Posted on 12/09/2012 5:00:49 AM PST by cripplecreek
Make Michigan a "right-to-work" state: Passed 58 to 52 in the House To prohibit employers from enforcing a union contract provision that compels employees to join or financially support a union as a condition of employment. The bill also includes a $1 million appropriation to make it "referendum-proof." All Democrats voted "no" and all Republicans voted "yes" except for Reps. Forlini, Goike, Horn, McBroom, Somerville and Zorn.
, Make Michigan a "right-to-work" state: Passed 22 to 16 in the Senate The Senate vote on the same "right-to-work" measure described above. All Democrats voted "no" and all Republicans voted "yes" except for Sens. Casperson, Green, Nofs and Rocca.
, Extend "right-to-work" to government and school employees: Passed 22 to 4 in the Senate To prohibit Michigan governments and schools from enforcing a union contract provision that compels employees to join or financially support a union as a condition of employment.
, Subsidize new Red Wings Stadium: Passed 27 to 11 in the Senate To allow property tax revenue "captured" by the Detroit "Downtown Development Authority" to pay the debt on money borrowed to provide taxpayer subsidies for a particular developer's new sports stadium and associated projects (Mike Ilitch). The bill would also exempt DDAs from property and other taxes, and revise details of public officials' appointments to DDA boards.
, Create Detroit streetlight authority: Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate To authorize a Detroit streetlight authority with the power to borrow money to restore the city's streetlights, 70 percent of which are reportedly out. The bill requires passage of House Bill 5705, which would let Detroit earmark current utility tax revenue to pay off the new debt, and Senate Bill 970, which would suspend a required city income tax reduction until the new debt is paid off. It also allows Detroit's city unions to bargain for the unionization of the authority's employees.
, Create Detroit regional mass transit authority: Passed 57 to 50 in the House To create a new Detroit area regional transportation authority covering Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, and potentially others. Among other powers, the authority could levy property taxes (special assessments) and higher local vehicle registration taxes if approved by a majority of voters in the region, meaning a particular community could not “opt out” of the tax increase. The authority would be specifically authorized to create “rolling rapid transit” corridors along some streets and highways, potentially with dedicated lanes that other motorists could not use. It would be run by a board appointed by the counties and the City of Detroit.
, Authorize Detroit regional transit vehicle registration tax: Passed 57 to 50 in the House To give the regional transit authority proposed by Senate Bill 909 (above) the power to impose a higher vehicle registration tax in the region to pay for buses and other public transportation. A vote of the people would be required, but if approved region-wide the tax would still be imposed on individual communities that vote against it (no local "opt-out").
, Ban abortion coverage from "Obamacare“ exchange: Passed 27 to 11 in the Senate To prohibit health insurance acquired (and subsidized) through an “exchange” created under the federal health care law from including coverage for elective abortion.
, Give county officials power to halt recall as "non-factual": Passed 65 to 43 in the House To require county election commissions to determine whether the reasons for a recall petition are stated both "factually and clearly." Under current law, they must simply determine whether the recall language is clear. Note: This may violate Article 8, Section 8 of Michigan's constitution, which asserts that recallers don't have to justify their reasons, but only make them clear.
, Require parental permission to place student with "ineffective" teacher: Passed 60 to 49 in the House To require a public school district to get the written consent of a parent or guardian before placing a child in a classroom with a teacher who is rated “ineffective” under a new state rating system.
Authorize “essential services” tax on industrial plants: Passed 57 to 52 in the House To give local governments the power to impose targeted property taxes on industrial and commercial property deemed by the bill to be “especially benefited” by fire, police and ambulance services. This would replace some of the revenue from proposed reductions in the property tax imposed on business tools and equipment ("personal property tax").
, Repeal BCBS tax exemption, regulate like other insurers: Passed 61 to 49 in the House To convert Blue Cross Blue Shield into a “nonprofit mutual insurance company” (technically "owned" by the policy holders), make it subject to the same regulations as regular health insurers, and no longer exempt BCBS from state and local taxes.
, Give special treatment to firms submitting to “environmental leader” process: Passed 65 to 43 in the House To give certain businesses special treatment in awarding state contracts, eligibility for government subsidies, environmental permit and inspection mandates, and more, if the firm submits itself to a government “environmental leader” designation process. This would require a company to demonstrate that it has no outstanding permit violations or serious past ones, adopt certain practices not required by law, submit to certain additional reporting mandates, participate in “workshops,” etc.
House Joint Resolution UU: Increase sales tax to 7 percent
Passed 94 to 16 in the House on December 19, 2014, to place before voters in a May 5, 2015 election a constitutional amendment that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. The proposal would also prohibit using money earmarked to the state School Aid Fund to support state universities, and earmark a specified portion of the state Use Tax to this fund. If voters do not approve the ballot measure then a large fuel tax increase (House Bill 5477) and several related measures would not go into effect. The complete package represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to road projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699072
Senate Bill 74: Mandate school “cyberbully” policies
Passed 65 to 45 in the House on December 19, 2014, to revise the 2011 law mandating that schools adopt anti-“bullying” policies, by requiring that their policies also address “cyberbullying”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699099
Senate Bill 80: Increase certain school expense reporting
Passed 102 to 8 in the House on December 19, 2014, to appropriate an additional $40 million for reading programs. Also, to require school district to post online either their accounts payable check register or the total amount of employee and board members expenses that were reimbursed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699063
Senate Bill 81: Ban school spending on luxuries and gifts
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on December 19, 2014, to extend to regular public school districts, charter schools and the state “Education Achievement Authority” created to take over academically-failed public schools a provision in a 2004 law banning corrupt Intermediate School District (ISD) practices that requires them to have a policy against using public money to buy alcoholic beverages, jewelry, gifts, entertainment tickets, sporting event tickets, golf fees, other recreational activity fees, or illegal items.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699086
Senate Bill 93: Designate I-375 as “102nd United States Colored Troops Memorial Highway””
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to designate I-375 in Wayne County as the “102nd United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698912
Senate Bill 105: Retain DNA profile from all felony arrests
Passed 92 to 17 in the House on December 18, 2014, to permanently retain in a state database of DNA sample “profiles” taken from anyone arrested and charged for an alleged felony offense, even if the person is not convicted. If the person is not convicted the DNA information would not be retained in the state database.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698928
Senate Bill 106: Retain DNA profile from all felony arrests
Passed 92 to 17 in the House on December 18, 2014, to require a DNA sample be taken from any minor arrested and charged for an alleged felony offense.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698930
Senate Bill 107: Retain DNA profile from all felony arrests
Passed 92 to 17 in the House on December 18, 2014, to require a person to provide samples for chemical testing for DNA identification profiling and to provide samples for chemical testing if he or she were arrested for committing or attempting to commit a felony or an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult. That requirement currently applies to a person arrested for certain violent felonies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698931
Senate Bill 211: Establish firefighters’ cancer presumption
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on December 18, 2014, to establish a presumption that certain types of cancer contracted by non-volunteer firefighters arose out of and in the course of employment for purposes of granting workers compensation benefits. The burden of proof would be on the employer to show the disease was due to the individual being a smoker, or to nonwork-related causation or specific incidents. This would all be contingent on the legislature appropriating money for the benefits.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698950
Senate Bill 269: Make permanent $75 million in annual corporate subsidy spending
Passed 82 to 26 in the House on December 18, 2014, to extend through 2019 a sunset on an annual $75 million earmark to a “21st Century Jobs Fund” created by the previous administration, which provides various subsidies to particular firms or industries chosen by a board of political appointees. (The subsidies can include the state taking partial ownership of selected companies.) This money comes from a tobacco company lawsuit settlement, which the legislature may otherwise appropriate for any state spending, or use for tax cuts.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698910
Senate Bill 270: Convert 21st Century Jobs Fund from rule-based to discretionary corporate subsidies
Passed 83 to 25 in the House on December 18, 2014, to essentially eliminate requirements that certain proportions of the money spent by a “21st Century Jobs Fund” business subsidy program go to specified actions, including the state government buying shares of particular companies or giving them loans or cash grants, a tourism industry marketing subsidy, and other so-called government ‘economic development’ spending. This and related bills would in general convert this from appearing to be a ‘rule-based’ subsidy program governed by statutory prescriptions and restrictions into one in which the political appointees on the Michigan Strategic Fund board have more discretion to give out subsidies as they choose. See also Senate Bills 269 to 272 and 278, House Bills 4481 and 4482, and 2012 Senate Bill 929.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698907
Senate Bill 271: Revise corporate and developer subsidy regime
Passed 83 to 25 in the House on December 18, 2014, to increase the maximum amount of state “community revitalization” subsidies that can be awarded to a particular developer, corporation or other special interest, from $1 million to $1.5 million, plus up to three additonal subsidies of up to $10 million. The bill would also eliminate various statutory prescriptions and restrictions on how the political appointees on the Michigan Strategic Fund board may spend state revenues allocated to this subsidy program, and also delete certain disclosure and reporting requirements.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698911
Senate Bill 272: Authorize corporate and developer “port facility” subsidies
Passed 79 to 31 in the House on December 19, 2014, to expand the mission of the Michigan Strategic Fund to include providing undefined subsidies for corporations, developers and other entities involved in port facilities. Also to include in its mission dredging recreational or commercial harbors, subject to future appropriations and any conditions attached to them.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699082
Senate Bill 295: Revise tax foreclosure detail
Passed 107 to 2 in the House on December 18, 2014, to prohibit a person from bidding on tax-foreclosed property if he or she has any property with outstanding “blight” ordinance violation fines or delinquent property taxes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698899
Senate Bill 317: Rename a highway
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to designate a portion of highway M-29 in Macomb County as the “Staff Sergeant Ergin V. Osman Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698913
Senate Bill 325: Establish a “uniform child abduction prevention act”
Passed 95 to 15 in the House on December 19, 2014, to create a “uniform child abduction prevention act” that would allow a court to order abduction prevention measures in a child-custody proceeding if evidence established a credible risk of the child being taken or retained in violation of custody or visitation rights. A court could also take physical custody of a child to prevent imminent abduction.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699092
Senate Bill 398: Expand a corporate/developer subsidy regime
Passed 81 to 28 in the House on December 18, 2014, to authorize creation of a seventh “Next Michigan Development Corporation,” which is a government agency that gives tax breaks and subsidies to particular corporations or developers selected by political appointees on the entity’s board for projects meeting extremely broad “multi-modal commerce” criteria (basically, any form of goods-related commerce). This one would be in Detroit.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698890
Senate Bill 423: Require schools teach American foundational principles; SCHOOL SPENDING “ADEQUACY” STUDY
The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on December 19, 2014, to delete the previous content of the bill and replace it with a requirement for a public school spending “adequacy” study.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=159887
Senate Bill 423: Require schools teach American foundational principles; SCHOOL SPENDING “ADEQUACY” STUDY
Passed 72 to 38 in the House on December 19, 2014, to require the state budget agency to contract for a study to determine how much money per student is needed for a public school to educate students sufficiently well to meet state graduation requirements. Democrats have sought this for several years, and reportedly its adoption by a Republican-controlled legislature is in return for Democratic votes on a sales tax increase that is part of a $1.945 billion tax hike for road repairs and other spending.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699067
Senate Bill 427: Revise unemployment insurance payroll tax detail
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to revise technical details of the exclusion of foreign work visa holders from state unemployment insurance.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699176
Senate Bill 427: Revise unemployment insurance payroll tax detail
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise technical details of the exclusion of foreign work visa holders from state unemployment insurance.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698922
Senate Bill 492: Revise kindergarten minimum age detail
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to extend to “schools of choice” students (who attend a public school outside the district to which they are assigned) a 2012 law that requires children to be age 5 by Sept. 1 to attend kindergarten, rather than by Dec. 1 under current law. The date change is phased-in over three years.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698936
Senate Bill 493: Preempt local amateur radio restrictions
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to prohibit local ordinances that preclude federally licensed amateur radio service communications, or that do not comply with Federal Communications Commission rules, or that unreasonably restrict antennas up to 90 feet tall.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698914
Senate Bill 623: Revise nonprofit corporations law
Passed 77 to 32 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise and update details of many provisions in the state law governing nonprofit corporations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698900
Senate Bill 624: Revise nonprofit corporations law
Passed 78 to 31 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise and update details of many provisions in the state law governing the dissolution or merger of “domestic charitable purpose corporations”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698902
Senate Bill 658: Impose “Amazon tax” on internet purchases
Passed 83 to 27 in the House on December 19, 2014, to essentially impose sales tax on many catalog or internet purchases made from sellers outside the state, by placing in statute a broad definition of “nexus,” or affiliation with a different business that is located in Michigan, in the manner pioneered by internet retailer Amazon.com. Out of state sellers the meet this definition would have to collect Michigan sales tax. Reportedly the measure was adopted by the House as part of a $1.945 billion tax hike deal for roads and other spending.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699069
Senate Bill 659: Impose “Amazon tax” on internet purchases
Passed 83 to 27 in the House on December 19, 2014, to impose the state use tax on many catalog or internet purchases made from sellers outside the state, by placing in statute a broad definition of “nexus,” or affiliation with a different business that located in Michigan, in the manner pioneered by internet retailer Amazon.com. Out of state sellers the meet this definition would have to collect Michigan use tax.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699071
Senate Bill 695: Revise subsidized Detroit Woodward streetcar detail
Passed 72 to 38 in the House on December 19, 2014, to broaden the definition of “nonprofit street railway” operators authorized by a legislative package enacted in 2008 to create a Detroit “light rail” line (namely, a Woodward Avenue streetcar) that would be subsidized through Tax Increment Financing, public debt, state road tax money, etc. Reportedly this is necessary to conform with federal rules.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699076
Senate Bill 696: Exempt Detroit Woodward streetcar from “legacy cost” liability
Passed 72 to 38 in the House on December 19, 2014, to revise a Detroit “light rail” line legislative package enacted in 2008 to create a Woodward Avenue streetcar, so as to establish that the operator would not be liable for any “legacy costs” incurred by the Detroit Transportation Department (presumably including unfunded employee pension liabilities). Also, to exempt the property, income, and operations of this entity from all state and local taxation. See also House Bill 5168, which would authorize the Detroit area regional transportation authority created by a 2012 law to enter agreements to operate this line.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699077
Senate Bill 697: Exempt Detroit Woodward streetcar from property tax
Passed 72 to 38 in the House on December 19, 2014, to exempt the operator of a Detroit “light rail” line authorized by a legislative package enacted in 2008 from property taxes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699078
Senate Bill 730: Mandate restaurant manager food allergy training
The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on December 16, 2014, to tie-bar the bill to House Bill 5804, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 5804 would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” to the characteristics that define membership in a protected class, against whom it is a crime to discriminate under the state’s Elliott-Larsen civil rights law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161596
Senate Bill 730: Mandate restaurant manager food allergy training
Passed 90 to 19 in the House on December 18, 2014, to mandate that restaurants employ at least one manager who has received training on food allergies (in addition to current requirements for a managerial employee to have acquired a food safety certification). The bill would also mandate that restaurants post a food allergy notice to staff in the non-public part of the restaurant.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698892
Senate Bill 753: Exempt municipalities from sanctions for a few leaking septic systems
Passed 76 to 33 in the House on December 18, 2014, to exempt municipalities from sanctions authorized by state environmental laws for limited discharges of untreated sewage into a lake or river from three or more septic tank systems within the municipality’s jurisdiction.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698916
Senate Bill 786: Give tax breaks to aquaculture and hydroponics
Passed 94 to 16 in the House on December 19, 2014, to exempt aquaculture and hydroponics production facilities from property taxes. Senate Bill 787 would instead impose a new “specific” tax equal to 25 percent of the regular property tax.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699079
Senate Bill 787: Give tax breaks to “aquaculture” and hydroponics
Passed 93 to 17 in the House on December 19, 2014, to impose a new “specific” tax on aquaculture and hydroponics production facilities, equal to 25 percent of the regular property tax rate; Senate Bill 786 would exempt these operations from the regular property tax.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699098
Senate Bill 789: Revise concealed pistol license procedures
Passed 84 to 26 in the House on December 19, 2014, to eliminate county concealed weapon licensing boards, and transfer the responsibility for administering and issuing concealed pistol licenses to county clerks, with the State Police still performing the background checks required by the law. The bill also lowers the application fee and revises a number of other details in the CPL law, including details of mental health disqualifications.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699103
Senate Bill 790: Revise concealed pistol license procedures
Passed 85 to 25 in the House on December 19, 2014, to revise references in the criminal sentencing guidelines to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 789 to details of the concealed pistol license law (CPL).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699104
Senate Bill 795: Increase banned species introduction penalties
Passed 105 to 4 in the House on December 18, 2014, to authorize seizure and forfeiture of vehicle, equipment, or other property used to knowingly possess or introduce a prohibited aquatic species. Senate bills 796 to 802 would add additional sanctions. Also, to revise the procedures and standards for adding a species to the prohibited list.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698938
Senate Bill 796: Increase banned species introduction penalties
Passed 100 to 9 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise the state sentencing guidelines to reflect the higher penalties proposed by Senate Bill 800 for introducing a prohibited non-native aquatic species.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698939
Senate Bill 800: Increase banned species introduction penalties
Passed 103 to 6 in the House on December 18, 2014, to authorize suspending the hunting, fishing and trapping rights of a person who introduces into the state a prohibited non-native species. Also, to increase the penalties for knowingly possessing or introducing a banned aquatic species, from two years in prison and a $20,000 fine to three years and $100,000.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698940
Senate Bill 847: Expand homestead property tax credit
Passed 78 to 32 in the House on December 19, 2014, to increase the property tax credit a homeowner or renter can claim against the state income tax, by lowering the income threshold in the formula used to calculate this “homestead” or principle residence exemption. The measure will not become law unless voters approve an increase to the state sales tax in a May 5, 2015 election; reportedly the bill was passed to gain Democratic votes for the two-thirds majority required to place that on the ballot.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699065
Senate Bill 852: Grant industrial plant rehab tax break for particular developer
Passed 103 to 6 in the House on December 18, 2014, to allow an exception to the usual requirements for an Industrial Plant Rehabilitation tax break, making a particular facility eligible, when under current statute it would not be.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698923
Senate Bill 879: Revise mammography report disclosure details
Passed 92 to 18 in the House on December 18, 2014, to require the summary and written report of a mammography examination sent to a doctor or patient by a federally certified mammography facility to include cautionary information regarding breast density if the patient is determined to have “heterogeneously or extremely dense breast tissue”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698952
Senate Bill 927: Ban hunting with a drone
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on December 19, 2014, to prohibit using an aerial drone to take game.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699093
Senate Bill 929: Revise nonprofit corporation law detail
Passed 78 to 30 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise the state law governing mergers and conversions of corporations and other limited liability business entities, so as to include nonprofit corporations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698904
Senate Bill 941: Revise scrap tire regulatory regime details
Passed 107 to 2 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise and update details of the extensive regulatory regime imposed on the storage, transportation and processing of scrap tires. The bill includes changes to bonding requirements and regulations on storage facilities and hauling companies, imposes new permit fees on the latter, adds exemptions for a “community cleanup site,” prohibits openly burning a scrap tire, and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698919
