Senate Bill 92: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to codify into law the rules governing the process by which standards and qualifications for law enforcement officers are created any overseen by a 17 member Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES). Among other things the bill would replace law enforcement officer “certification” with a licensure system, authorize rules for mandatory license suspension or revocation and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717655
Senate Bill 93: Revise law enforcement accreditation
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to revise details of allowable distributions to law enforcement agencies from a state “administration of Michigan justice training fund” to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717651
Senate Bill 94: Authorize “non-public” criminal record checks for prospective police
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to require that the state entity responsible for certifying new law enforcement officers (the Michigan commission on law enforcement standards) be given access to non-public records of individuals who were given probation and “deferred sentencing” for a drug-related offense.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717652
Senate Bill 95: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to revise references in the statute authorizing a state “justice system fund” to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92 and others contained in some recently revised statutes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717653
Senate Bill 96: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to revise references in the state criminal code to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717654
Senate Bill 298: Expand scope of service dog law
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 7, 2015, to expand the scope of a law that originally permitted places of public accommodation to allow seeing-eye dogs, and later was amended to require this and expanded to include other specific types of “service dogs.” This bill would expand this law to include service animals employed by individuals with a broad range of physical or mental impairments. It would expand a mandate that places of “public accommodation” must allow service dogs or miniature horses used for this purpose, if they are housebroken and under control.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717677
Senate Bill 299: Expand scope of service dog law
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 7, 2015, to revise the law that exempts seeing-eye and other service dogs from canine license fees, so that it reflects the proposal in Senate Bill 298 to expand the range of disabilities covered by this and related service animal laws.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717678
Senate Bill 427: Extend “good Samaritan” liability protection to EMTs
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to extend immunity from tort claims (lawsuits) to emergency medical technicians and similar first responders who perform lifesaving activities or render other emergency care. This expands the “good Samaritan” law. Gross negligence would not be immune from liability.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717643
House Bill 4209: Allow, regulate medical marijuana dispensaries
Passed 95 to 11 in the House on October 7, 2015, to impose a licensure mandate and authorize a comprehensive regulatory regime for medical marijuana growers, transporters, dispensaries and more, with civil and criminal penalties for violations. Also, to impose a 3 percent tax on retail sales. The provisions of the state’s voter-authorized medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, were ambiguous on dispensaries, and in 2013 the state Supreme Court declared the law does not authorize them. The bill would authorize them, but let local governments choose to ban them.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717683
House Bill 4210: Authorize medical “marijuana infused products”
Passed 96 to 10 in the House on October 7, 2015, to authorize the use of edible “marijuana infused products” under the state’s medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, and establish regulations for these substances.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717684
House Bill 4461: Authorize income tax refund interest payments
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 7, 2015, to revise details of the calculation of interest payments on overdue state income tax refunds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717680
House Bill 4462: Authorize income tax refund interest payments
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 7, 2015, to revise details of the calculation of interest payments on overdue city income tax refunds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717681
House Bill 4499: Increase civil asset forfeiture burden of proof
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to require a more rigorous “clear and convincing evidence” burden of proof standard in a law that gives government the power to take ownership of an owner’s property that has been deemed a “nuisance” due to being associated with criminal activity. Under current law property may be “forfeited” in this way under the least rigorous “preponderance of the evidence” standard. Other bills in the package (House Bills 4499 to 4507) make the same change to other criminal statutes and require more disclosures by agencies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717644
House Bill 4500: Require police civil asset forfeiture disclosures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to amend the state law authorizing sanctions and remedies for identity theft to conform with the criminal asset forfeiture disclosures proposed by House Bill 4504. This is part of a civil forfeiture reform package consisting of House Bills 4499 to 4507.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717645
House Bill 4503: Require police civil asset forfeiture disclosures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to amend the state’s “Revised Judicature Act” to incorporate the requirements proposed by House Bill 4504 that law enforcement agencies file detailed annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings they were involved in. This is part of a civil forfeiture reform package consisting of House Bills 4499 to 4507.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717646
