Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
The amendment failed 12 to 24 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to require the Secretary of State to develop a system for electronic online voter registration on its website.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718887
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
The amendment failed 15 to 21 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to essentially repeal a law that requires a person who registers to vote by mail to show up at the polls and vote in person the first time they vote.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718884
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
The amendment failed 12 to 24 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to allow a person to have a different address on their drivers license or state ID card than the one at which they are registered to vote.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718886
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
The amendment failed 13 to 23 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718885
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
The amendment failed 11 to 25 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to require and set rules for “early voting†beginning 30 days before election days.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718888
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
The amendment failed 13 to 23 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to strip out the modest appropriation added to make the bill “referendum proof”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718889
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
Passed 23 to 13 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to eliminate the straight party ticket option from election ballots.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718891
Senate Bill 110: Revise county executive election detail
Passed 25 to 11 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to shift the quadrennial election of the Oakland and Bay County executives to gubernatorial election years rather than presidential election years. For Oakland this would appear to be mandatory, while it would be up to county commissioners in Bay County.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718852
Senate Bill 274: Increase allowable truck “saddle mount†length
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on November 10, 2015, to increase the maximum allowable length for triple “saddle mount†type truck combinations, which is a method for one semi-truck “tractor†to tow several others.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718775
Senate Bill 279: Ban public school/union pension spiking scheme
Passed 25 to 12 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to prohibit public school districts from adopting arrangements in which a school employee goes to work full time for a teachers union but remains a school employee for purposes of collecting a government pension. Recent news reports have exposed how the recent presidents of the state’s largest teacher union were paid by the union but remained school employees “on leave” for many years, thereby “spiking” their government pension payouts to six-figure amounts.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718854
Senate Bill 280: Ban schools and governments paying union officials to do union work
Passed 20 to 17 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to prohibit the state and local governments including public schools from carrying union officials on their payroll for doing union work, on either a full time or part time basis. Under these so-called “release time†arrangements many public school districts pay a local union official a full time teacher’s salary and benefits even though the individual does not teach or perform any other educational functions.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718857
Senate Bill 368: Revise income tax on pension income detail
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to slightly expand the scope of a state income tax exemption for pension income collected by person who worked for a government agency whose employees were not covered by Social Security (which means they paid no payroll tax and received no Social Security credits while employed there).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718873
Senate Bill 372: Revise firefighter certification detail
Passed 105 to 0 in the House on November 10, 2015, to waive a state firefighter certification testing requirement for a person from another state where this certification is based on the same national standards.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718780
Senate Bill 427: Extend “good Samaritan†liability protection to EMTs
Passed 105 to 0 in the House on November 10, 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=718781
Senate Bill 471: Revise district court detail
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to clarify that the “fourth division†of the 67th district court includes the city of Fenton, which is located in both Genesee and Oakland counties.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718864
Senate Bill 492: “Push back” against Obama NLRB franchise unionization rule
Passed 27 to 10 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to establish that the owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers for whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or where prohibited by law. The bill was introduced after President Obama’s appointees on the National Labor Relations Board issued a ruling that all franchise employees are actually employed by the franchiser for purposes of union organizing. Among other things, if sustained this policy would mean that employees at local restaurants franchised by a national chain like McDonalds could be unionized on a nationwide basis.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718862
Senate Bill 493: “Push back” against Obama NLRB franchise unionization rule
Passed 26 to 10 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to establish that for purposes of workers compensation insurance coverage, the owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers for he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or as prohibited by law. See also Senate Bill 493.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718863
Senate Bill 516: Revise “gun free zone†CPL exception