Senate Bill 947: Revise collection agency audit details
Passed 65 to 45 in the House on December 18, 2014, to delete a requirement that the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) audit a collection agency on a biennial basis. The agencies would still be subject to current regulations and record keeping requirements, however.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698961
Senate Bill 962: Revise industrial tax break detail
Passed 104 to 5 in the House on December 18, 2014, to revise a provision of the law that authorizes local property tax breaks for industrial facility tax breaks, which grants these even if the local clerk fails to meet certain procedural deadlines. The bill would amend the provision so it also applies to an amended application for a tax break, or a request to transfer or revoke a tax break.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698924
Senate Bill 974: Expand court authority in child welfare cases
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to give a court with jurisdiction over a juvenile’s care and supervision the authority to issue orders affecting a “party” if these are considered necessary, with “party” defined as the petitioner and the juvenile in a delinquency proceeding; and in a child protective proceeding, the petitioner, child, respondent, parent or guardian, and a child caring institution or child placing agency under contract with the state.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698925
Senate Bill 975: Exempt Kent County from higher foster care payment share
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to extend until May, 2018, for Kent County only, a 2013 law that requires the Department of Human Services to pay all of a $3 per day per child per day rate increase for private providers of foster care services as provided in the 2013-14 state budget, rather than half the amount.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698926
Senate Bill 1007: Revise installment tax payment detail
Passed 107 to 2 in the House on December 18, 2014, to establish that tax liens on township special assessment installment payments do not become effective (“attach”) until the payment is due.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698921
Senate Bill 1033: Clarify ”direct primary care” and “concierge medicine” are not “insurance”
Passed 60 to 50 in the House on December 18, 2014, to establish that fixed-fee medical retainer agreements between a physician and a potential patient covering routine health care services are not considered “insurance” subject to the extensive regulatory regime imposed on conventional health insurance policies. This could presumably apply to ”direct primary care” agreements, “concierge medicine” and similar innovations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698951
Senate Bill 1049: Grant legal immunity to trained police administration of overdose treatment
Passed 105 to 4 in the House on December 18, 2014, to allow a peace officer with training in the proper administration of an opioid antagonist a person suffering a heroin overdose to do so, and grant civil and criminal immunity for doing so.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698932
Senate Bill 1055: Repeal mandate that state printing be done in Michigan print shops
Passed 68 to 41 in the House on December 18, 2014, to repeal a requirement that all state-funded printing must be done by Michigan print shops. The would leave in effect a “prevailing wage” mandate on state-funded printing, which prohibits granting the lowest bid to a shop unless its employees are paid the equivalent of local union wages.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698920
Senate Bill 1074: Eliminate debt cap on business job training subsidy program
Passed 108 to 2 in the House on December 18, 2014, to increase to $75 million the current $50 million debt cap in a 2008 law that authorized state job training subsidies for particular employers, provided through community colleges. The bill would also eliminate a 2018 sunset on these subsidies, which according to the Senate Fiscal Agency have already added up to $10.7 million.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698956
Senate Bill 1082
Passed 99 to 10 in the House on December 18, 2014, to allow county drain authorities to remove obstructions from a watercourse that is not an existing drain, after an inspection and with the approval of landowners, if the obstruction were causing problems such as flooding, excessive erosion, etc. This refers to the extensive networks of “drains” (ditches, culverts and more) that remove surplus water from land, the creation of which allowed a large proportion of this state to be farmed and developed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698933
Senate Bill 1086: Exempt Kent County from higher foster care payment share
Passed 105 to 4 in the House on December 18, 2014, to extend until May, 2018, for Kent County only, a 2013 law that requires the Department of Human Services to pay all of a $3 per day per child per day rate increase for private providers of foster care services as provided in the 2013-14 state budget, rather than half the amount.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698927
Senate Bill 1088: Allow community colleges to put money in municipal bonds
Passed 103 to 6 in the House on December 18, 2014, to allow community colleges to invest funds in Michigan municipal bonds rated as “investment grade” by at least one standard rating service.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698929
Senate Bill 1097: Expand technology business subsidies
Passed 81 to 28 in the House on December 18, 2014, to increase from three to nine the number of areas in which “certified technology parks” (previously dubbed “smart zones”) are permitted to “capture” school taxes, in addition to capturing other property millages collected by local governments. These emntities use “tax increment financing” to provide infrastructure or other subsidies to technology-based businesses. Like the better-known Downtown Development Authorities, they collect the extra local property tax revenue that (hopefully) results from property value increases generated by their selective subsidies and projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698934
Senate Bill 1105: Add Romulus deep injection well restrictions
Passed 70 to 40 in the House on December 19, 2014, to prohibit the Detroit pension system from putting any more pension fund money into a hazardous waste deep disposal well it owns in Romulus, and impose conditions that probably would require divestment of its ownership interest. The bill would permit more pension fund dollars to be “invested” for purposes of preparing the facility for sale to an owner who plans to use the property for a different purpose.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699097
Senate Bill 1140: Revise auto insurance “excluded driver” detail
Passed 101 to 8 in the House on December 18, 2014, to establish that when a no-fault auto insurance policy specifies that a member of the vehicle owner’s household is an “excluded driver” ineligible to collect unlimited personal protection benefits, and the person unlawfully takes the vehicle anyway, then any occupant who knows (or should have known) that a vehicle is unlawfully taken is also not eligible for benefits. Also, to include “transportation network companies” like Uber and Lyft in certain exceptions the unlimited personal injury protection benefits otherwise mandated by the state no fault insurance law.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698949
Senate Bill 1142: Mandate college fire drill standards
Passed 104 to 5 in the House on December 18, 2014, to mandate minimum standards for college and university fire drills, and require institutions to certify to the state that they have adopted and practice them.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698937
House Bill 4001: Cap FOIA charges and increase government FOIA scofflaw penalties
Passed 101 to 9 in the House on December 19, 2014, to establish statewide standards for the costs a government body may charge to fulfill a Freedom of Information Act open records request. Among other things the bill would prohibit charging more than the wages of the lowest paid employee capable of meeting the request (or of deleting information exempt from disclosure), whether or not that person does the actual work. “Overhead” or overtime costs could not be included in the charges.
The charge for standard size copies could not exceed 10 cents per page, periodically adjusted for inflation, and the amount charged for the person making the copies (paper or electronic) could not exceed three times the state minimum wage. A government body could choose to provide bulky information in electronic format (on CD), and if the requested information is on its website could just reference this in its reply. FOIA requestors would have to be given an itemized list of the costs, and a government body’s procedures, guidelines and fees would have to be posted on its website (if it has one). The penalty and damages for wrongfully denying a request would increase from $500 to $1,000 (with fines of up to $7,500 if this is “willful and intentional”).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699109
House Bill 4186: Revise criminal record expungement rules
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to revise the grounds for seeking to have a criminal record expunged from a person’s record. The bill would allow a person convicted of only one felony offense and not more than two misdemeanors, to apply to have the felony “set aside,” or expunged from the person’s public record. A person convicted of not more than two misdemeanors could apply to have one or both of them set aside. This would not apply to convictions for criminal sexual conduct, domestic violence, or crimes punishable by life imprisonment.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699156
House Bill 4480: Require more detailed reports on corporate subsidy costs & outcomes
Passed 108 to 1 in the House on December 18, 2014, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill, after adding an amendment.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698889
House Bill 4539: Stop imposing sales tax on fuel sales
Passed 88 to 22 in the House on December 19, 2014, to exempt gasoline and diesel purchases from sales tax. This is part of a package that includes a large fuel tax increase (House Bill 5477),a ballot measure increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent (House Joint Resolution UU), and several related measures. The package represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to roads, but none of this will happen if voters do not approve the sales tax hike in a May 12, 2015 election.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699051
House Bill 4544: Revise low income heating subsidy spending
Passed 93 to 17 in the House on December 18, 2014, to require the state to spend amount at least $6 million of the money from a federal low income household home energy subsidy block grant program for weatherization, but not more than 15 percent. The bill would also require private owners of rental property to pay part of the weatherization cost, unless the owner is a nonprofit entity.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698965
House Bill 4760: Increase interest payments to taxpayers owed refunds
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to require the state to pay “an additional monthly interest rate of 3 percent per annum” to a business that filed under the repealed Michigan Business Tax and is due a tax refund because of an overpayment, starting 90 days after the claim is due or filed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699150
House Bill 4788: Authorize fund-raising veterans license plate
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on December 18, 2014, to authorize a fund raising “collector” license plate recognizing Michigan veterans, with the proceeds going to various state veterans programs and tuition subsidies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698964
House Bill 4833: Increase election recount deposit requirement
Passed 28 to 10 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to increase the money deposit a candidate must make to get an election recount from $10 to $25 per precinct, and to $125 per precinct if the election wasn’t close (within 50 votes or 0.5 percent).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699149
House Bill 4874: Limit local protectionist septic waste facility restrictions
Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to restrict a local government’s ability to mandate that septic tank servicers may only dispose of waste in a “receiving facility” in the same area as the property from which the waste was removed. A heavily indebted government facility in Grand Traverse County would be excluded. The bill would also limit local government rulemaking on applying septage waste to land.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699141
House Bill 5035: Require certain community college admissions practices
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to require community college admissions forms to ask if the applicant is a veteran or active military member, or the spouse or dependent of one, for purposes of granting potential government subsidies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699146
House Bill 5036: Require certain community college admissions practices
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to require community colleges to inform applicants that they may receive credit for college-level training and education received in the military, and require them to accept a “joint services transcript” prepared under “American Council on Education Registry of Credit” recommendations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699147
House Bill 5045: Allow local governments to permit golf carts on streets
Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to allow cities, villages and townships with fewer than 30,000 residents to permit the daytime operation of golf carts on streets. A local government could require registration but could not charge a fee for this. However, a county commission could override a municipality’s decision and prohibit golf carts on streets.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699148
House Bill 5082: Authorize child custody “parenting time coordinator”
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to authorize the appointment in child custody disputes of a “parenting time coordinator” to help implement court orders related to parenting time, if the parties agree.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699139
House Bill 5160: Allow local governments to transfer tax functions to county
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to allow cities, townships and villages to enter agreements with counties to administer functions related to property tax collections.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699151
House Bill 5167: Require competitive bidding on some road maintenance
Passed 107 to 3 in the House on December 19, 2014, to require road agencies to seek competitive bids for road maintenance projects greater than $100,000, unless they “affirm” a different system would serve the public interest better. Also, to require the Department of Transportation to develop “performance based” road project rating system, and allocate 20 percent of funds to local agencies based on its cost/benefit criteria.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699050
House Bill 5179: Transfer western Wayne correctional
Passed 28 to 10 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to land bank to transfer the former western Wayne correctional facility property to a government “land bank” authority, which in turn would be required to sell it in a manner and on terms that the authority “in its discretion” calculates will “realize the greatest benefit to this state”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699154
House Bill 5317: Restrict residential water “cross connection” inspections
Passed 26 to 12 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to restrict state or local regulators from imposing a requirement that a “testable backflow preventer” on a residential lawn sprinkler system be inspected more than once every three years after initial installation, with certain specified inspections. This refers to a state regulation intended to prevent cross-contamination of municipal water supply systems.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699157
House Bill 5318: Restrict residential water “cross connection” inspections
Passed 26 to 12 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to restrict local governments from imposing a requirement that a “testable backflow preventer” on a residential lawn sprinkler system be inspected more than once every three years after initial installation, with certain specified inspections. This refers to a state regulation intended to prevent cross-contamination of municipal water supply systems.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699158
House Bill 5398: Allow certain government land swaps
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to allow and establish procedures for a county or a government “land bank” to swap land with the state, the federal government or other government entity for the purpose of combining it with tax foreclosed properties into a marketable parcel.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699144
House Bill 5477: Replace per-gallon fuel tax with higher wholesale tax
Passed 93 to 17 in the House on December 19, 2014, to replace the current 19-cent per gallon gas tax and 15-cent diesel tax with a 14.9 percent wholesale fuel tax, which at current prices is 41.7 cents per gallon for gasoline and 46.4 cents for diesel. This tax hike would be mostly offset by exempting fuel sales from the state sales tax (House Bill 4539). However, neither bill will go into law unless voters approve House Joint Resolution UU in a May 5, 2015 vote, which would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. When combined with other tax hike bills related to this deal it comes to a net tax increase of $1.945 billion.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699052
House Bill 5493: Replace per-gallon fuel tax with 6 percent wholesale tax
Passed 87 to 23 in the House on December 19, 2014, to replace the current 15 cent per gallon motor carrier fuel tax imposed on interstate truckers with a tax on the wholesale fuel price somewhere between 14.9 percent per gallon rate specified in House Bill 5477.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699055
House Bill 5563: Revise abandoned vehicle regulations
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to expand the scope of a state prohibition and comprehensive regulatory regime that prescribes penalties, procedures and rules for abandoned vehicles, so that it includes boats and vessels, and add new regulations to accommodate the addition of vessels.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699142
House Bill 5636: Permit golf cart road road use without insurance
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to establish that a golf cart driven on roads (as House Bill 5645 would permit) is not considered a “motor vehicle” subject to registration taxes and the mandated no-fault vehicle insurance. The bill would also establish that motorized wheelchairs, “scooters” and other personal mobility devices are not considered “motor vehicles”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699143
House Bill 5669: Revise private school teacher “professional development” detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to permit a “state-approved nonpublic school” to provide teacher “professional development” for nonpublic school teachers, and credit this toward the issuance or renewal of a teaching certificate or subject area “endorsement,” to the same extent as when this is provided for teachers in public schools.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699140
House Bill 5812: Cap fees for electronic copy of electronic deeds
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to revise the meeting requirements of a commission created by a 2010 law that authorized development of uniform statewide regulations and procedures for electronic recording of real estate deeds and related documents. The bill would require this body to meet annually instead of quarterly.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699153
House Bill 5842: Establish standard for permanent revocation of health provider licenses
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to revise language in the law authorizing permanent revocation of a health profession license for certain violations to conform with the proposal in House Bills 5839 to 5842 to expand and further define the grounds for this sanction.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699138
House Bill 5862: Revise fire insurance settlement escrow amount
Passed 94 to 14 in the House on December 18, 2014, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bil.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698897
House Bill 5868: Establish library tax district consolidation measures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to establish that if two municipalities are consolidated or annexed into one, and both have a district library that levies its own property tax millage and has its own board, the millage and governance structure of each district library would continue. Consolidation of the library districts (if any) would be at those districts’ discretion, and if they are merged, voters in the jurisdiction being transferred would have to approve the property tax imposed by the receiving library district. This is part of a package with House Bill 5597 intended to facilitate library mergers and expansions into new taxing jurisdictions.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699165
House Bill 5930: Revise sanctions for probation violations
Failed 11 to 27 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to permit but not require judges to consider reducing the time a released prisoner must remain under parole after two years, or after a felon has completed at least one-third of parole period.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699199
House Bill 5931: Revise sanctions for parole violations
Failed 12 to 26 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to establish a “presumption” that prisoners convicted of non-violent and drug offenses, or who are deemed unlikely to be a “menace to society,” should be released on parole after serving the minimum sentence, with many exceptions, and no release requirement.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699200
House Joint Resolution UU: Increase sales tax to 7 percent
Passed 26 to 12 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to place before voters in a May 5, 2015 election a constitutional amendment that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. The proposal would also prohibit using money earmarked to the state School Aid Fund to support state universities, and earmark a specified portion of the state Use Tax to this fund. If voters do not approve the ballot measure then a large fuel tax increase (House Bill 5477) and several related measures would not go into effect. The complete package represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to road projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699213
Senate Bill 423: Require schools teach American foundational principles; SCHOOL SPENDING “ADEQUACY” STUDY
Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to require the state budget agency to contract for a study to determine how much money per student is needed for a public school to educate students sufficiently well to meet state graduation requirements. Reportedly the bill was adopted Republican-controlled legislature in return for Democratic votes on a sales tax increase that is part of a $1.945 billion tax hike for road repairs and other spending.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699221
Senate Bill 847: Expand homestead property tax credit
Passed 23 to 15 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, To increase the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which makes payments to low income wage earners. The measure will not become law unless voters approve an increase to the state sales tax in a May 5, 2015 election; reportedly the bill was passed to gain Democratic votes for the two-thirds majority required to place that on the ballot. This was added to the original provisions of the bill, which increase the property tax credit a homeowner or renter can claim against the state income tax, by lowering the income threshold in the formula used to calculate this “homestead” or principle residence exemption.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699219
Senate Bill 926: Ban using a drone to interfere with hunters
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on December 16, 2014, to prohibit using an aerial drone to interfere with or harass a person who is hunting. This would expand an existing law that bans interfering with or harassing hunters.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=698663
House Bill 4001: Cap FOIA charges and increase government FOIA scofflaw penalties
Passed 30 to 8 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to limit the costs a government body may charge to fulfill a Freedom of Information Act open records request. Among other things the bill would prohibit charging more than the wages of the lowest paid employee capable of meeting the request (or of deleting information exempt from disclosure), whether or not that person does the actual work. “Overhead” or overtime costs could not be included. A government body could choose to provide bulky information in electronic format (on CD), and if the requested information is on its website could just reference this in its reply. FOIA requestors would have to be given an itemized list of the costs, and a government body’s procedures, guidelines and fees would have to be posted on its website (if it has one). Tardy responses would be subject to a discount of up to 50 percent. The penalty and damages for wrongfully denying a request would increase from $500 to $1,000 (with fines of up to $7,500 if this is “willful and intentional”). More rigorous sanctions previously adopted by the House were stripped out in this final Senate-passed version.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699216
House Bill 4251: Revise local road project contracting details
