Michael D. Bishop is in his final term as the representative of the 12th Senate District. Following the 2006 election, Bishop was nominated by his caucus, and chosen by his peers, to be Senate Majority Leader. As head of the Republican Caucus, Senator Bishop directs the agenda and is the lead spokesman for GOP policies in Michigan.
Since being elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, Bishop has been an advocate for smaller, more efficient government. Whether it be through introducing legislation to create a part-time legislature, passing public employee healthcare reforms, or advocating for a reduction in pay to state elected officials, Bishop has always been a champion for making government live within its means.
As an advocate for protection in the digital age, Bishop sponsored legislation to create the Michigan Child Protection Registry (CPR), the first of its kind in the United States. The CPR is a secure database where parents and schools may register electronic contact points accessed by children, prohibiting distributors of tobacco, alcohol, pornography and other adult materials, from soliciting children.
In 2003, Bishop, authored the Identity Theft Protection Act, which established identity theft as a felony in Michigan. Cognizant of the impact identity theft can have on an individual's life, Bishop's legislation also prohibits denying or reducing credit to identity theft victims.
As a long-serving member of the legislature, Bishop has been appointed to a number of important committees in both the House and Senate. Most recently, he chaired the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee and was vice chair of the Judiciary Committee.
As Senate Majority Leader, he chairs the Government Operations Committee which is charged with recommending to the full Senate whether to accept or reject Governor Granholm's appointments to state agencies and commissions.
Bishop is the recipient of a long list of honors including: Credit Union National Association Legislator of the Year; Small Business Association of Michigan Legislator of the Year; Dads and Moms of Michigan Legislator of the Year; Citizens for Traditional Values Leadership Award; Michigan Bankers Association Economic Impact Award; Michigan Food and Beverage Association and Michigan Business and Professional Association Distinguished Service Award; and in 2006 he was named one of the Crain's 40 Under 40.
Looking ahead, Bishop remains steadfast in his commitment to making the state an attractive place for families to live and companies to invest. Chief among his priorities are consolidating and restricting state government to find savings, reducing taxes for families and business, and protecting our state's cherished natural resources.
An attorney by trade, Bishop is licensed to practice law in the state of Michigan, the District of Columbia and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received his law degree from Detroit College of Law in 1993. He also has a real estate broker's license and served as president of his own real estate firm.
The Senator is a lifelong resident of Rochester where he carries out his most important roles as husband to his wife, Cristina, and father to their three children, Benjamin, Gabriella and Nathan.