Passed 83 to 23 in the House on November 10, 2015, to revise the “gun free zone†provision of the concealed pistol permit law to exempt active and retired corrections, probation, and parole officers who have concealed pistol licenses from the restrictions, and also retired county jail guards. Among other things this would allow these individuals to carry a concealed pistol in a school. See also House Bill 4159.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718770
Senate Bill 517: Revise child support collection detail
Passed 33 to 3 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to repeal the current version of a Uniform Interstate Family Support Act that facilitates collection of court-ordered child support payments across state lines, and replace it with an updated version.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718874
Senate Bill 518: Revise child support collection details
Passed 32 to 4 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to revise references in the state friend of the court law to reflect changes to a uniform interstate child support enforcement code proposed by Senate Bill 517.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718875
Senate Bill 519: Revise child support collection details
Passed 31 to 5 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to revise references in the state child support law to reflect changes to a uniform interstate child support enforcement code proposed by Senate Bill 517.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718876
Senate Bill 520: Revise child support collection details
Passed 30 to 6 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to revise references in the state parenting time law to reflect changes to a uniform interstate child support enforcement code proposed by Senate Bill 517.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718877
Senate Bill 552: Increase groundwater discharge permit fees
Passed 25 to 12 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to increase groundwater discharge permit fees, and revise some details of this regulatory regime on enterprises that discharge wastewater onto the ground or into groundwater. The bill would authorize a different fee category for car washes, laundromats, seasonal RV parks and camps, and certain other small commercial facilities.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718861
House Bill 4159: Revise “gun free zone†CPL exception
Passed 28 to 8 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to revise the “gun free zone†provision of the concealed pistol permit law to exempt active and retired corrections, probation, and parole officers who have concealed pistol licenses from the restrictions, and also retired county jail guards. Among other things this would allow these individuals to carry a concealed pistol in a school.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718866
House Bill 4173: Revise principle residence property tax exemption claim process
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to revise details of a real estate transfer tax exemption for homeowners whose home is worth less and is sold for less than when they bought it. The bill eases slightly the eligibility for this exemption, and makes that expansion retroactive for up to four years in the past.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718871
House Bill 4812: Allow FDA-designated interchangeable biological drugs
Passed 101 to 5 in the House on November 10, 2015, to allow pharmacists to dispense FDA-designated interchangeable biological drug products.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718779
House Bill 4836: Accommodate long term care insurance Medicaid “partnership†policies
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 10, 2015, to revise the state’s regulations on long term care insurance products to reflect federal rules specifying they include various provisions related to “partnership policies,†which let individuals whose assets exceed the value permitted by Medicaid to nevertheless get Medicaid reimbursements for part of their nursing home costs.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718865
House Bill 4853: Increase cap on motorcycle safety course price
Passed 95 to 11 in the House on November 10, 2015, to increase from $25 to $50 the maximum price that governmental agencies can charge for a state-approved motorcycle safety course. Taking this course is necessary to get a drivers license motorcycle “endorsement.†See also House Bill 4854.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718768
House Bill 4888: Permit electronic property tax rolls
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on November 10, 2015, to allow property tax assessor offices to maintain the assessment roll in electronic form.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718778
House Bill 4930: Exempt family’s life estate property from assessment “bump upâ€
Passed 81 to 25 in the House on November 10, 2015, to exempt from the taxable value “pop up,†the transfer of a “life estate†interest in a principle residence from the owner to family members. This is the provision of the 1994 Proposal A tax limitation initiative that makes a property’s new basis for tax assessments the state equalized value (market value), rather than the (lower) “taxable value†of the previous owner, growth of which is restricted by law.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718777
House Bill 4933: Revise health insurance claim review law
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on November 10, 2015, to revise details of a “Patient’s Right to Independent Review Act,” which establishes a uniform external appeals process, under which persons with health insurance may request a review by an independent review organization to resolve disputes over covered benefits. Among other changes bill adds a definition of “evidence-based standard,†and provisions related to experimental drugs.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718771
House Bill 4934: Revise health insurance “coordination of benefits†rules
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on November 10, 2015, to revise, update or clarify many provisions of the comprehensive regulatory regime that governs the “coordination of benefits†for an individual eligible for health care coverage from different providers (such as both an auto insurance policy and a separate health insurance policy).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718772
House Bill 4935: Revise insurance regulation details
Passed 103 to 3 in the House on November 10, 2015, to revise, update or clarify many provisions of the comprehensive regulatory regime that governs heath insurance providers and policies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718773
House Bill 5023: Establish more “dark sky preservesâ€