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to establish that if a township contributes 50 percent or more to the cost of a road project and certain other conditions apply, it can require the county road commission contract for the work through competitive bidding. This is part of a House road funding package.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699232
House Bill 4539: Stop imposing sales tax on fuel sales
Passed 23 to 15 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to exempt gasoline and diesel purchases from sales tax. This is part of a package that includes a large fuel tax increase (House Bill 5477),a ballot measure increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent (House Joint Resolution UU), and several related measures. The package represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to roads, but none of this will happen if voters do not approve the sales tax hike in a May 5, 2015 election.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699239
House Bill 4630: Increase vehicle registration taxes
Passed 23 to 15 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to increase vehicle registration taxes on trucks, on cars more than three years old, and on electric vehicles. Vehicle owners would pay around $95 million more each year if the bill goes into effect. However, that will only happen if voters approve increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent in a May 5, 2015 election (see House Joint Resolution UU). Both measures are part of a $1.945 billion tax hike package that would generate $1.2 billion more each year for road repairs.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699222
House Bill 4630: Increase vehicle registration taxes
Passed 67 to 43 in the House on December 19, 2014, to increase vehicle registration taxes on trucks, on cars more than three years old, and on electric vehicles. Vehicle owners would pay around $95 million more each year if the bill goes into effect. However, that will only happen if voters approve increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent in a May 5, 2015 election (see House Joint Resolution UU). Both measures are part of a $1.945 billion tax hike package that would generate $1.2 billion more each year for road repairs.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699056
House Bill 5167: Require competitive bidding on some road maintenance
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to require road agencies to seek competitive bids for road maintenance projects greater than $100,000, unless they “affirm” a different system would serve the public interest better. Also, to require the Department of Transportation to develop “performance based” road project rating system, and allocate 20 percent of funds to local agencies based on its cost/benefit criteria.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699234
House Bill 5198: Revise child services worker discipline procedure
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to allow access to confidential records contained in a state database of serious child abuse incidents to a state employee undergoing a disciplinary action. Access would be limited only to the individual’s union representative, or the arbitrator or official conducting a hearing involving the employee’s dereliction or malfeasance. This access would be for use of records solely in connection with that action or hearing.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699224
House Bill 5341: Revise welfare application confidentiality details
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to revise existing restrictions on releasing information related to an individuals’ applications for welfare and related programs, which are considered records open to the public. The bill would exclude public access to documents in an individual’s record’s that come from another agency or organization, unless required by other state or federal laws, or in response to a court order.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699225
House Bill 5389: Revise nursing home feeding detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to allow a nursing home to employ a trained person to provide feeding assistance to a resident who does not have complicated feeding problems, under the supervision of a nurse, and with consent of the resident or resident’s representative.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699257
House Bill 5418: Allow private employers to give preferences to veterans
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to permit employers to give preference to veterans in hiring and promotion decisions, subject to conditions specified in the bill, and require the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to maintain a registry of employers that do this.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699226
House Bill 5460: Require local road agencies get warranties on road projects
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to expand to local road agencies a requirement to warranties from contractors for road construction and preservation projects valued at more than $1 million. Under current law the warranty requirement only applies to the state Department of Transportation. Also, to require the Department of Transportation to give extra assistance (possibly including grants and loans) to minority-owned and “disadvantaged” businesses that bid on state funded road projects; and to take other step to steer more state-funded road work to such firms, including annual consultations with certain ethnic- and race-bases organizations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699256
House Bill 5460: Require local road agencies get warranties on road projects
Passed 99 to 11 in the House on December 19, 2014, to expand to local road agencies a requirement to warranties from contractors for road construction and preservation projects valued at more than $1 million. Under current law the warranty requirement only applies to the state Department of Transportation. Also, to require the Department of Transportation to give extra assistance (possibly including grants and loans) to minority-owned and “disadvantaged” businesses that bid on state funded road projects; and to take other step to steer more state-funded road work to such firms, including annual consultations with certain ethnic- and race-based organizations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699060
House Bill 5460: Require local road agencies get warranties on road projects
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on December 19, 2014, to require the Department of Transportation to give extra assistance (possibly including grants and loans) to minority-owned and “disadvantaged” businesses that bid on state funded road projects; and to take other step to steer more state-funded road work to such firms, including annual consultations with certain ethnic- and race-based organizations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=164067
House Bill 5477: Replace per-gallon fuel tax with higher wholesale tax
Passed 23 to 15 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to replace the current 19-cent per gallon gas tax and 15-cent diesel tax with a 14.9 percent wholesale fuel tax, which at current prices is 41.7 cents per gallon for gasoline and 46.4 cents for diesel. This tax hike would be mostly offset by exempting fuel sales from the state sales tax (House Bill 4539). However, neither bill will go into law unless voters approve House Joint Resolution UU in a May 5, 2015 vote, which would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. When combined with other tax hike bills related to this deal it comes to a net tax increase of $1.945 billion.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699214
House Bill 5492: Earmark some state use tax to roads
Passed 88 to 22 in the House on December 19, 2014, to exempt fuel sales from the state “use tax,” and revise revenue distributions to incorporate a proposed increase of the state use tax from 6 percent to 7 seven percent. This is part of a package that represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to road repairs and the rest to other spending, but which is contingent on voters approving an increase in the state use and sales taxes from 6 percent to 7 percent in a May 5 election. See also House Bill 5477.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699106
House Bill 5492: Earmark some state use tax to roads
Passed 24 to 14 in the Senate on December 19, 2014, to exempt fuel sales from the state “use tax,” and revise revenue distributions to incorporate a proposed increase of the state use tax from 6 percent to 7 seven percent. This is part of a package that represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to road repairs and the rest to other spending, but which is contingent on voters approving an increase in the state use and sales taxes from 6 percent to 7 percent in a May 5 election. See also House Bill 5477.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699217
House Bill 5513: Expand mobile home court environmental regulation
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Quality over mobile home parks; impose new licensure conditions; require the state “Manufactured Housing Commission” to notify local governments of any complaints from residents; impose a performance bond mandate on mobile home park owners; impose an annual inspection mandate; authorize placing a park under court-ordered receivership if conditions threaten residents’ health and safety; and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699145
House Bill 5667: Let clerks choose electronic voting system
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to allow county clerks in cooperation with and local clerks to determine which electronic voting system to adopt, subject to certain requirements specified in the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699164
House Bill 5714: Revise regulations on household movers
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to revise details of the extensive regulatory regime and price controls imposed on household moving companies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699152
House Bill 5792: Mandate insurance ownership divestment disclosures
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to mandate that a person with a controlling ownership interest in a Michigan insurance company who plans to divest that interest must submit a statement of intent to the state insurance bureau at least 30 days before the divestment, along with a statement describing the “enterprise risk” of the transaction, defined in the bill as the chances it will have a “material adverse effect upon the financial condition or liquidity” of the insurer.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699162
House Bill 5823: Require insurance company risk assessments
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to require larger insurance companies to regularly perform an “own risk and solvency assessment” (ORSA), defined as a “confidential internal assessment…of the material and relevant risks associated with the insurer’s current business plan, and the sufficiency of capital resources to support those risks.” This would have to be submitted to the state annually.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699163
House Bill 5928: Create incarceration and sentencing study panel
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to create a 15-member Criminal Justice Policy Commission to gather and analyze data on the effects of a number of criminal sentencing, incarceration and release practices and procedures.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699197
House Bill 5929: Revise “community corrections programs”
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to make technical revisions to “community corrections programs” created as alternatives to jail and prison, so as to reflect changes in the sentencing guidelines and other corrections-related statutes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699198
House Bill 6079: Revise securities law detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 18, 2014, to delay until May 1, 2015 the effect of a “Uniform Securities Act” enacted in 2008 on an intrastate “Michigan investment market” (essentially a stock exchange).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=699159
House Bill 4001: Repeal “prevailing wage” law
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on January 15, 2015, to repeal the state “prevailing wage” law, which prohibits awarding government contracts to contractors who submit the lowest bid unless the contractor pays “prevailing wages,” which are based on regional union pay scales that tend to be above the market rate.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166367
House Bill 4002: Repeal “prevailing wage” law
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on January 15, 2015, to revise a law that authorizes Detroit to create an entity to distribute selective corporate and developer tax breaks and subsidies so that it conforms with the proposal in House Bill 4001 to repeal the so-called “prevailing wage” law, which prohibits awarding government contracts to contractors who submit the lowest bid unless the contractor pays wages based on union-devised pay scales.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166368
House Bill 4003: Repeal “prevailing wage” law
Introduced by Rep. Bradford Jacobsen (R) on January 15, 2015, to revise the state school code so that it conforms with the proposal in House Bill 4001 to repeal the so-called “prevailing wage” law that prohibits awarding government contracts to contractors who submit the lowest bid unless the contractor pays wages based on union-devised pay scales.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166369
House Bill 4004: Revise township annexation process
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 15, 2015, to require a vote of the people in a charter township for any of its territory to be annexed by a city or village.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166370
House Bill 4005: Increase sanctions for certain liquor license law violations
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 15, 2015, to increase the penalties and licensing sanctions for certain liquor license law violations deemed by the bill to be “critical” violations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166371
House Bill 4006: Mandate emergency cell phone user location disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 15, 2015, to require cell phone companies to disclose call location information when requested by law enforcement because the information is needed in an emergency situation that involves the risk of death or injury. The bill would grant legal immunity to cell phone companies for making the disclosures.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166372
House Bill 4007: Revise, update wiretap procedures
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 15, 2015, to revise and update the procedures for law enforcement wiretaps. The bill also prohibits and authorizes penalties for the sale and use of interception devices by the public.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166373
House Bill 4008: Revise, update wiretap procedures
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 15, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for wiretapping violation penalties proposed by House Bill 4007.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166374
House Bill 4009: Expand allowable uses of school “sinking fund” taxes
Introduced by Rep. Phil Phelps (D) on January 15, 2015, to allow school districts to spend revenue from “sinking fund” property taxes on “technology,” including computers, software and communications devices. Under current law, sinking fund taxes may be used only for the purchase of land, or construction and (major) repair of school buildings. Regular school bonds may be used to fund a much wider array of activities. Schools are allowed to levy up to five mills in sinking fund property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166375
House Bill 4010: Expand “promise zone” tax increment financing schemes
Introduced by Rep. Phil Phelps (D) on January 15, 2015, to expand from 10 to 15 the number of “promise zone” tax increment financing authorities (TIFA) located in low income and “low educational attainment” areas. These entities were authorized by a 2008 law to “capture” a portion of any increases in the state portion of school property tax revenue in the area, and use the money to partially subsidize college tuition for local students.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166376
House Bill 4011: Revise Tax Tribunal fee detail
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to revise the procedures for adding additional past years to a property tax overcharge appeal filed with the Michigan Tax Tribunal. Under current law, a motion to amend a claim to include additional years requires an extra fee. The bill would essentially repeal this requirement..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166377
House Bill 4012: Require local zoning let residents grow some farm products
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to establish that under local zoning ordinances property zoned as residential may be used by a resident to grow farm products and animals for personal use and some “de minimis” sales.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166378
House Bill 4013: Revise CPL “gun free zone” for personal protection orders
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to authorize concealed pistol license boards to waive the “gun free zone” restrictions on a licensee who has been granted a personal protection order.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166379
House Bill 4014: Restrict schools collecting personal and “biometric” student data
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to prohibit public schools from collecting or using student “biometric” or other specified data, including data from a behavior-response measuring “biofeedback” or facial recognition device. The bill also bans schools administering tests that ask students about their own or family members’ socioeconomic status; place of birth; political affiliations or beliefs; religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs; income; or any other data about the student’s relationships, health, behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs, unless approved in writing by a parent or legal guardian. Schools would also be prohibited from revealing any such information to a state or federal government agency.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166381
House Bill 4015: Repeal ticket scalping ban
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to repeal a state law that bans ticket “scalping” at sports and entertainment events, or selling tickets at a higher price through some service or agency.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166510
House Bill 4016: Cut state income tax rate
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to cut the state income tax from 4.25 percent to 4.15 percent as of Jan. 1, 2015, and to 4.05 percent on Jan. 1, 2016.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166511
House Bill 4017: Provide liability waiver for food donations
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 15, 2015, to establish that a food retailer, food service provider, processor, farm, etc., who donates food to a nonprofit charity, and the charity itself, are immune from civil damages or criminal liability resulting from the nature, age, condition, or packaging of the food unless they knew or had reasonable grounds to know the food was adulterated or not fit for human consumption..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166391
House Bill 4018: Clarify taxable software definition
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 15, 2015, to clarify that when one person grants another the right to use “prewritten computer software,” this is not subject to the state sales tax. This applies to “cloud”-based computing services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166393
House Bill 4019: Clarify taxable software definition
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 15, 2015, to clarify that when one person grants another the right to use “prewritten computer software,” this is not subject to the state use tax. This applies to “cloud”-based computing services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166399
House Bill 4020: Require school bus seat belts
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to require new school buses to be equipped with seat belts for each passenger.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166401
House Bill 4021: Authorize 5-mill “sinking fund” property tax for school buses
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to allow school districts to use a “sinking fund” property tax to buy school buses. Under current law, schools may levy up to 5 mills for 20 years for a “sinking fund,” which is a permanent fund that may only be used only for land purchases and the construction or (major) repair of school buildings.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166406
House Bill 4022: Require steps to avoid foster child identity theft
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to require foster care caseworkers to annually request credit reports on each foster care child they are assigned, and if the report suggests the presence of fraudulent activity in the child’s name, report this to the court at the next 90-day review of the child’s foster care plan. The individual appointed by the court to guard the child’s legal interest (guardian ad litem) would then be required to contact the credit reporting agency immediately and request they remove the fraudulent activity from the report. The caseworker also would be required to discuss these matters with the child.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166409
House Bill 4023: Ban child care for more than 11 consecutive hours
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to prohibit a parent or guardian from leaving a child in the care of a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home for longer than 11 consecutive hours, unless the parent works longer than that.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166412
House Bill 4024: Mandate adoption leave with benefits
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to mandate that an employer with at least 50 employees must grant four weeks of leave with full fringe benefits to an employee who adopts a child or becomes the parent of a newborn. The bill creates a new law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166416
House Bill 4025: Revise government contracting procedures
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to require local governments to select architects, professional engineers, and professional surveyors “in accordance with competitive, qualifications-based selection processes and procedures for the type of professional service”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166423
House Bill 4026: Revise government contracting procedures
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to require the Department of Transportation to select architects, professional engineers, professional surveyors “in accordance with competitive, qualifications-based selection processes and procedures for the type of professional service”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166427
House Bill 4027: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on January 15, 2015, to reverse the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2011 income tax overhaul and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166436
House Bill 4028: Revise out-of-wedlock paternity provisions
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 15, 2015, to require the state to create a “responsible father registry” where a man can register who wants to be notified of an adoption or termination of parental rights proceeding for a child whom he may have fathered. He would have to register before or within 48 hours of the child’s birth. This is intended to speed-up the adoption process, including reducing the time a birth-parent has to change his or her mind.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166488
House Bill 4029: Allow no-reason absentee voting
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on January 15, 2015, to eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166512
House Bill 4030: Ban lobbyist contributions in public buildings
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on January 15, 2015, to prohibit lobbyists from delivering campaign contributions, or making promises of future contributions, to a candidate in a state government facility.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166513
House Bill 4031: Exclude “investigational drugs” from medical welfare benefits
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to exclude payments for “investigational drugs” that have completed phase clinical trials but are not approved by the FDA for general use from benefits provided by state medical welfare programs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166514
House Bill 4032: Regulate Uber, Lyft, etc.; preempt local bans
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to establish a regulatory framework that would enable “transportation network companies” like Uber and Lyft to operate in this state, including a preemption on local government regulations or bans. The companies would have to get a permit from the Secretary of State and carry liability insurance as specified in the bill. Drivers would have to get a background check and be at least 21 years old. Vehicles would have to get an annual inspection by a licensed mechanic and bear signs. Riders would have be given specified information and options, with systems to protect their personal information. Street hailing and the use of cab stands by the vehicles would be prohibited.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166515
House Bill 6047: Local government public notices package
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on December 2, 2014, to amend a blight rehabilitation statute to reflect the changes to government public notice requirements proposed by House Bill 5560. This is one of dozens of bills amending different statutes to accommodate this proposal.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165710
House Bill 6087: Created local firearm regulation preemption exceptions
