People & politics.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Obituary

The man who guided the nationally recognized restoration of Michigan's Capitol building and whose job was his passion died in September at age 64. Jerry Lawler, who worked for the Legislature for 38 years, was executive director of the Michigan Capitol Committee from 1989 until early this year. "He was the guiding light of the restoration and the guiding light of maintaining the Capitol building as the most important building in Michigan," said former Senator Joe Schwarz, who served on the committee. Said Kerry Chartkoff, who worked on the project with Lawler, "He was absolutely the most critical person in rescuing this beautiful building ... He threw himself into it beyond anything that anyone could imagine." At the time of his death, Lawler was writing a definitive history of Lansing, Michigan's capital.

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Longtime Maryland legislative attorney and lobbyist John Stierhoff has joined Venable LLP as a partner in its state and local government practice. Stierhoff served as counsel to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and worked On passage of tort, education, health care and election law reform. He began his service in the legislature in 1983 as counsel to the Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee.

Consensus building--at least with the legislature--may not be Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's strong suit. Within two weeks he filed two lawsuits directed at the legislature. He is suing fellow Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan over the issue of who has the right to set the dates for specials sessions--the governor or legislative leaders. Madigan called the House into session at times he chose, not the governor, and told members to ignore the governor's call for special sessions. That was in August. In September, the governor sued the clerk of the House for failing to enter into the official record the governor's budget vetoes, amounting to $463 million. Madigan is taking the vetoes on the road in a series of statewide public hearings. The governor argues that the constitution requires the House to vote on whether to restore the cuts within 15 days of the veto. The House says the 15-day limit does not apply to appropriations.

Florida Democrats decided to buck the national party and set the date for their primary to January 29. They doubt the...