Passed 88 to 18 in the House on November 10, 2015, to designate the Rockport State Recreation Area, Negwegon State Park, and Thompson’s Harbor State Park as “dark sky preserves,†which means state authorities must restrict outdoor lighting to only that needed for safety, security, or the reasonable use and enjoyment.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=718774
Senate Bill 556: Extend “commercial rehabilitation†tax break law
Passed 87 to 19 in the House on December 2, 2015, to extend for another five years a “commercial rehabilitation act†that authorizes property tax breaks for owners of rehab projects involving commercial property selected by local government officials. The law was originally created with the developer of a moribund Oakland County mall in mind, and has been used to give these indirect subsidies to other developers as well.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719153
House Bill 4248: Repeal archaic laws
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to repeal statutes that ban posting “reproachful or contemptuous language for not fighting a duel;†or using “indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child; or leaving an abandoned refrigerator or other container where a child could crawl in and suffocate; or singing and playing the Star Spangled Banner in an entertainment venue as part of a medley. This is part of an archaic laws package comprised of House Bills 4247 to 4252.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719121
House Bill 4249: Repeal archaic laws
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to repeal various statutes that ban trespassing for purposes of damaging or stealing various crops or natural resources. This is part of an archaic laws package comprised of House Bills 4247 to 4252.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719122
House Bill 4250: Repeal ban on “walkathons†and similar endurance events
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to repeal a law prohibiting “walkathons†and similar endurance contests. This is part of an archaic laws package comprised of House Bills 4247 to 4252.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719123
House Bill 4501: Repeal archaic laws
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to revise state sentencing guidelines to reflect the repeal of various archaic crimes proposed by House Bill 4248. 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=719124
House Bill 4645: Revise property transfer taxable value detail
Passed 64 to 42 in the House on December 2, 2015, to exempt from the Proposal A property tax assessment “pop up†the transfer of residential property to or from the owner of a closely held corporation to a spouse or close relative. Under the “pop up,†the “state equalized value†(market value) of transferred property becomes the basis for its property tax assessment, rather than the capped “taxable value†of the previous owner.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719152
House Bill 4709: Reword ban on displaying a “human monstrosity”
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to eliminate the reference to a “human monstrosity” in a law that makes it a misdemeanor for a doctor to exhibit a disfigured individual for other than scientific purposes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719125
House Bill 4710: Remove criminal penalties from camping law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to repeal the criminal penalties in the law that requires a person camping on state land to post a registration card registration card with his or her name, address, arrival date and departure date. Violations would instead be a civil offense punishable by a $500 fine.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719126
House Bill 4711: Repeal obsolete penalties and prohibitions
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 2, 2015, to repeal a law empowering courts to specify that a prison sentence should include solitary confinement or hard labor, and another law authoring criminal penalties for rebuilding a selling an electric storage battery without disclosing this on the packaging in letters of a specified size. Also, to repeal a statute prohibiting a prisoner’s release until any fines and costs imposed as part of the sentence are paid in full.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719127
House Bill 4887: Revise education savings account rule
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on December 2, 2015, to remove restrictions on the owner or beneficiary of a Michigan education savings account changing the investment strategy of an account.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719154
House Bill 5028: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 101 to 5 in the House on December 2, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it. This bill lays out the schedule of electronic filing fees for various actions in various courts, and is part of a package consisting of House Bill 5027 to 5030 and Senate Bills 531 to 533.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719156
House Bill 5029: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 93 to 13 in the House on December 2, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it. This bill adds relevant definitions to state statutes, and is part of a package consisting of House Bill 5027 to 5030 and Senate Bills 531 to 533.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719157
House Bill 5030: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 94 to 12 in the House on December 2, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it. This bill adds new fees for civil actions whether filed electronically or not, and is part of a package consisting of House Bill 5027 to 5030 and Senate Bills 531 to 533.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719158
House Bill 5034: Give fiduciary authority over “digital assetsâ€
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on December 2, 2015, to create a new law giving fiduciaries authorized by other state laws to oversee or manage the property of an estate or a vulnerable individual access and authority over the person’s “digital assets†and accounts, defined as “electronic record in which a user has a right or interest.†See also House Bill 4072, which amends an existing state law to do the same thing, which also clarifies rights to an online username, word, character, code, or contract right under a terms-of-service agreement. The bill would also provide a way for an individual’s heirs to gain access to and possession of his or her digital property after death.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719155