House Bill 4504: Require police civil asset forfeiture disclosures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to require law enforcement agencies to file annual reports on the number of civil asset forfeiture proceedings concluded, pending or “negotiated.” The reports would have to disclose the alleged violation; whether any person was charged or convicted; a description of the property; its value; whether there was a plea or other agreement; the property’s final disposition; whether the seizure was based on arrangements with federal, state or local agencies (“adoptive” seizure); how much the agency realized from the sale of the forfeited property; and more. The State Police would be required to compile these disclosures and post a report on the internet. This is part of a civil forfeiture reform package consisting of House Bills 4499 to 4507.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717647
House Bill 4505: Increase civil asset forfeiture burden of proof
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to require a more rigorous “clear and convincing” burden of proof standard in the law that gives police agencies the power to take ownership of property that has been seized because it may be connected with an illegal drug crime, even if the property owner is not charged or convicted. Under current law property may be taken under the least rigorous “preponderance of the evidence” standard. Other bills in the package (House Bills 4499 to 4507) make the same change to other criminal statutes and require more disclosures by agencies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717648
House Bill 4506: Require police civil asset forfeiture disclosures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to amend the illegal drug law provisions of the Public Health Code to incorporate the requirements proposed by House Bill 4504 that law enforcement agencies file detailed annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings they were involved in. This is part of a civil forfeiture reform package consisting of House Bills 4499 to 4507.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717649
House Bill 4507: Require police civil asset forfeiture disclosures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 7, 2015, to amend the law that gives government the power to seize and sell a person’s property if it is deemed a “nuisance” because is connected with unlawful activity, so that it reflects the requirements proposed by House Bill 4504 that law enforcement agencies file detailed annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings they were involved in. This is part of a civil forfeiture reform package consisting of House Bills 4499 to 4507.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717650
House Bill 4685: Revise sales tax on motor fuel detail
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on October 7, 2015, to revise details of the sales tax “prepayments” made by gasoline and diesel fuel refiners, wholesalers, distributors, etc., when these involve “bulk transfers” between such entities. Under current law most sales tax on fuel is not paid by consumers and collected by retailers “at the pump,” but is collected when the fuel is transferred to a distributor.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717679
House Bill 4827: Create “seed to sale” medical marijuana database
Passed 99 to 7 in the House on October 7, 2015, to require the state to develop a comprehensive “seed-to-sale” tracking system for commercial marijuana, with information on each step including recording final sales to individual customers. This would all be contained in a computer database and would not be a public record, but could be used for enforcing the medical marijuana law, including tracking how much individual card holders purchase and from who.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717685
Senate Bill 239: Ban local restrictions on particular dog breeds
Passed 25 to 11 in the Senate on October 8, 2015, to prohibit local governments from enforcing an ordinance that imposes regulations or restrictions on dogs based solely on their breed or type (such as pit bulls or dobermans).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717749
Senate Bill 360: Create college saving plan for disabled students
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 8, 2015, to increase from $235,000 to $500,000 the maximum balance allowed in Michigan “section 529” education savings plans for a particular beneficiary. This is part of a legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 359 to 362 and House Bills 4542 to 4544, which create a new type of such account.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717807
Senate Bill 453: Revise judge residency detail
Passed 31 to 5 in the Senate on October 8, 2015, to expand the residency requirement for a magistrate in the third class district courts when the district is operating under a plan of “concurrent jurisdiction”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717751
Senate Bill 477: Revise state milk market regulations
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 8, 2015, to update references to federal recommendations in the state law that regulates the production, transportation, handling, processing, delivery and sale of milk and milk products.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717750
House Bill 4239: Allow disabled to hunt from “personal assistive mobility device”
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 8, 2015, to allow a disabled individual to hunt small game from an electric “personal assistive mobility device,” subject to conditions and restrictions specified in the bill. Also, to establish that a law that prohibits hunting within 150 yards of an occupied building or house without written permission applies only to hunting with guns.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717747
House Bill 4517: Revise school bond refunding detail
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 8, 2015, to allow the bond debt of a school district that was consolidated into a larger or different district to be refinanced.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717748
House Bill 4581: Increase state payments to liquor distribution oligopolists
Passed 102 to 4 in the House on October 8, 2015, to increase from $7.50 to $10 the per-case fee that the private company or companies granted a state monopoly to warehouse and distribute liquor to retailers can collect from the state as a “reimbursement” for its distribution costs. According to the House Fiscal Agency the bill would have the effect of transferring some $10 million annually from taxpayers to these private companies or company.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=717806