first in Michigan.

The recent passage of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's $2 billion jobs diversification proposal was positive, Meisner said, but more must to be done to provide additional unemployment benefits for Michigan families and tax relief for businesses. 

"We need to help these companies weather the storm of some very choppy waters of global competition," he said.  "Its real important that as we reach out to people that are thinking about expanding their business here in Michigan, people who are thinking about starting new business, or even people that are in other states or other countries that may be considering coming to Michigan."

Meisner said he is also looking at mental health reform, a personal issue for him because his father was diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder.  He hopes to propose legislation before the holiday break for expanding and creating jail diversion programs to keep those with mental illness out of prison because of lack of treatment.

"I know that this is an area where there are a lot of Michigan citizens that are suffering and a lot of families suffering as a result of their suffering," he said.  "And there's an important state role that in the past has been abandoned."

From a GOP perspective, Rep. Robert Gosselin of Troy, his focus will be improving the economy by cutting taxes, cutting regulation of business and attracting people and businesses to Michigan.

"How we do that is to cut oppressive regulations and cut oppressive taxes," he said.  "We need to stop talking about it and do it."

Gosselin said he has a bill coming out that would make local governments accountable for the vehicles they supply to their employees by registering the vehicles with the state.

Other targets for Gosselin include capping the gas price at $2.30 a gallon, making English the No. 1 language in Michigan by law and strengthening laws against undocumented aliens.

The 2006 goal of Rep. Fran Amos, R-Waterford is to enhance economic development by drawing people to the state and bettering quality of life in Michigan, said Gabe Basso, her legislative director.

Basso said Amos wants tax credits for investing in arts and entertainment and to reduce government spending.

"She's a firm believer that government can and should operate in a more efficient manner," he said.

Sen. Gilda Jacobs, D-Huntington Woods, said she's happy with recent passage of a neighborhood tax plan that can designate enterprise areas where residents would pay lower property taxes and of her court authority bill.

In 2006, Jacobs said, she will focus on legislation about protecting privacy and promoting the availability of defibrillators.

People are realizing the need to have defibrillators-devices to shock a patient's heart-in more places because they are so beneficial, as well as relatively cheap and easy to use, she said.

Jacobs said the Democratic caucus is gearing up for the November 2006 election to try win a majority in the Senate for the first time in more than two decades.

Gosselin, in evaluating 2005, said the Legislature has battled for the economy, but he questioned Granholm's commitment.

"It's been a good start, but we still fall short of where we should be," he said.

And Jacobs said she felt that partisanship prevented progress.

"I really feel that partisan politics entered into so much of what was going on," she said.  "It's so counterproductive to why people send us to Lansing."

For example, Jacobs cited efforts to put bills on the governor's desk that she would be forced to veto.

Meisner agreed that partisanship hampered state government.

"There have been some successes and some progress, but I think that the rate has been way too slow," he said.  "The very partisan tone that's been set has been a barrier to free flowing of innovative and effective public policy for Michigan."