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on December 9, 2014, to create exceptions to the law prohibiting local governments from banning consumer fireworks use on or near “national holidays.” Among other things the bill would allow locals to regulate use through zoning ordinances.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165774
Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on January 20, 2015, to eliminate the straight party ticket option from election ballots.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166782
Senate Bill 14: Restrict radioactive material storage and disposal
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on January 20, 2015, to prohibit storing or disposing radioactive waste from another state or country in Michigan, and ban storing any radioactive material other than what is allowed under current law for nuclear power plants, uranium mines and medical uses. The bill would also create a state advisory board for the purpose of writing a report on the potential impact of depositing radioactive waste deep underground at a site in Kincardine, Ontario, as proposed by an Ontario utility.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166783
Senate Bill 15: Assert immunity of “Michigan-made” firearms from federal gun bans
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on January 20, 2015, to establish that firearms which are completely made in Michigan may be possessed and sold in this state, notwithstanding any potential federal gun bans claiming authority based on the U.S. constitution’s interstate commerce clause.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166784
Senate Bill 17: Return tax foreclosure profits to homeowner
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 20, 2015, to require any profits from the sale of a tax delinquent residence at a foreclosure auction to be turned over to the (former) homeowner.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166785
Senate Bill 18: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 20, 2015, to require the state to take actions that remove questions about the title to land held “under color of title” by a number of citizens of Clarence Township in Calhoun County, and convey clean titles to these owners.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166786
Senate Bill 19: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 20, 2015, to establish that the property conveyances that would result from the proposal in Senate Bill 18 would not be subject to the taxable value “bump up” wherein the new basis for property tax assessments becomes the property’s state equalized value (market value), rather than the capped “taxable value”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166787
Senate Bill 20: Require that criminal offenders know act was unlawful for conviction
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on January 20, 2015, to establish that in any new law creating a criminal offense enacted after Jan. 1, 2016, if the law does not indicate whether a “culpable mental state” (“mens rea”) is required to establish guilt, the presumption will be that this is required, meaning that prosecutors must show that the defendant violated the law “purposely, knowingly or recklessly.” If a new criminal law does require a culpable mental state, the bill would require this be shown for “each material element of the offense.” Under current law, many complex “administrative” offenses authorize criminal penalties for actions that a regular person would not know are illegal.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166788
Senate Bill 21: Increase some State Police pensions
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 21, 2015, to revise wording in a provision of the State Police pension law. This appears to make no substantive change and is related to Senate Bill 22 which increases some pensions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166940
Senate Bill 22: Increase some State Police pensions
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on January 21, 2015, to increase the monthly pension payment to certain retired State Police employees by $300.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166941
Senate Bill 23: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 21, 2015, to reverse the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2011 income tax overhaul and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166942
Senate Bill 24: Authorize homestead tax exemption for inherited house
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 21, 2015, to establish if a person dies and leaves his or her principal residence to a child, the heir may retain the homestead property tax exemption for up to two years as long as it is vacant and not leased or used for a business operation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166943
Senate Bill 25: Give TEDF subsidies to hospitals
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R) on January 22, 2015, to allow “Transportation Economic Development Fund” subsidies and spending for medical care and research facilities..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167087
Senate Bill 26: Revise real estate licensure details
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R) on January 22, 2015, to revise, update and expand many details of the law that imposes a licensure mandate on real estate brokers and salespersons. Among other things, the bill would establish that possession of a law degree or MBA degree would be considered equivalent to 60 of the 90 hours of instruction mandated to obtain a broker’s license.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167088
Senate Bill 27: Revise abortion complication reporting law
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 22, 2015, to require the Department of Community Health to create a form that can be used by an individual who has actual knowledge of a woman who has sought treatment for a physical complication that is a result of an abortion, and which was not reported to the state by the abortion provider as required. The bill establishes procedures to record the information in a manner that would not reveal to an outsider the identity of the woman who is the subject of the report, and transmit it to any physician and health facility named in the form in a manner that does not reveal the identity of the individual who provided the information.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167089
Senate Bill 28: Increase penalties for certain animal abuse crimes
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on January 22, 2015, to revise a 2008 law that increased the penalties for abusing animals in cases of multiple animals, to increase the penalties even more for violations involving 25 or more animals, or when the violator has prior offenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167090
Senate Bill 29: Increase penalties for certain animal abuse crimes
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 22, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the increased animal cruelty penalties proposed by Senate Bill 28.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167091
Senate Bill 30: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Sen. David Knezek (D) on January 22, 2015, to reverse the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2011 income tax overhaul and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167092
House Bill 4035: Allow waiver or jury trial in commercial leases
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to allow commercial lease agreements to include a provision waiving a party’s right to a jury trial in the event of a dispute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166945
House Bill 4036: Increase liquor distributors reporting requirements
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to require liquor distributors to submit detailed monthly reports on the amount of products they received and delivered, including free “sample” bottles given out to retailers. Also, the require all the regular taxes be paid on those samples.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166946
House Bill 4037: Let township supervisors officiate marriages
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to allow township supervisors to perform (“solemnize”) marriages.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166947
House Bill 4038: Allow eviction notices by email
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to allow landlords to send eviction notices by email, if the lease provides for this.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166948
House Bill 4039: Revise tax foreclosure publication details
Introduced by Rep. Jon Bumstead (R) on January 21, 2015, to revise details of the public notice publication provisions of the law authorizing foreclosure for delinquent property taxes. This applies to the publications a notice may or must be published in, and in certain cases would allow posting on a website.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166949
House Bill 4040: Waive some state fees for veterans
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 21, 2015, to revise the documentation required by a veteran to establish a claim to a waiver authorized by a 2012 law of the fees charged under a state-imposed licensure mandate for electricians.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166950
House Bill 4041: Ban welfare and remove children from home for truancy
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on January 21, 2015, to prohibit giving welfare benefits to a household with children who are truants or not being educated, and remove the children from the household.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166951
House Bill 4042: Impose tax on horse-drawn vehicles
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to empower counties to impose a registration fee (tax) of up to $50 on horse-drawn vehicles. A vote of the people would be required.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166952
House Bill 4043: Reduce school aid differences between districts
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to increase the per student school aid “foundation allowance” for lower spending school districts to a level defined in the bill, and lower it for higher spending districts. In the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015 the reduction would be $219, $220 in the following year, and $225 in the third year. Charter schools would get the minimum foundation allowance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166953
House Bill 4044: Revise government audit requirement
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to exempt government authorities with annual budgets less than $50,000 from an annual audit requirement, and only require audits every two years unless some material deficiency is found by an audit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166954
House Bill 4045: Make target pay arrest warrant costs
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to empower courts to order a person convicted of a crime to reimburse the expenses incurred in executing a bench warrant for the person’s arrest.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166955
House Bill 4046: Require enhanced school bus tail lights
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on January 21, 2015, to mandate that new school buses have “enhanced rear lighting at the top and bottom”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166956
House Bill 4047: Rename a road
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to designate a portion of M-18 between Gladwin and Beaverton in Gladwin County as the “Veterans Memorial Highway”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166957
House Bill 4048: Let library board members get pay
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on January 22, 2015, to allow members of the board of directors of a public libraries to be paid up to $30 per meeting, plus expenses. Library board members are political appointees who under current law receive reimbursement for expenses but no pay.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167164
House Bill 4049: Revise nursing facility tax detail
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on January 22, 2015, to eliminate a “grandfathering” and ownership change qualification from the law that exempts property owned by a “skilled nursing facility” from property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167165
House Bill 4050: Ease gas station liquor license restrictions
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on January 22, 2015, to ease certain restrictions on gas stations that have liquor licenses, among other things changing a requirement that some types of seller must have $250,000 in inventory, changing this to $50,000.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167166
House Bill 4051: Require certain low income housing tax disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 22, 2015, to allow the Department of Treasury to disclose the address of each housing unit that is part of housing projects exempt from property taxes, and whether the units are instead subject to a “service charge”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167167
House Bill 4052: Ban local “community benefit” mandate as condition of developing property
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on January 22, 2015, to prohibit local governments from adopting a “community benefits” ordinance that imposes mandatory wage, benefit, or leave time requirements on developers or contractors as a condition of developing a piece of property. This would also prohibit locals from imposing a “prevailing wage” mandate requiring these employers to pay “union scale” wages to the extent this is not already required by state or federal law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167168
House Bill 4053: Increase penalty for paying a person to run for office
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on January 22, 2015, to authorize up to one year in prison and $500 fine for promising, providing, or accepting valuable consideration to run (or not run) for a political office, not including campaign contributions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167169
House Bill 4054: Expand mobile home court regulation
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on January 22, 2015, to impose new licensure conditions mobile home parks; require the state “Manufactured Housing Commission” to notify local governments of any complaints from residents; impose a performance bond mandate on mobile home park owners; impose an annual inspection mandate; authorize placing a park under court-ordered receivership if conditions threaten residents’ health and safety; and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167170
House Bill 4055: Increase mandate on utilities
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on January 22, 2015, to reduce consumption to increase a mandate that requires electric and gas utilities to undertake programs intended to cause net consumption to fall each year. The bill would gradually make the mandates more stringent by requiring annual reductions of 2 percent for electricity and 1.5 percent for gas.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167171
House Bill 4056: Require human trafficking hotline postings
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 22, 2015, to mandate that signs giving information about a human trafficking hotline be posted at all highway rest areas, bus and train depots, etc. The signs would also have to be posted at all “adult oriented entertainment” businesses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167172
House Bill 4057: Mandate “disparate impact” study for new industrial facilities
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on January 22, 2015, to require an applicant for an air quality emissions permit to submit a study of the “increased and cumulative risks” of discharges for a project in a “likely disparate impact” area, and require the Department of Environmental Quality to hold a hearing and consider this before issuing a permit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167173
House Bill 4058: Impose new regulations on “petroleum coke”
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on January 22, 2015, to impose new regulations and a permit mandate on the storage and transport of “petroleum coke” (“pet coke”). This is related to a Marathon Oil refinery expansion in Detroit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167174
Senate Joint Resolution D: Equalize school district funding
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 21, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a Constitutional amendment to require that by the 2020-2021 school year all school districts receive the same amount of money for operating expenses per student from the state and from local property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166944
Senate Joint Resolution C: Allow NRTC funds for logging and mining infrastructure
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on January 20, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to expand the things for which Natural Resources Trust Fund money can be used. This money comes from oil, gas, and mineral royalties and leases on state-owned lands, and currently may be used for state land acquisitions, and conservation and recreation projects. The measure would allow the money to also be used to develop and maintain road infrastructure for natural-resource based industries including timber and mining, and for waterways infrastructure including breakwaters and dredging.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166767
Senate Joint Resolution A: Place right to fish, hunt and trap in Constitution
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on January 20, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to establish that the people have the right fish hunt and trap, and to harvest game and fish.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166765
Senate Joint Resolution B: Reduce pay of absent legislators
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on January 20, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to reduce the pay of legislators who are absent from a legislative session day. Note: MichiganVotes.org contains a Missed Votes Report that shows the number of roll call votes missed by each current legislator, and a link to a list of the particular votes. The missed votes for past legislators can be looked up on the advanced searches page.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166766
House Joint Resolution A: Repeal constitutional prohibition on graduated state income tax
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to repeal an existing prohibition on a graduated income tax (as opposed to Michigan’s current flat tax). The measure does not specify a rate structure, which would be left to future legislatures.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166518
House Joint Resolution B: Allow private school vouchers for “special needs” children
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to require the state provide financial support for children with “special needs” to attend the school of their choice, including a nonpublic school, up to the amount that would be provided if the child were enrolled in a regular public school. The measure does not define “children with special needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166519
House Joint Resolution C: Lengthen term limits
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to extend the term limits of state representatives and senators, allowing the former up to six terms of two-years each, and the latter up to three terms of four years each. Currently, representatives may only have three two-year terms, and senators two four-year terms. Term limits on legislators and state officers were adopted by a 59-41 percent vote of the people in 1992.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166520
House Joint Resolution D: Require community colleges charge military resident tuition
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to require community colleges to charge active duty military members and veterans no more for tuition than residents of the district covered by the college.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166521
Senate Bill 16: Allow NRTC funds for state forest logging roads
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on January 20, 2015, to expand the things for which Natural Resources Trust Fund money can be used. This money comes from oil, gas, and mineral royalties and leases on state-owned lands, and currently may be used for state land acquisitions, and conservation and recreation projects. The measure would allow the money to also be used to develop and maintain road infrastructure for natural-resource based industries including timber and mining, and for waterways infrastructure including breakwaters and dredging. See also Senate Joint Resolution C.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167232
Senate Bill 12: Allow pension double-dipping by “retired” Attorney General employees
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on February 3, 2015, to allow a retired state employee to simultaneously collect pension benefits and a paycheck for work performed as an Attorney General consultant or expert witness.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=703529
Senate Bill 34: Revise concealed pistol license procedures
Passed 28 to 9 in the Senate on February 3, 2015, to eliminate county concealed pistol licensing boards, and transfer their duties to the State Police and county clerks. A similar bill passed by the previous legislature was vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder due to some specific provisions which have been removed from this version, including one requiring a concealed pistol license be issued to the target of a personal protection order who is otherwise eligible for the permit.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=703527
Senate Bill 35: Revise concealed pistol license procedures
Passed 28 to 9 in the Senate on February 3, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the concealed pistol permit law violations contained in Senate Bill 34.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=703528
Senate Bill 73: Create new fraud crime
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 3, 2015, to create an explicit crime of obtaining a service or property by fraud or deception, and authorize penalties that increase with the value of the property or service.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167957
Senate Bill 74: Create new fraud crime
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 3, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the explicit crime of obtaining a service or property by fraud or deception proposed by Senate Bill 73.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167958
Senate Bill 75: Appropriate $24.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 3, 2015, to appropriate $24.7 million from the state Natural Resources Trust Fund for various land acquisitions and recreation projects. State oil and gas well royalty money is earmarked for this fund.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167959
Senate Bill 76: Authorize new specialty plate; give profits to private organization
Introduced by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D) on February 3, 2015, to authorize a new “women veterans” specialty license plate, and turn over the profits to the American Cancer Society.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167960
Senate Bill 77: Revise limousine regulations and special Detroit powers
Introduced by Sen. Virgil Smith (D) on February 4, 2015, to allow Detroit to expand the scope of a protectionist city regulatory regime on “limousines,” by increasing the capacity limit of vehicles subject to the city’s restrictions from ones that carry six or fewer people including the driver to ones that carry eight or fewer. The bill would also lower the city population threshold in a law that authorizes Detroit to impose these regulations, to reflect the city’s shrinking population. The limousine regulations have the effect of limiting competition to the taxi cartels that are protected by the city.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168038
Senate Bill 78: Impose new regulations on “petroleum coke”
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 4, 2015, to impose new regulations on the storage of “petroleum coke” (“pet coke”).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168039
Senate Bill 79: Authorize tax break for hiring unemployed person
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 4, 2015, to authorize a $3,000 tax credit for employers with under 100 employees who hire a new full time worker who had been unemployed for 60 days or more, subject to various requirements and restrictions specified under the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168040
Senate Bill 80: Decriminalize marijuana
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 4, 2015, to eliminate criminal sanctions for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, and instead authorize civil fines of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for subsequent offenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168041
Senate Bill 81: Revise bank foreclosed residence tax treatment
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise a provision that allows a bank or other lending institution that has foreclosed on a residence to retain the previous owner’s principal residence exemption on for up to three years. The bill would reduce that to two years, but eliminate a requirement that the lending institution pay what it otherwise would have paid in school operating taxes without the exemption (the requirement means the lender doesn’t actually save any money, but keeping the “exemption” nevertheless makes it easier to sell the property to a new homeowner).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168092
Senate Bill 82: Clarify taxable software definition
Introduced by Sen. Peter MacGregor (R) on February 5, 2015, to clarify that when one person grants another the right to use “prewritten computer software,” this is not subject to the state use tax. This applies to “cloud”-based computing services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168093
Senate Bill 83: Clarify taxable software definition
Introduced by Sen. John Proos (R) on February 5, 2015, to clarify that when one person grants another the right to use “prewritten computer software,” this is not subject to the state sales tax. This applies to “cloud”-based computing services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168094
