James "Jase" Bolger was born on February 2,1971 and served as the 71st Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from January 12,2011 to the end of 2014 session.
25 Facts About Jase Bolger
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Jase Bolger was appointed by former Governor Rick Snyder on December 29,2016 to the Michigan Civil Service Commission and was elected chair on April 27,2023.
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James "Jase" Bolger was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of James and Eileen Bolger.
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Jase Bolger graduated Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a dual major in Finance and Political Science.
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Jase Bolger was first elected to public office in 2004 as a Calhoun County Commissioner, he was later reelected for the same post in 2006.
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Jase Bolger was first elected as a State Representative in November 2008, when he defeated Democratic nominee Phyllis Smith by a 13-point margin.
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Jase Bolger was reelected in 2010 and 2012 and served as Speaker until 2014.
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In 2012, Democrats campaigned heavily trying to defeat Jase Bolger, spending nearly $1 million on mail, television and radio attack ads; however, Jase Bolger won re-election to his third and final term.
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Jase Bolger was elected as House leader in 2011, during his time as Speaker numerous legislative packages that aided Michigan's recovery passed.
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The Michigan House has passed a balanced budget ahead of schedule all four years Jase Bolger served as Speaker.
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The Republican-led House under Jase Bolger increased funding for early childhood development by $65 million in 2013 and again in 2014.
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In 2011, Jase Bolger worked with Republicans in the house to pass tax, education and pension reform measures, and employers have responded positively to the changes.
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When elected Speaker, Jase Bolger stated it was the goal of Republican leaders to address our state's increasing poverty rate by creating more jobs.
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The day Jase Bolger was elected Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives he stated that fellow Republicans should join him in reviewing the potential for right-to-work legislation.
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Jase Bolger worked with Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and Governor Snyder to pass tax reform in the state.
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When Jase Bolger assumed his new role the state was facing a $1.8 billion budget deficit, noting the budget deficit was a concern Jase Bolger worked with Republicans to balance the budget.
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Speaker Jase Bolger has stated that he plans to work with legislators on both sides of the aisle to assist Detroit in its revitalization.
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In May 2014, Jase Bolger announced the formation of a special committee, House Committee on Detroit's Recovery and Michigan's Future, to help Detroit settle the largest municipal bankruptcy in history while protecting Michigan taxpayers statewide.
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Jase Bolger requested unions to make a material contribution that is reflective of other parties involved in the settlement.
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Jase Bolger did receive support from conservative columnists and was urged to continue his demand.
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Jase Bolger held firm to his request, and unions - the first was The Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council - did agree to make material contributions towards health care costs to help with the Detroit bankruptcy settlement.
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On June 13,2012, Speaker Jase Bolger allegedly refused to recognize now former Michigan state legislator Lisa Brown for a full service day after she used the term "vagina" during a floor debate over a bill to further regulate abortion in the state.
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Jase Bolger exchanged text messages with Schmidt, which indicated he was involved in the Mojzak affair.
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Several independent investigations and a grand jury review exonerated Jase Bolger of breaking any rules.
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Jase Bolger authored an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press offering his apology to any offended voters and noted his error in judgment.