LANSING, MI (AP)-- As he takes the helm of the 110-member Michigan House, Tom Leonard says nothing has better prepared him than the best job he ever had being a prosecutor in the Flint area.
He says making arguments in court and building cases in trials have helped him in lawmaking. But perhaps more importantly, he learned to "sit down ... and listen to people" while deciding what was fair to crime victims, defendants and the public.
The 35-year-old Republican from the Lansing area will officially become House speaker Wednesday. It is the opening day of a two-year legislative session in which the GOP will once again set the agenda.
He says he anticipates Republicans and Democrats to "have our battles" over legislation, but his goal is fostering civility in the House.