Senate Bill 84: Authorize “Choose Life” license plate
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 5, 2015, to require the Secretary of State to develop a “Choose Life” license plate, with fees collected from its sale spent on projects that promote alternatives to abortion.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168095
House Bill 4078: Spend $24.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Passed 103 to 7 in the House on February 5, 2015, to appropriate $24.7 million from the state Natural Resources Trust Fund for various land acquisitions and recreation projects. State oil and gas well royalty money is earmarked for this fund.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=704040
House Bill 4126: Revise detail of securities regulation
Introduced by Rep. Nancy Jenkins (R) on February 3, 2015, to revise a provision in the state “uniform securities act” (which governs the issuance and sale of stocks) so as to clarify the escrow of purchaser funds in an intrastate offering.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168024
House Bill 4127: Ban using credit scores in insurance pricing
Introduced by Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) on February 3, 2015, to prohibit the use of an individual’s credit score by an insurance company to determine his or her insurance premium price.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168025
House Bill 4128: Waive drivers license fee for “homeless”
Introduced by Rep. Brain Banks (D) on February 3, 2015, to waive the drivers license application fee for a person who is “homeless” as defined in the bill (which means the individual is getting benefits from a government or nonprofit entity).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168026
House Bill 4129: Expand mandate to not prohibit service dogs
Introduced by Rep. Brain Banks (D) on February 3, 2015, to expand a law that prohibits businesses and landlords from restricting access to seeing-eye and other service dogs, so it includes dogs used by veterans who have symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other service-related disabilities.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168027
House Bill 4130: Authorize Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs specialty plate
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 3, 2015, to authorize a specialty license plate recognizing a state government “Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs,” and give the net revenue generated from sale of the plates to that entity.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168028
House Bill 4131: Allow no-reason absentee voting
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 3, 2015, to eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168029
House Bill 4132: Authorize parenting time “right of first refusal”
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 3, 2015, to establish that if a court awards parenting time in a child custody dispute (or orders joint custody), it may give one or both parents a “right of first refusal” to provide child care if the other parent intends to leave the child with a substitute child care provider for a significant period of time during his or her specified parenting time.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168030
House Bill 4133: Authorize “second parent adoption”
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 3, 2015, to provide for “second parent adoption” in Michigan law. This is a legal procedure that among other things allows a party in a same-sex relationship to adopt his or her partner’s biological or adoptive child without terminating the other party’s legal status as a parent.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168031
House Bill 4134: Establish that military experience meets boiler installer licensure requirements
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on February 3, 2015, to establish that having recent and relevant military training and experience meets the criteria for obtaining the state license mandated to earn a living as a boiler installer, boiler repairer or boiler special inspector.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168032
House Bill 4135: Revise criminal defendant “youthful trainee status”
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on February 3, 2015, to require that if a young criminal assigned to “youthful trainee status” (which provides a mechanism for not including an offense on the youth’s permanent record) is convicted for a serious felony listed in the bill while in this program, the “trainee” status must be revoked (which means the previous crime also goes on the person’s record).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168033
House Bill 4136: Add civics to high school graduation requirements
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 3, 2015, to add a “civics” component to the state high chool graduation requirements. Students would be required to pass a test comprised of questions identical to some or all those of those on the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship naturalization test.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168034
House Bill 4137: Reduce maximum probation time
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 4, 2015, to reduce the maximum period of probation for less serious felony violations to two years with certain exceptions, and make other changes to probation rules and procedures. Under current law the maximum period of probation for all felonies is five years.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168059
House Bill 4138: Revise parole standards
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on February 4, 2015, to require that parole be granted to prisoners who have served their minimum time if the person has at least an “average probability” under a “validated risk assessment instrument” of not being a risk to public safety, and who meets other criteria specified in the bill and current statute, subject to a number of restrictions and exceptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168060
House Bill 4139: Revise multistate foster care compact
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 4, 2015, to replace an existing interstate compact to which Michigan belongs that deals with the placement of children in foster homes or adoptions in another state with a new, updated compact.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168061
House Bill 4140: Authorize “Choose Life” license plate
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to require the Secretary of State to develop a “Choose Life” license plate, with fees collected from its sale spent on projects that promote alternatives to abortion.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168138
House Bill 4141: Establish joint custody presumption
Introduced by Rep. Jim Runestad (R) on February 5, 2015, to establish that in a custody dispute between parents, a court must order joint custody unless it determines by clear and convincing evidence that a parent is unfit, unwilling, or unable to care for the child.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168143
House Bill 4142: Increase vehicle weitht and size violation penalties
Introduced by Rep. Ken Goike (R) on February 5, 2015, to increase fines for overweight and oversized vehicles.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168144
House Bill 4145: Ban state family planning contracts with abortion providers
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to prohibit the state from entering into family planning or reproductive health service contracts or grants to entities that perform abortions, which would include the Planned Parenthood organization.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168147
House Bill 4146: Restrict late term abortions to facilities with neonatal unit
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to ban abortions after the fetus has completed 19 weeks of gestation except in a hospital that has a neonatal intensive care unit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168148
House Bill 4147: Ban school discrimination based on student religious expression
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to prohibit a public school from discriminating against a student or parent on the basis of their religious viewpoint or expression. Schools would have to treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint no differently that the expression of a secular viewpoint.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168149
House Bill 4148: Revise procedures for dissolving fiscally failed school district
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 5, 2015, to establish procedures for transferring the property of a school district that has become fiscally unviable to one or more nearby school districts. (A version of this bill was originally introduced after the Buena Vista and Inkster school districts reached this state and were dissolved in 2013.) Specifically, the bill specifies procedures for when the receiving district does not want the dissolved district’s buildings or land. The Intermediate School District would then have the right of first refusal, with other local government entities next in line. If none of them wanted the property it would be sold, with unpaid lenders of the dissolved district having first claim to the proceeds. The state would be responsible for any demolition costs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168150
House Bill 4149: Accelerate vehicle trade-in “use tax on the difference” only
Introduced by Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) on February 5, 2015, to accelerate the 24-year phase-in of a 2013 law that exempted from use tax the value of a trade-in when buying a motor vehicle, titled watercraft or recreational vehicle.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168151
House Bill 4150: Accelerate vehicle trade-in “sales tax on the difference”
Introduced by Rep. Michael Webber (R) on February 5, 2015, only to accelerate the 24-year phase-in of a 2013 law that exempted from sales tax the value of a trade-in when buying a motor vehicle, titled watercraft or recreational vehicle.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168152
House Bill 4151: Repeal criminal sanctions for minor with BB gun
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on February 5, 2015, to repeal a law that makes it a misdemeanor for an minor unaccompanied by an adult to possess a BB gun except in his or her own home or yard.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168153
House Bill 4152: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so related laws no longer apply to airguns and BB guns.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168154
House Bill 4153: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so related laws no longer apply to airguns and BB guns.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168155
House Bill 4154: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Brett Roberts (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of firearm in Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to exclude paint ball guns, but include BB guns and air guns. This is part of a package that excludes BB guns and air guns from the definition of firearms in criminal and firearms regulation laws.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168156
House Bill 4155: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Triston Cole (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state penal code to exclude airguns and BB guns (“pneumatic” guns), but retain criminal penalties for using the latter in the commission of a crime.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168157
House Bill 4156: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state law authorizing regulations on selling, purchasing, possessing, and carrying a firearm, to exclude airguns and BB guns.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168158
House Bill 4157: Increase “snow day” exceptions to minimum school days requirement
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the law that requires public schools to provide a minimum of 1,098 hours and 170 days of instruction per year, by exempting schools missed up to nine days of class due to various reasons specified in the bill. Under current law this exception exempts up to six days.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168159
House Bill 4158: Let less credit-worthy municipalities incur “pension obligation bond” debt
Introduced by Rep. Ben Glardon (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise a 2012 law that allows municipalities to borrow money to cover unfunded pension liabilities if this is done as part of a plan to close a traditional “defined benefit” pension system to new employees. The bill would allow local governments with significantly lower credit-worthiness ratings to incur this additional debt (“A“ rather than “AA,” which is three grades lower).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168160
House Bill 4159: Revise “gun free zone” CPL exception
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the “gun free zone” provision of the concealed pistol permit law to exempt retired corrections, probation, and parole officers who have concealed pistol licenses from the restrictions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168161
House Bill 4160: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 5, 2015, to establish that using a firearm in self defense or to defend one’s home or property under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in such situations is not considered illegal “brandishing,” which means to display or wave a firearm in a menacing or threatening manner. Also, to revise the brandishing law to require the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168162
House Bill 4161: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on February 5, 2015, to define “brandishing” a firearm as “to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in a reasonable person.” Under current law “brandishing” is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. See also House Bill 4160, which requires the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution, and exempts behavior permitted under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in a self defense situation or in defense of one’s home or property.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168163
Senate Bill 44: Revise GOP presidential primary date
The amendment passed 12 to 26 in the Senate on February 12, 2015, to tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 59, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 59 would eliminate the requirement that a person give one of the reasons specified in statute for requesting an absentee ballot.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=704843
Senate Bill 44: Revise GOP presidential primary date
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 12, 2015, to require the Republican presidential primary election to be conducted on the third Tuesday in March, rather than on the fourth Tuesday in February as currently required.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=704844
Senate Bill 45: Revise GOP presidential primary date
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 12, 2015, to allow the Republican presidential primary election to be conducted on the third Tuesday in March, even though under the state’s post-election consolidation rules, one of the four regular election dates is the fourth Tuesday in February.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=704845
House Bill 4162: Require license to install residential lifts
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on February 10, 2015, to exempt residential lift installers from the comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors. Residential repair contractors would be subject to a less onerous regulatory regime imposed by House Bill 4163. This would greatly increase the number of professionals allowed to install stairway chairlifts and platform lifts in private residences for elderly or handicapped individuals.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168296
House Bill 4163: Require license to install residential lifts
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on February 10, 2015, to require a licensed “residential maintenance and repair” contractor to get a separate license to install a “residential lift.” The contractor would have to be certified by the manufacturer, pay fees to be determined by the state’s occupational licensure bureau, and be deemed by that agency to be “qualified.” Residential lifts can include one-story stair-climbing machines for elderly or handicapped individuals. This is connected to House Bill 4162 which would exempt residential lift installers from the more comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168297
House Bill 4164: Add “sexual orientation” to “ethnic intimidation” law
Introduced by Rep. Brandon Dillon (D) on February 10, 2015, to add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to a state “ethnic intimidation” law that authorizes penalties for intimidating or harassing another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. The bill would also add age and physical disability to this law, which authorizes up to two years in prison and “triple damages” lawsuits for violations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168298
House Bill 4165: Revise victim notification of offender’s prison alternative
Introduced by Rep. Brandon Dillon (D) on February 10, 2015, to require that the notice sent to the victim of a crime that the offender may be placed in a special alternative incarceration (”boot camp”) program must inform the victim of his or her right to submit a victim impact statement to the judge.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168299
House Bill 4166: Repeal county promotions tax, except for Washtenaw
Introduced by Rep. Rick Outman (R) on February 10, 2015, to repeal a law that allows counties to impose a 0.5 mill property tax for trade expositions, tourism promotion or to advertise the county’s “agricultural advantages,” except for Washtenaw County, which appears to be the only county that currently imposes this tax.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168300
House Bill 4167: Mandate private employers provide paid sick leave
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on February 10, 2015, to mandate that employers must grant employees one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours annually for small businesses, and 72 hours annually for larger employers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168301
House Bill 4168: Replace paper tax rolls with electronic
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on February 10, 2015, to eliminate a requirement that local governments keep a hard (paper) copy of tax rolls if the information is maintained on computerized database.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168302
House Bill 4169: Revise “boot camp” prison alternative detail
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on February 10, 2015, to eliminate the option of sending a youthful offender to prison for up to three years eligible instead of assigning him to a “special alternative incarceration” sentencing program, changing this instead to sending him to a county jail for up to one year.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168303
House Bill 4170: Exclude veterans disability payments from divorce settlement
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on February 10, 2015, to exclude a veteran’s service-related disability compensation from being included in a divorce-related property division or child support determination.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168304
House Bill 4171: Grant property tax breaks for small “wind energy conversion devices”
Introduced by Rep. Ben Glardon (R) on February 10, 2015, to exempt from property taxes small scale “wind energy conversion devices” as defined in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168305
House Bill 4172: Revise principle residence property tax exemption detail
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 10, 2015, to increase the threshold for assessing a penalty for claiming a principle residence property tax exemption when an interest in the property is transferred and the capped taxable value is less than the uncapped “state equalized value” (which is based on market value). The bill would apply the penalty if the property was transferred at a price later found to be more than twice the SEV.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168306
House Bill 4173: Revise principle residence property tax exemption claim process
Introduced by Rep. David Maturen (R) on February 10, 2015, to allow a property owner who was eligible for real estate transfer tax exemption at the time he or she acquired the property but did not get one to apply for a refund up to four years later. This would be retroactive if the bill becomes law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168307
House Bill 4174: Repeal ban on direct consumer sales by brewers and winemakers
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on February 10, 2015, to allow brewers and winemakers to sell their products directly to consumers without having to go through one the regional distributor monopolies protected by the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168308
House Bill 4175: Revise horseback riding liability waiver
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise a law limiting the liability of stables and equine event organizers for injury, death or property damage resulting from an inherent risk of an equine activity, by changing an exception allowing suits for “negligence” so that it instead only allows suits for “willful and wanton disregard” for participants’ safety.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168309
House Bill 4176: Require erasure of arrest records if accuser recants
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 10, 2015, to require that if an individual is arrested for any crime and the complaining witness recants before the trial, then the charge must be dismissed and the arrest record, all biometric data, fingerprints, DNA sample or profile and statements from the accused individual must be expunged or destroyed, and entries in the state criminal violation database deleted.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168310
House Bill 4177: Require erasure of arrest records if accuser recants
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise the rules for the state law enforcement information network criminal database to reflect the proposal in House Bill 4176 to clear the record of a falsely charged individual.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168311
House Bill 4178
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee on February 10, 2015, to revise the pretrial procedures prescribed in statute for criminal trials to reflect the proposal in House Bill 4176 to clear the record of a falsely charged individual.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168312
House Bill 4179: Revise voting registration detail
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 11, 2015, to revise the requirement that a person who registers by mail and has never voted in Michigan must provide identification when voting the first time. The bill would allow the person to show up at any municipal clerk’s office before an election and show his or her ID, and would then require that clerk to notify the clerk of the appropriate jurisdiction.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168371
House Bill 4180: Require advance filing of precinct delegate write-in candidates
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 11, 2015, to require precinct delegate candidates who plan to run as a write-in to file a declaration of intent no later than 4 p.m. on the second Friday immediately before the election.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168372
House Bill 4181: Revise precinct delegate absentee ballot counting detail
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 11, 2015, to establish that absentee ballot votes for precinct delegates may be tallied separately from regular votes, rather than requiring them to be tallied separately, which is the current law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168373
House Bill 4182: Ban local governmental body “phone-in” voting
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on February 11, 2015, to establish that if a member of a public body is allowed to cast a vote on a decision by the body without being physically present, it is a violation of the state Open Meetings Act.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168374
House Bill 4183: Revise, eliminate certain government notice publication in newspapers
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on February 11, 2015, to repeal the requirement that local governments publish certain legal notices in local newspapers, and instead allow them to post these on their own website. The change would be phased in over a 10 year period.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168375
House Bill 4184: Revise political speech regulation detail
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on February 11, 2015, to revise a law that requires a political communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate or ballot question and is targeted to the relevant electorate to disclose the identity of the person sponsoring or paying for it published within 60 days before a general election or 30 days before a primary election. Under the bill that period would run from 60 days before the primary right through the general election.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168376
House Bill 4185: Revise salvage vehicle inspection certification detail
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on February 11, 2015, to establish a process for appealing the suspension, revocation, or denial of a salvage vehicle inspection certification.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168377
House Bill 4186: Restrict privatization of state services
Introduced by Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) on February 11, 2015, to prohibit automatic renewals of state service contracts. Agencies would have to perform cost-benefit analyses of the contract before each renewal and not renew it if the expected savings or services were not realized. The work would then be returned to regular government employees.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168378
House Bill 4187: Authorize sanctions for vandalizing road signs, lights, etc.
