If anyone saw it coming they would all be able to work still. Its not really believable to think noone was paying attention. They didn't exactly consult anyone. And again its still good enough to work in every other state. Is Michigan supposedly better than everywhere else that the requirements are higher? Not likely.
No one enjoys going thru a certification process. It's expensive, time consuming and stressful. In the long run, the goal is to improve services for our consumer base, and continue to refine and uplift the profession.
In my state, proposed legislation for interpreter licensure was initiated by the state RID chapter in equal partnership with the state NAD chapter. It's been a long struggle, well-publicized within the community. The promoters of licensure frequently sought input from terps and Deaf community, and provided regular updates on progress. They worked hard to gain support of individual legislators, and actively lobbied for their cause.
I'm not informed enough about the MI terp situation, so I couldn't say that MI is "better" or not. Perhaps MI citizens want services to improve for the Deaf community and see higher standards to be a pathway to that improvement.
I don't know the quality of the MI legislature, so I can't say what motivates its members. I can't imagine that they passed this legislation just to make life harder for terps and Deaf. That doesn't make sense.
The only negative motive I can think of is from your state's history of strong unionism. That could lead to an attempt to get yet another profession in MI under the thumb of union control. My state is a right to work state, so that could be a factor in perspective.
(An aside: My Hubby was born and lived in Lansing until he was drafted at age 19 years. We've been back to MI often since then.)
Are you active in your statewide RID chapter? What is their stand on this issue? What about the state NAD? Pro or con?
