PERRY BULLARD: STATE LEGISLATOR WAS BOTH RESPECTED, REVILED

Perry Bullard, the passionately liberal Democrat from Ann Arbor who was at
the same time one of the most respected and one of the most reviled members
of the Michigan Legislature during his tenure from 1972 to 1992, died
Thursday at the age of 56 of an apparent heart attack at his home in Canton
Township.

He sponsored 118 bills that were enacted into law.

Among them were sunshine laws opening government proceedings to the public
and a worker right-to-know law that guaranteed access to personnel files.

He was also known for legislation that didn't pass.

In the 1970s, that meant identification with efforts to decriminalize
marijuana. Mr. Bullard's moment of greatest notoriety may have come in 1973
when he attended the U-M hash bash and smoked a joint in public. He also
introduced a bill to legalize prostitution.

In the 1980s, he became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

When told of Mr. Bullard's death, Gov. John Engler called him a "very smart
...engaging guy." He said they disagreed often but that disagreements are a
natural part of the legislative process.

When Mr. Bullard announced he would not run for re-election in 1992, he
told the Free Press, "People call me a radical. But you don't have to be a
radical to see that you have to have a health insurance system that puts
the care of people ahead of the concerns of corporations ...that you need a
government that tries to make things better instead of worse."

Mr. Bullard was a graduate of Harvard University and the University of
Michigan Law School, and a Vietnam veteran who returned his 13 medals at an
antiwar demonstration.

Mr. Bullard is survived by his wife, Kelly, and a son, Nate.

There will be no funeral services. A memborial service will be held later
in Florida. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Civil
Liberties Union.

Checked-by: Richard Lake