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, III (D) on February 11, 2015, to authorize penalties of up one year in prison and a $500 fine for vandalizing or removing a traffic control device, light post, sign, etc. on a road or highway.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168379
House Bill 4188: Let adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate moral convictions
Introduced by Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R) on February 13, 2015, to specify in statute that a “child placing agency” (private adoption agency or foster care service) is not required to assist or participate in an adoption or placement that violates its written religious or moral convictions, including adoptions of a child by a homosexual. Also, to prohibit a state agency from discriminating or taking an “adverse action” against an adoption agency for this reason.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168430
House Bill 4189: Let adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate moral convictions
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on February 13, 2015, to specify in statute that a “child placing agency” (private adoption agency or foster care service) is not required to assist or participate in an adoption or placement that violates its written religious or moral convictions, including adoptions of a child by a homosexual. Also, to prohibit a state agency from discriminating or taking an “adverse action” against an adoption agency for this reason.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168431
House Bill 4190: Let adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate moral convictions
Introduced by Rep. Eric Leutheuser (R) on February 13, 2015, to prohibit a state agency from discriminating or taking an “adverse action” against an adoption agency that refuses to assist or participate in an adoption or placement that violates its written religious or moral convictions. Specifically, to establish that an adoption agency that adopts this written policy is still eligible for required state licenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168432
House Bill 4191: Extend authority of public schools establishing public libraries
Introduced by Rep. Adam Zemke (D) on February 13, 2015, to repeal a 2015 sunset on a law that allows a public school district to establish a public library.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168433
House Bill 4192: Place precise definition of individual’s age in statute
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 13, 2015, to establish that for purposes of interpreting various statutes that specify a person’s age, “the applicable period is computed from the first minute of the day on which the individual is born.” Therefore, an “individual becomes one year older on the first minute of the anniversary date of the individual’s birth”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168434
House Bill 4193: Allow electronic “proof of insurance”
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on February 13, 2015, to revise the state’s no-fault insurance law to allow “proof of insurance” documents motorists are required to have when driving to be an electronic communication from the insurance company.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168435
House Bill 4194: Repeal state “corporate welfare” programs
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on February 13, 2015, to terminate the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and prohibit its “parent” agency, the Michigan Strategic fund, from financing or supporting any further “corporate welfare” activity, including giving subsidies in the form of tax breaks, grants or loans to companies or developers selected by the political appointees on the agency’s board.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168436
House Bill 4195: Repeal government “venture capital investment” program
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on February 13, 2015, to repeal a 2003 law authorizing a state “early stage venture capital investment corporation” to solicit money from investors for investment in selected companies chosen by the corporation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168437
House Bill 4196: Repeal government “venture capital investment” program
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCready (R) on February 13, 2015, to close down a state fund associated with a state “early stage venture capital investment corporation,” which House Bill 4195 proposes to terminate.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168438
House Bill 4197: Repeal government “venture capital investment” program
Introduced by Rep. Jeremy Moss (D) on February 13, 2015, to repeal a Dec. 31, 2015 sunset on a “commercial rehabilitation act” that authorizes property tax breaks for redevelopment projects involving commercial property selected by local governments.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168439
House Bill 4198: Revise “covenant not to compete” provision in anti-trust law
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 13, 2015, to revise a “covenant not to compete clause” provision in a state antitrust law. Currently, this permits an employer to obtain an agreement from an employee not to go into competition with the company. The bill would convert this into a provision allowing the buyer of a business to obtain a non-compete agreement from the seller.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168440
Senate Bill 85: Extend preemption of local gun control to air guns
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise the state law preempting restrictive local gun control ordinances so it applies to “pneumatic” guns, defined as ones that shoot “a BB or pellet by spring, gas, or air.” Locals could adopt restrictions on possession of these by minors, prohibit “brandishing” them to induce fear, or shooting in a heavily populated area.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168255
Senate Bill 86: Authorize more local “pension obligation bonds”
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 10, 2015, to extend for one year the Dec. 31, 2015 sunset on a law passed in 2012 to allow local governments to borrow money to cover unfunded employee pension liabilities, which is allowed if the local has closed its traditional “defined benefit” pension system to new employees. This would be the second extension of this deadline.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168256
Senate Bill 87: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 10, 2015, to repeal the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s tax reform and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income, and capped the value of income tax credits granted for payment of “homestead” property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168257
Senate Bill 88: Elect U.S. presidents by a national popular vote
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on February 10, 2015, to enter into an interstate compact to elect U.S. presidents by a national popular vote.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168258
Senate Bill 89: Allow registered-by-mail voter to vote absentee in first election
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on February 10, 2015, to allow a person to vote by absentee ballot in the first election after registering by mail to vote in a jurisdiction. Current law requires that such voters show up in person the first time that they vote in the new jurisdiction, but may vote by absentee ballot for all subsequent elections.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168259
Senate Bill 90: Create African-American Affairs Commission
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on February 10, 2015, to create a government African-American Affairs Commission, with the mission of developing “a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of African-Americans in this state”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168260
Senate Bill 91: Authorize Sleeping Bear Dunes license plate
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on February 10, 2015, to authorize a new license plate recognizing the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and use the revenue to “preserve historic Sleeping Bear”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168261
Senate Bill 92: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise and update many details of the law governing the qualifications of law enforcement officers, which includes a very broad range of government officials empowered to enforce many different state statutes and regulatory regimes. 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168262
Senate Bill 93: Revise law enforcement accreditation
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 10, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168263
Senate Bill 94: Authorize “non-public” criminal record checks for prospective police
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 10, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168264
Senate Bill 95: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on February 10, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168265
Senate Bill 96: Revise law enforcement accreditation procedures
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on February 10, 2015, to revise references in the state criminal code to reflect changes proposed by Senate Bill 92.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168266
Senate Bill 97: Require agencies disclose federal aid requests to legislature
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on February 10, 2015, to require state agencies that apply for any form of federal or other financial assistance to notify legislative leaders, relevant committees and the legislature’s fiscal agencies within 10 days, with the notice including any conditions or stipulations associated with receiving the assistance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168267
Senate Bill 98: Authorize certain community college bachelors degrees
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on February 11, 2015, to allow community colleges to grant bachelor degrees in nursing, “ski area management,” wastewater treatment technology, “allied health,” information technology, and manufacturing technology. This would be in addition to community college bachelor degrees authorized by a 2012 law, which included cement technology, maritime technology, energy production technology and culinary arts.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168332
Senate Bill 99: Rename a road
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on February 11, 2015, to designate the I-94 business loop in Battle Creek as the “ Detective LaVern S. Brann Memorial Highway”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168333
Senate Bill 100: Revise property tax appeal details
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 11, 2015, to repeal a law making prepayment of a disputed property tax levy, plus penalties and interest, a prerequisite for filing an appeal to the state court of claims of a state “tax tribunal” judgment on the validity of the levy.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168334
Senate Bill 101: Mandate employers provide paid sick leave
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on February 11, 2015, to mandate that employers must grant employees one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours annually for small businesses, and 72 hours annually for larger employers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168335
Senate Bill 102: Give new school employees 401(k), not pensions
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on February 11, 2015, to revise details of the school employee pension law to accommodate the proposal in Senate Bill 727 to close the current “defined benefit” pension system to new school employees hired starting July 1, 2015, and instead provide 401(k) contributions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168336
Senate Bill 103: Reduce “student growth” portion of teacher rating criteria
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on February 12, 2015, to move back until the 2018-19 school year the deadlines imposed by a 2011 law establishing a process for determining whether teachers are “effective” in which 22.5 percent of the assessment is based on the progress of students in their classroom on statewide tests. A school would be prohibited from assigning students to a class in the same subject for two years in a row taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” in that subject two years in a row. Nothing would prohibit continuing to assign new students to an ineffective teacher, however.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168382
Senate Bill 104: Authorize local aquatic invasive species regulations and fees
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on February 12, 2015, to allow local governments to impose regulations that exceed state requirements for the prevention, control, or eradication of aquatic invasive species in an inland lake. Local governments could also impose boat launch and parking fees of up to $10 per boat per day or $45 per boat per year to pay for this.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168383
Senate Bill 105: Establish state drawbridge operations fund
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 12, 2015, to create a state fund to subsidize the operational expenses of movable bridges (drawbridges, etc.), earmark some road tax revenue to the fund, and give the Department of Transportation regulatory authority over local moveable bridges.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168384
Senate Bill 106: Extend charity sales tax exemption
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 12, 2015, to veterans groups to greatly expand for nonprofit veterans organizations a sales tax exemption allowing charitable entities to sell up to $5,000 in merchandise annually for fundraising purposes. Under the bill, veterans organizations could sell up to $25,000 in goods at each individual fund-raising event they hold before incurring sales tax liability, if the sales benefit an active duty service member or a veteran.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168385
Senate Bill 107: Restrict marketing of mattresses as “new”
Introduced by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on February 12, 2015, to prohibit selling mattresses as “new” or custom-made if they are manufactured with any material from used mattresses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168386
Senate Bill 108: Extend authority of public schools establishing public libraries
Introduced by Sen. Dale W. Zorn (R) on February 12, 2015, to repeal a 2015 sunset on a law that allows a public school district to establish a public library.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168387
Senate Bill 42: Revise commercial drivers license detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 17, 2015, to revise a variety of details in the state law prescribing commercial drivers license standards, procedures and penalties. Among the provisions are prohibitions against fraudulent license and permit testing and fraudulently obtaining a commercial driver license. The bill also modifies details of the graduated drivers license system for new non-commercial drivers, which would apply to traffic violations before a person gets a regular license. Finally, it reduces the Secretary of State’s discretion to not issue an offensive “vanity” license plate, which comes in response to a recent free speech lawsuit.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705440
Senate Bill 54: Ban using a drone to interfere with hunters
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 17, 2015, to prohibit using an aerial drone to interfere with or harass a person who is hunting. This would expand an existing law that bans interfering with or harassing hunters.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705438
Senate Bill 55: Ban hunting with a drone
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 17, 2015, to prohibit using an aerial drone to take game.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705439
House Bill 4068: Revise consolidated precincts voting detail
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on February 17, 2015, to slightly expand a law that allows precincts to be consolidated at the polling place where a jurisdiction is divided into two or more election precincts. The bill would allow this (with certain exceptions) for statewide elections except November general elections and the August primaries that precede them. In particular, this would apply to the May 5, 2015 ballot measure to increase the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705611
Senate Bill 44: Revise GOP presidential primary date
Passed 72 to 38 in the House on February 18, 2015, to require the Republican presidential primary election to be conducted on the third Tuesday in March, rather than on the fourth Tuesday in February as currently required. In 2016 this would be March 8.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705778
Senate Bill 45: Revise GOP presidential primary date
Passed 74 to 36 in the House on February 18, 2015, to allow the Republican presidential primary election to be conducted on the second Tuesday in March, even though under the state’s post-election consolidation rules, one of the four regular election dates is the fourth Tuesday in February.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705780
House Bill 4110: Revise school aid budget
Passed 62 to 48 in the House on February 18, 2015, to shift the sources of funding for the current fiscal year school aid budget to compensate for lower than expected balances in the state “general fund.” This is due to higher than expected payouts to corporations and developers who were granted selective “tax credit” deals by the previous administration. (The draw-down of this fund is happening despite state revenue collections actually rising faster than spending in the current year.) The bill also reduces school aid appropriations to reflect lower than expected public school enrollment figures in the current school year, and reduces some payments intended to reduce the amount of unfunded liabilities in the school employee defined benefit pension system.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705775
House Bill 4112: Revise current year state budget
The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on February 17, 2015, to strip out a provision cutting $12 million out of the $50 million previously appropriated for subsidies to film producers this year.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167595
House Bill 4112: Revise current year state budget
Passed 66 to 44 in the House on February 18, 2015, to revise the current year state budget to reflect lower than expected welfare and Medicaid caseloads, and add additional spending in a number of areas due to increased federal and other revenues. Also, to reduce some state “general fund” spending to reflect lower than expected balances in this fund brought about by higher than expected payouts to corporations and developers who were granted selective “tax credit” deals by the previous administration. Among the cuts are $12 million out of the $50 million previously appropriated for subsidies to film producers this year. Finally, the bill adds $11.2 million to cover costs incurred by a statewide ballot initiative on May 5 that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and trigger additional tax increases that all told come to a $2 billion.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705776
Senate Bill 18: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 19, 2015, to require the state to take actions that remove questions about the title to land held “under color of title” by a number of citizens of Clarence Township in Calhoun County, and convey clean titles to these owners.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705809
Senate Bill 19: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 19, 2015, to establish that the property conveyances that would result from the proposal in Senate Bill 18 would not be subject to the Proposal A taxable value “bump up,” wherein the new basis for property tax assessments becomes the property’s state equalized value (market value) rather than its capped “taxable value”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=705810
Senate Bill 109: Let 278 cities impose additional public safety property tax
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on February 17, 2015, to allow cities with more than 70,000 residents impose “special assessment” property taxes to pay for police and fire services. These taxes would be imposed over and above regular property taxes, and would require a vote of the community. According to a Senate Fiscal Agency of a similar bill in the previous legislature, this could allow 278 cities to impose these additional taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168509
Senate Bill 110: Revise county executive election detail
Introduced by Sen. David Robertson (R) on February 17, 2015, to shift the quadrennial election of the Oakland and Bay County executives to gubernatorial election years rather than presidential election years.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168510
Senate Bill 111: Require MDOT post online road repair project details
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 17, 2015, to require the Department of Transportation to maintain an online database that contains detailed information on every road repair project underway in the state, including local projects.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168511
Senate Bill 112: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D) on February 17, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168512
Senate Bill 113: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Sen. Jim Marleau (R) on February 17, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168513
Senate Bill 137: Authorize appropriation for university autism programs
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on February 17, 2015, to authorize the transfer to university autism programs of $3.0 million from a state fund created by a 2012 law intended cover subsidies to health insurance companies to compensate for the cost of a new autism treatment coverage mandate imposed by another law passed that year.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168537
Senate Bill 138: Revise crime victim’s rights fund distribution
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on February 17, 2015, to allocate up to $4.8 million in the current fiscal year to maintain a statewide trauma system statewide trauma system and related emergency medical services program activities. Money in this fund comes from assessments on criminal defendants. Current statute requires it be used for crime victim services and compensation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168538
Senate Bill 139: Limit fundraising “junk food” sales in schools
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 18, 2015, to limit to three per week the number of public school fundraising activities during school hours that allow the sale of food or beverages that do not meet mandated school lunch nutritional standards.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168571
Senate Bill 140: Authorize medical “marijuana infused products”
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on February 18, 2015, to authorize the use of “marijuana infused products” under the state’s medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, and establish regulations for these substances.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168572
Senate Bill 141: Authorize medical “marijuana infused products”
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 18, 2015, to provide sentencing guidelines for the penalties contained in Senate Bill 140’s proposal to authorize medical marijuana infused products.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168573
Senate Bill 142: Allow, regulate medical marijuana dispensaries
Introduced by Sen. David Knezek (D) on February 18, 2015, to authorize and establish a comprehensive regulatory regime for medical marijuana dispensaries, including municipal licensure or prohibition, with civil and criminal penalties for violations. The provisions of the state’s voter-authorized medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, were ambiguous on dispensaries, and the state Supreme Court banned them early in 2013.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168574
Senate Bill 143: Impose regulations and mandates on for-profit mothers milk banks
Introduced by Sen. David Knezek (D) on February 18, 2015, to impose a range of regulations, restrictions and mandates on “for-profit human breast milk banks, companies, and cooperatives,” but not on non-profit entities that provide a similar service. Among other things the bill would mandate that for-profit service give half the milk they collect to hospitals and non-profit providers of this service.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168575
Senate Bill 144: Exempt “low risk foods” from some food service safety mandates
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on February 18, 2015, to exempt a “food service establishment” that serves only “low risk foods” from certain inspection and manager food safety certification requirements. The bill defines “low risk foods” as coffee; cotton candy; commercially precooked hot dogs, bratwurst, and hamburgers; doughnuts; hand-dipped ice cream; nachos with cheese; popcorn; roasted nuts; snow cones and others as determined by a local health department.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168576
