LANSING - "Lame-duck" sessions of the legislature - the period after an early-November election but before the new lawmakers come into office in early January - are often unpredictable and unsettling periods for making laws.

So it goes this year for state Democrats, who have no control over the state House, Senate or governor's office through Dec. 31.

In the days before the Nov. 5 general election, Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer warned that there are various proposals on the Republican agenda for the lame-duck session that pose a threat to Michigan's working families.

The Republican-sponsored bills include:

• House Bill 6045-46, which would allow the conversion of Blue Cross Blue Shield into a for-profit company.
• Senate Bill 1213, which would allow insurance companies to raise rates without approval of the state Insurance Commissioner.
• Senate Bill 398, which would make Michigan a right to work state.
• Senate Bill 1126, which would require a "waiting week" before receipt of unemployment benefits