Senate Bill 145: Authorize aquatic vegetation harvest tool tax break
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on February 18, 2015, to exempt from the state use tax the purchase of tools and equipment used to harvest, handle, process or package aquatic vegetation from the waters of this state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168577
Senate Bill 146: Exempt certified zoos from large carnivore possession law
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on February 18, 2015, to revise a reference in a law that exempt zoos from the restrictions, fees and permit requirements of the state’s large carnivore act, which severely restricts private ownership.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168578
Senate Bill 147: Require hospitals to post their “prices”
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on February 18, 2015, to require hospitals to place on their website or make available in other ways a copy of their “charge description master,” defined as “a uniform schedule of charges represented by the hospital as its gross billed charge for a given service or item, regardless of payer type”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168579
Senate Bill 148: Cut cigarette tax
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on February 18, 2015, to cut the state cigarette tax in half, from $2 per pack to $1.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168580
Senate Bill 149: Require affidavit of merit for architect and engineer lawsuits
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 19, 2015, to extend to lawsuits against architects and engineers provisions similar to the state’s medical malpractice lawsuit practices, which require a suit to be accompanied by a detailed “affidavit of merit” by a licensed professional in the same field, stating the opinion that the defendant breached the applicable standard of reasonable care or practice required in the case.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168616
Senate Bill 150: Clarify health insurance drug benefit detail
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on February 19, 2015, to clarify requirements in health plans that provide prescription drug coverage for synchronizing multiple prescriptions and dispensing fees.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168617
Senate Bill 151: Repeal deadline on prisoner DNA evidence appeals
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on February 19, 2015, to repeal a Jan. 1, 2016 deadline for a prisoner to appeal his or her conviction on the basis evidence generated by new DNA testing technology.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168618
Senate Bill 152: Revise boxing and “mixed martial arts” regulation
Introduced by Sen. David Robertson (R) on February 19, 2015, to revise details of a comprehensive regulatory regime imposed by a 2004 law on professional boxing and “mixed martial arts” competitions. Among other things the bill would index to inflation the license fees imposed on contestants, referees, judges, physicians, matchmakers, timekeepers, contestants, and promoters, without further authorization from the legislature for any increases.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168619
House Bill 4200: Ban most government employees “severance pay” deals
Introduced by Rep. Patrick Somerville (R) on February 17, 2015, to prohibit the state, schools or local governments from providing severance pay for government employees and contractors, with some exceptions. The same bill was introduced in the previous legislature after news broke of a questionable “severance pay” check delivered to a political appointee hired by Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168561
House Bill 4201: Revise county property tax detail
Introduced by Rep. Patrick Somerville (R) on February 17, 2015, to require that if a county levies a property tax millage, it must spend at least 75 percent of the proceeds in the city, village, or township from which the proceeds were collected.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168562
House Bill 4202: Limit fundraising “junk food” sales in schools
Introduced by Rep. Patrick Somerville (R) on February 17, 2015, to limit to three per week the number of public school fundraising activities during school hours that allow the sale of food or beverages that do not meet mandated nutritional standards.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168563
House Bill 4203: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on February 17, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168564
House Bill 4204: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Graves (R) on February 17, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168565
House Bill 4205: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on February 17, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168566
House Bill 4206: Impose regulations and mandates on for-profit mothers milk banks
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 17, 2015, to impose a range of regulations, restrictions and mandates on “for-profit human breast milk banks,” companies, and cooperatives, but not on non-profit entities that provide a similar service. Among other things the bill would mandate that for-profit service give half the milk they collect to hospitals and non-profit providers of this service.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168567
House Bill 4207: Expand scope of practice for nurses
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on February 17, 2015, to revise the “scope of practice” allowed for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, making it possible for them to provide more medical services without being under the direct supervision of a physician. Similar bills in the past have struggled due to opposition from the physician’s lobby. The bill would also authorize subsidies to APRNs who practice in “underserved” areas.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168568
House Bill 4208: Ban felony record questions on initial job application
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, III (D) on February 17, 2015, to prohibit an employer from including questions about an applicant’s felony record on an initial job application. The prohibition would not apply to a background check or inquiry that takes place after the initial application, or which is necessary to comply state or federal law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168569
House Bill 4209: Allow, regulate medical marijuana dispensaries
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on February 17, 2015, to authorize and establish a comprehensive regulatory regime for medical marijuana dispensaries, including municipal licensure or prohibition, with civil and criminal penalties for violations. The provisions of the state’s voter-authorized medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, were ambiguous on dispensaries, and the state Supreme Court banned them early in 2013.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168570
House Bill 4210: Authorize medical “marijuana infused products”
Introduced by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) on February 17, 2015, to authorize the use of “marijuana infused products” under the state’s medical marijuana law, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, and establish regulations for these substances.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168600
House Bill 4211: Exempt real property from state school tax
Introduced by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) on February 17, 2015, to exempt “real property” (land and buildings) from the 6 mill state education property tax. This would essentially “blow up” the current public school finance system and presumably force the legislature to devise a new one.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168601
House Bill 4212: Eliminate sunset on road commission eliminations
Introduced by Rep. Roger Victory (R) on February 17, 2015, to eliminate a Jan. 1, 2015 sunset on a 2011 law that provides procedures for eliminating a county road commission and transferring its duties to the county board.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168602
House Bill 4213: Require property assessments more quickly reflect market declines
Introduced by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) on February 17, 2015, to place in statute the provisions of the constitutional amendment proposed by House Joint Resolution I, which would revise details of the Proposal A property tax assessment cap. Specifically, if a property’s assessed value has decreased, or has increased by less than both the rate of inflation level and 5 percent, then the owner’s “taxable value” in the immediately succeeding must be the same as the previous year. Currently, assessors use a “moving average” of a property’s value over several years, so if values go down an owner could still be assessed more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168603
House Bill 4214: Revise absentee ballot dates
Introduced by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) on February 17, 2015, to prohibit election clerks from sending out absentee ballots to voters earlier than 30 days before an election, except for active duty military personnel and voters who are overseas, to whom ballots can be sent 45 days before an election.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168604
House Bill 4215: Eliminate sunset on road commission eliminations
Introduced by Rep. Roger Victory (R) on February 17, 2015, to eliminate a Jan. 1, 2015 sunset on a 2011 law that provides procedures for eliminating a county road commission and transferring its duties to the county board.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168605
House Bill 4216: Earmark some income tax to roads
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 17, 2015, to earmark a portion of income tax revenue to road construction and repair, with the amount based on the state “labor force rate” in the past year (presumably this means the “labor force participation rate”).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168606
House Bill 4217: “Grandfather” certain billboard permits
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on February 18, 2015, to “grandfather” existing or already approved regular or electronic billboard permits from new regulations imposed by a 2014 law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168607
House Bill 4218: Require offering emergency contraception to sexual assault victims
Introduced by Rep. Charles Smiley (D) on February 18, 2015, to require emergency room or urgent care clinics to offer emergency contraception (a “morning after pill”) to a victim of sexual assault who is a woman of childbearing. Also, to require the state to produce “medically accurate information about this drug and distribute it to health facilities, and mandate the facilities give the pamphlets to these victims.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168610
House Bill 4219: Give some Detroit drug crime seizure proceeds to “community organizations”
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on February 18, 2015, to mandate that 5 percent of the proceeds from the sale of property seized in Detroit drug raids and arrests be given to “community organizations” in the city.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168611
House Bill 4220: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on February 18, 2015, to revise a comprehensive regulatory regime imposed by a 2004 law on professional boxing and “mixed martial arts” competitions, by consolidating the latter into a separate section, and also change other details of these regulations. Among other things the bill would index to inflation the license fees imposed on contestants, referees, judges, physicians, matchmakers, timekeepers, contestants, and promoters, without further authorization from the legislature for any increases.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168612
House Bill 4221: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on February 18, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the prohibited conduct in “mixed martial arts” competitions proposed by (or amended by) House Bill 4220.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168613
House Bill 4222: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on February 18, 2015, to move into a separate statute the comprehensive regulatory regime imposed on “mixed martial arts” by a 2004 law that codified regulations on these competitions, boxing matches and other “unarmed combat” competitions. House Bill 4220 would consolidate these “mixed martial arts” regulations into a separate section of the current law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168614
House Bill 4223: Mandate employers give paid adoption leave with benefits
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on February 19, 2015, to mandate that an employer with at least 50 employees must grant two weeks of paid leave with full fringe benefits to an employee who adopts a child.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168631
House Bill 4224: Repeal an out of state insurance company fee
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on January 19, 2015, to repeal a $25 fee that out of state insurance companies doing business in Michigan must submit with an annual report they are required to file with the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168632
Senate Bill 34: Revise concealed pistol license procedures
Passed 76 to 34 in the House on February 25, 2015, to eliminate county concealed pistol licensing boards, and transfer their duties to the State Police and county clerks. A similar bill passed by the previous legislature was vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder due to some specific provisions which have been removed from this version, including one requiring a concealed pistol license be issued to the target of a personal protection order who is otherwise eligible for the permit.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706592
Senate Bill 35: Revise concealed pistol license procedures
Passed 81 to 29 in the House on February 25, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the concealed pistol permit law violations contained in Senate Bill 34.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706593
Senate Bill 69: Eliminate debt cap on business job training subsidy program
Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate on February 25, 2015, to eliminate the Dec. 31, 2018 sunset and a $50 million debt cap in a 2008 law that authorized state job training subsidies for particular employers, provided through community colleges. Also, to revise a requirement that the pay of employees who get the subsidized training must be 175 percent of the mandated state minimum wage, and instead make this 175 percent of the mandated minimum amount at the time the subsidy deal was entered. The bill was amended to also prohibit a corporation from taking both these subsidies and “refundable tax credit” subsidies (often cash payments) granted particular firms by the previous administration.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706490
Senate Bill 71: Extend, expand college job training subsidies to some employers
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on February 25, 2015, to eliminate the $50 million debt cap in a 2008 law that authorized state job training subsidies for particular employers, provided through community colleges. The bill would also eliminate a 2018 sunset on these subsidies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706487
House Bill 4076: Revise firearms transport law detail
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on February 25, 2015, to revise a reference in the state penal code to reflect recent changes in the law governing transportation of firearms in a vehicle.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706588
House Bill 4159: Revise “gun free zone” CPL exception
Passed 89 to 21 in the House on February 25, 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.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706589
House Bill 4160: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Passed 95 to 15 in the House on February 25, 2015, to establish that using a firearm in self defense or to defend one’s home or property under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in such situations is not considered illegal “brandishing,” which means to display or wave a firearm in a menacing or threatening manner. Also, to revise the brandishing law to require the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution. House Bill 4161 clarifies the definition of brandishing.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706590
House Bill 4161: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Passed 108 to 2 in the House on February 25, 2015, to define “brandishing” a firearm as “to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in a reasonable person.” Under current law “brandishing” is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. See also House Bill 4160, which requires the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution, and exempts behavior permitted under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in a self defense situation or in defense of one’s home or property.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706591
House Bill 4225: Require MDOT post online road repair project details
Introduced by Rep. Patrick Somerville (R) on February 24, 2015, to require the Department of Transportation to maintain an online database that contains detailed information on every road repair project underway in the state, including local projects.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168691
House Bill 4226: Expand technology business subsidies
Introduced by Rep. Daniela Garcia (R) on February 24, 2015, to increase from three to nine the number of areas in which “certified technology parks” (previously dubbed “smart zones”) are permitted to “capture” school taxes, in addition to capturing other property millages collected by local governments. These entities use “tax increment financing” to provide infrastructure or other subsidies to technology-based businesses. Like the better-known Downtown Development Authorities, they collect the extra local property tax revenue that (hopefully) results from property value increases generated by their selective subsidies and projects.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168692
House Bill 4227
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on February 24, 2015, Authorize pedal-powered beer bars to establish in statute that a “commercial quadricycle,” which is a pedal-powered mobile beer bar, is not considered a “motor vehicle” even if it has auxiliary power, and instead would be subject to the less onerous regulations imposed on “low-speed vehicles,” or if operated on a sidewalk, the regulations imposed on “Segways.” Under this and House Bill 4228 passengers would be allowed to have open beer or wine containers, but the driver would be required to have a blood alcohol level of zero.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168693
House Bill 4228
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 24, 2015, Authorize pedal-powered beer bars to establish in statute that a “commercial quadricycle,” which is a pedal-powered mobile beer bar, is not considered a “motor vehicle” even if it has auxiliary power, and instead would be subject to the less onerous regulations imposed on “low-speed vehicles,” or if operated on a sidewalk, the regulations imposed on “Segways.” Under this and House Bill 4227 passengers would be allowed to have open beer or wine containers, but the driver would be required to have a blood alcohol level of zero.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168694
House Bill 4229: Mandate police body cameras
Introduced by Rep. Rose Mary Robinson (D) on February 24, 2015, to require uniformed law enforcement officers to wear a continuously-activated body camera while on duty, with various exceptions specified in the bill. The bill also prescribes rules for how long recordings must be kept and for erasing them, prohibits agencies from using facial recognition programs with the captured images, and more. Individuals whose image is captured, owners of property seized or damaged in a crime and some others specified in the bill would be entitled to a copy of the recording. It also specifies legal presumptions that would apply when images from a camera are not available. The state would be required to pay for the cameras and associated costs if a local police agency requests it.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168695
House Bill 4230: Help schools dodge federal restrictions on fundraising “bake sales”
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R) on February 24, 2015, to require the Department of Education to identify school fund-raising sales that are exempt from federal nutrition standards, and take other steps to helps schools hold sales of non-exempt foods and beverages on school premises during school hours. See also House Bill 4202 and Senate Bill 139.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168696
House Bill 4231: Revise statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on February 24, 2015, to eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal sexual conduct offenses committed against minors.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168697
House Bill 4232: Require police shooting reports
Introduced by Rep. Alberta Tinsley Talabi (D) on February 24, 2015, to require the state Department of Civil Rights to investigate and give a report to the legislature and the employing agency whenever a law enforcement officer is responsible for the death of an individual belonged to “a group or had a characteristic that has been the subject of past discriminatory practices”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168698
House Bill 4233: Mandate local police have car chase policy
Introduced by Rep. Sheldon Neeley (D) on February 24, 2015, to prohibit local police car chases unless the agency has adopted a car chase policy, and require the officer initiating the chase to immediate report specified information to the dispatcher.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168699
House Bill 4234: Regulate access to police body camera images
Introduced by Rep. Jim Runestad (R) on February 24, 2015, to establish that police body camera recordings taken in a private place are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Also, that individuals whose image is captured, owners of property seized or damaged in a crime and some others specified in the bill may request a copy under the FOIA law, which requires government agencies to provide records that are not specifically exempted from disclosure. See also House Bill 4229, which mandates police body cameras.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168700
House Bill 4235: Mandate health care providers report death of pregnant woman
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 24, 2015, to require physicians and health care facility managers who are present at or aware of the death of a woman who was pregnant at the time of her death or within one year before her death to report this to the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168701
House Bill 4236: Mandate headlights on all the time in rain
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 24, 2015, to require the use of headlights while driving whenever it is raining or snowing enough to require the use of windshield wipers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168702
House Bill 4237: Authorize local oil and gas extraction restrictions
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 24, 2015, to give counties and townships the power to regulate and possibly ban hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas through their zoning ordinances.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168703
House Bill 4238: Exempt fallen soldier’s widow from home property taxes
Introduced by Rep. Lana Theis (R) on February 24, 2015, to exempt from property taxes a home owned by the “unremarried” spouse of a military service member who was killed or died from service-connected causes during a war.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168704
House Bill 4239: Allow disabled to hunt from “personal assistive mobility device”
Introduced by Rep. Charles Smiley (D) on February 25, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168720
House Bill 4240: Place 1st and 2nd Amendment plaques on Capitol grounds
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 25, 2015, to require plaques honoring the First and Second Amendments on the state Capitol grounds. Several bills in recent years would have required placement of a plaque created by the “Brass Roots” organization, reportedly made from melting down brass cartridge cases donated by attendees at a 1994 Capitol protest of infringements on the right recognized by the Second Amendment. This bill adds an invitation for “an organization with a history of advocating for First Amendment rights” to provide a First Amendment plaque, and names as potential candidates the American Civil Liberties Union, the Michigan Press Association, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the League of Women Voters, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, the American Libraries Association, The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168721
House Bill 4241: Mandate informing woman of detectable fetal heartbeat before abortion
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 25, 2015, to prohibit physician from performing an abortion without first determining whether there is a detectable fetal heartbeat, and if there is, to require that the woman be informed, except in medical emergencies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168722
House Bill 4242: Require currency exchange price posting
Introduced by Rep. Leslie Love (D) on February 25, 2015, to mandate that retail money transmission service businesses, which are generally storefront shops where a person can wire money, must post their rates in a place visible to customers, in 36 point font or larger.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168723
House Bill 4243: Establish English as official state language
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on February 25, 2015, to establish English as the official state language. This would apply to government activities, but not to private sector activity. It would require governmental documents, records, meetings, actions, or policies to be in English, but would not prohibit them from also being in another language.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168724
House Bill 4244: Expand property owner recreation liability waiver
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on February 25, 2015, to expand to “aviation activities” a liability exemption that currently applies to someone fishing, hunting, trapping, camping, hiking, sightseeing, motorcycling, or snowmobiling on a person’s land. Specifically, this would apply to non-commercial aircraft operations. In other words, someone can’t sue a landowner for injuries sustained doing any of these things, as long as the individual hasn’t paid for the privilege.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168725
House Bill 4245: Revise building code officials registration detail
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on February 25, 2015, to establish that employment by a government building code enforcing agency is not required for “registration” as a building official, plan reviewer, or inspector.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168726
House Bill 4246: Limit state department rulemaking authority
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on February 25, 2015, to prohibit a state department from promulgating rules more stringent than required by federal standards, unless specifically required to by state statute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168727
House Bill 4247: Repeal archaic laws
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 26, 2015, to repeal a law that prohibits a person who is not “deaf, audibly impaired, or otherwise physically limited” from having a dog in public that is wearing a blaze orange leash and collar or harness. This is part of an archaic laws package comprised of House Bills 4247 to 4252.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168739
House Bill 4248: Repeal archaic laws
Introduced by Rep. Chris Afendoulis (R) on February 26, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168740
House Bill 4249: Repeal archaic laws
Introduced by Rep. Michael Webber (R) on February 26, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168741
House Bill 4250: Repeal ban on “walkathons” and similar endurance events
Introduced by Rep. Rob VerHeulen (R) on February 26, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168742
House Bill 4251: Repeal archaic laws
Introduced by Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R) on February 26, 2015, to repeal a law that bans the sale of artificially colored baby chicks, rabbits, or ducklings. This is part of an archaic laws package comprised of House Bills 4247 to 4252.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168743
House Bill 4252: Repeal archaic laws
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on February 26, 2015, to repeal a 1931 law that makes it a misdemeanor to place a gas station in a built-up urban area without getting permission from most of the nearby property owners. This is part of an archaic laws package comprised of House Bills 4247 to 4252.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168744
House Bill 4253: Mandate specified security guard training
Introduced by Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D) on February 26, 2015, to mandate security guards receive 16 hours of classroom instruction in subjects specified in the bill that are relevant to this occupation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168745
House Bill 4254: Revise regulation of security guard businesses
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 26, 2015, to revise a law imposing registration requirements on security alarm providers so it conforms with proposals to revise the statutory authority for licensure and regulation of private security guard and security alarm businesses. See also Senate Bill 162.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168746
House Bill 4255: Revise security guard company licensure fees
Introduced by Rep. Brett Roberts (R) on February 26, 2015, to establish license fees for security guard agencies or branch offices. See also Senate Bill 162.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168747
House Bill 4256: Impose licensure on home inspectors
Introduced by Rep. Jim Tedder (R) on February 26, 2015, to impose licensure, fees, “apprentice” requirements, government regulation, entrance exams to enter the occupation, and more on home inspection services. The bill would create a Michigan Home Inspectors Board comprised of incumbent providers to establish requirements on new entrants, and would establish regulations on home inspector training, contracts, operations, disclosures, and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168748
House Bill 4257: Reduce maximum truck weights
Introduced by Rep. Marilyn Lane (D) on February 26, 2015, to reduce the maximum weight of trucks allowed on Michigan roads from 164,000 to 80,000 pounds.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168749
House Bill 4258: Ban insurance rate hike for pothole damage
Introduced by Rep. Marilyn Lane (D) on February 26, 2015, to prohibit auto insurers from increasing a person’s rates due to damage caused by hitting a pothole.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168750
House Bill 4259: Let 278 cities impose additional public safety property tax
Introduced by Rep. Marilyn Lane (D) on February 26, 2015, to allow cities with more than 70,000 residents impose “special assessment” property taxes to pay for police and fire services. These taxes would be imposed over and above regular property taxes, and would require a vote of the community. According to a Senate Fiscal Agency of a similar bill in the previous legislature, this could allow 278 cities to impose these additional taxes..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168751
House Bill 4260: Restrict oil and gas drilling in Wayne County
Introduced by Rep. Michael Webber (R) on February 26, 2015, to prohibit oil and gas wells within 1,000 feet of a residential building in Wayne County, unless all the property owners within that distance give their permission.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168752
House Bill 4261: Ban “open carry” in prohibited concealed pistol carry areas
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on February 26, 2015, to add public libraries to a provision that prohibits regular citizens who have met the qualification and received a concealed pistol permit from carrying a pistol in specified places. Also, to ban “open carry” (versus concealed carry) of firearms in those specified places.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168753
House Bill 4262: Ban “open carry” in prohibited concealed pistol carry areas
Introduced by Rep. Jon Hoadley (D) on February 26, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for violation of the firearms “open carry” ban prohibitions proposed by House Bill 4261.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168754
House Bill 4263: Revise training detail for licensed athletic trainers
Introduced by Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R) on February 26, 2015, to mandate that licensed athletic trainer must successfully complete training that includes lessons on automated external defibrillator use by medical professionals, in addition to the current requirements for first aid and CPR lessons. The bill would also cut the license fee for trainers, and revise other details of this regulatory regime.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168755
House Bill 4264: Codify “metes and bounds” description of state boundaries
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R) on February 26, 2015, to place in statute a precise “metes and bounds” type description of the boundaries of the State of Michigan, which also includes references to historical treaties.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168756
House Bill 4265: Revise community college tax zone annexation details
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on February 26, 2015, to revise details of the procedures for calling a special election to annex territory to a community college district (which subjects property owners in the affected area to the property taxes imposed by the college).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168757
House Bill 4266: Mandate precious metal and gem dealer transaction reports
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on February 26, 2015, to revise a law that mandates precious metal and gem dealers provide detailed transaction reports to local law enforcement agencies, instead requiring these be sent to the state and entered in a state database the bill would authorize. The bill would also impose an annual levy of up to $250 on each location maintained by a dealer.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168758
House Bill 4267: Create statewide junk and secondhand dealer transaction database
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on February 26, 2015, to create a statewide database of transactions by junk and secondhand dealers, and mandate that they participate.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168759
House Bill 4268: Create statewide pawnbroker transaction database
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on February 26, 2015, to create a statewide database of items purchased by or pawned at pawnbrokers, and mandate that they participate. The bill also revises many details of the licensure regime imposed on pawnbrokers, among other things capping local license fees at $500 annually.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168760
House Bill 4269: Sales tax exemption for car parts recycling deposit
Introduced by Rep. Rick Outman (R) on February 26, 2015, to not charge sales tax on a recycling fee, deposit, or disposal charge included in the purchase price of an automobile battery or other automobile part.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168761
Senate Bill 81: Revise bank foreclosed residence tax treatment
Passed 33 to 4 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to revise a provision that allows a bank or other lending institution that has foreclosed on a residence to retain the previous owner’s principal residence exemption on for up to three years. The bill would reduce that to two years, but eliminate a requirement that the lending institution must pay what it otherwise would have paid in school operating taxes without the exemption (the requirement means the lender doesn’t actually save any money, but keeping the “exemption” reportedly makes it easier to sell the property to a new homeowner).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706671
Senate Bill 137: Authorize appropriation for university autism programs
Passed 26 to 11 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to authorize the transfer to university autism programs of $3.0 million from a state fund created by a 2012 law intended cover subsidies to health insurance companies to compensate for the cost of a new autism treatment coverage mandate imposed by another law passed that year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706667
Senate Bill 138: Revise crime victim’s rights fund distribution
Passed 27 to 10 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to allocate up to $4.8 million in the current fiscal year to maintain a statewide trauma system statewide trauma system and related emergency medical services program activities. Money in this fund comes from assessments on criminal defendants. Current statute requires it be used for crime victim services and compensation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706668
Senate Bill 153
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 24, 2015, Expand vehicle accident chemical analysis testing to revise a law establishing that if the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident is taken to the hospital and a sample of the driver’s blood is withdrawn for medical treatment, the results of a chemical analysis are admissible in court to show the presence of alcohol or a controlled substance. The bill would expand this to include urine samples.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168683
Senate Bill 154: Revise boxing and “mixed martial arts” regulation
Introduced by Sen. David Robertson (R) on February 24, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the prohibited conduct in “mixed martial arts” competitions proposed or amended by Senate Bill 152, which revises boxing and “mixed martial arts” regulations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168684
Senate Bill 155: Give tax break for hiring unemployed veteran
Introduced by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D) on February 24, 2015, to authorize a small business tax break of up to $4,000 for hiring a military veteran who has been unemployed for at least 60 days or has a service-related disability, with various exceptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168685
Senate Bill 156: Repeal FDA approved drug lawsuit ban
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on February 24, 2015, to allow product liability lawsuits against drug companies for drugs that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill would repeal a tort reform law passed in 1995, under which such lawsuits are prohibited in Michigan courts unless the company intentionally withheld information or misled the FDA about the drug, or used bribery to gain approval.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168686
Senate Bill 157: Sales tax exemption for car parts recycling deposit
Introduced by Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D) on February 24, 2015, to not charge sales tax on a recycling fee, deposit, or disposal charge included in the purchase price of an automobile battery or other automobile part.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168687
Senate Bill 158: Ban personal care product “microbeads”
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on February 25, 2015, to prohibit the manufacture and sale in Michigan of personal care products containing plastic particles. This refers to “micro beads” in some brands of toothpaste and facial or body washes, which reportedly accumulate in the Great Lakes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168705
Senate Bill 159: Prohibit restricting certain communications
Introduced by Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D) on February 25, 2015, to patients to prohibit a government agency from requiring that a medical professional give a patient “information that is not medically accurate and appropriate,” or a medical service “in a manner that is not evidence-based.” Also, to prohibit agencies from prohibiting a medical professional from giving a patient “medically accurate information that is appropriate” or a “a medical service that is evidence-based and appropriate” for the patient.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168706
Senate Bill 160: Revise Detroit debt-financed spending detail
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on February 25, 2015, to revise details of a 2011 law that expanded allowable debt-financed deficit spending by Detroit, to clarify a provision allowing some city revenue to held in trust for certain creditors.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168707
Senate Bill 161: Impose licensure mandate on security guards and businesses
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on February 25, 2015, to impose a licensure mandate on security guards and security guard agencies, and revise many details of a comprehensive regulatory regime that already covers these individuals and companies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168708
Senate Bill 162: Revise regulation of security guard businesses
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on February 25, 2015, to revise many details of a comprehensive regulatory regime for security guards and agencies, and transfer the statutory authority for these regulations from a Private Security Business and Security Alarm Act to the state Occupational Code.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168709
Senate Bill 163: Revise regulation of security guard businesses
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on February 25, 2015, to revise a law imposing registration requirements on security alarm providers so it conforms with the proposal in Senate Bill 162 to revise the statutory authority for licensure and regulation of private security guard and security alarm businesses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168710
Senate Bill 164
Introduced by Sen. Bert Johnson (D) on February 25, 2015, Revise security guard company licensure fees to establish license fees for security guard agencies or branch offices. See also Senate Bill 162.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168711
Senate Bill 165: Authorize pedal-powered beer bars
Introduced in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to establish in statute that a “commercial quadricycle,” which is a pedal-powered mobile beer bar, is not considered a “motor vehicle” even if it has auxiliary power, and instead would be subject to the less onerous regulations imposed on “low-speed vehicles,” or if operated on a sidewalk, the regulations imposed on “Segways.” Under this and Senate Bill 166 passengers would be allowed to have open beer or wine containers, but the driver would be required to have a blood alcohol level of zero.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168730
Senate Bill 166: Authorize pedal-powered beer bars
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on February 26, 2015, to establish in statute that a “commercial quadricycle,” which is a pedal-powered mobile beer bar, is not considered a “motor vehicle” even if it has auxiliary power, and instead would be subject to the less onerous regulations imposed on “low-speed vehicles,” or if operated on a sidewalk, the regulations imposed on “Segways.” Under this and Senate Bill 165 passengers would be allowed to have open beer or wine containers, but the driver would be required to have a blood alcohol level of zero.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168731
Senate Bill 167: Revise MBT detail
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 26, 2015, to establish that “purchases from other firms,” which are excluded from the base used in calculating taxable gross receipts under the Michigan Business Tax, include certain costs “incurred to acquire inventory” regardless of whether it was in the original purchase agreement.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168732
Senate Bill 168: Reduce maximum truck weights
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on February 26, 2015, to reduce the maximum weight of trucks allowed on Michigan roads from 164,000 to 80,000 pounds. This would not necessarily reduce the maximum weight per axle, which would require more trucks trailers to carry the same amount as currently on Michigan highways.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168733
House Bill 4110: Revise school aid budget
The amendment failed 14 to 23 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to not fund community colleges from the school aid fund, but from other state accounts. Note: The school aid fund is established by the state constitution, which specifies that it may be used for may be used only “for aid to school districts, higher education, and school employees’ retirement systems.” According to some other language added by the 1994 Proposal A initiative suggests the fund may not be used for higher education.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706662
House Bill 4110: Revise school aid budget
Passed 23 to 14 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to shift the sources of funding for the current fiscal year school aid budget to compensate for lower than expected balances in the state “general fund.” This is due to higher than expected payouts to corporations and developers who were granted selective “tax credit” deals by the previous administration. (The draw-down of this fund is happening despite state revenue collections actually rising faster than spending in the current year.) The bill also reduces school aid appropriations to reflect lower than expected public school enrollment figures in the current school year, and reduces some payments intended to reduce the amount of unfunded liabilities in the school employee defined benefit pension system.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706663
House Bill 4112: Revise current year state budget
The amendment failed 12 to 25 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to appropiate $1 million in spending for a study to determine how much money per student is needed for a public school to educate students sufficiently well to meet state graduation requirements. The study itself was authorized in a 2014 lame duck legislative session, reportedly in return for Democratic votes on a sales tax increase that is part of a $2 billion tax hike for road repairs and other spending.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706665
House Bill 4112: Revise current year state budget
Passed 26 to 11 in the Senate on February 26, 2015, to revise the current year state budget to reflect lower than expected welfare and Medicaid caseloads, and add additional spending in a number of areas due to increased federal and other revenues. Also, to reduce some state “general fund” spending to reflect lower than expected balances in this fund brought about by higher than expected payouts to corporations and developers who were granted selective “tax credit” deals by the previous administration. Among the cuts are $12 million out of the $50 million previously appropriated for subsidies to film producers this year. Finally, the bill adds $11.2 million to cover costs incurred by a statewide ballot initiative on May 5 that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and trigger additional tax increases that all told come to a $2 billion.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706666
House Bill 4151: Repeal criminal sanctions for minor with BB gun
Passed 80 to 29 in the House on February 26, 2015, to repeal a law that makes it a misdemeanor for a minor unaccompanied by an adult to possess a BB gun except in his or her own home or yard.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706727
House Bill 4152: Revise firearms definition
Passed 87 to 22 in the House on February 26, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so it longer applies to BB, pellet or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706728
House Bill 4153: Revise firearms definition
Passed 85 to 24 in the House on February 26, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so it longer applies to BB, pellet or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706729
House Bill 4154: Revise firearms definition
Passed 87 to 22 in the House on February 26, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the law that authorizes hunting and fishing regulations, so that it no longer applies to “air soft” or paint ball guns. Restrictions would still apply to use in the field of BB or pellet guns (precision versions of the latter are often used for hunting). This is part of a package that revises the definition of “firearm” in other statutes so it longer applies to BB, pellet, paint ball or “air-soft” guns.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706730
House Bill 4155: Revise firearms definition
Passed 88 to 21 in the House on February 26, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state penal code so it longer applies to BB, pellet, paint ball or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive.” However, using one of those non-firearms to commit a crime would still be subject to serious criminal penalties (the bill authorizes up to five years for a first offense).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706731
Senate Bill 86: Authorize more local “pension obligation bonds”
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 4, 2015, to extend for one year the Dec. 31, 2015 sunset on a law passed in 2012 to allow local governments to borrow money to cover unfunded employee pension liabilities, which is allowed only if the local has closed its traditional “defined benefit” pension system to new employees. The law also allows locals to incur long term debt to pay for future retiree health insurance costs, which unlike pensions are not legally enforceable obligations. This would be the second extension of this deadline.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=707446
House Bill 4051: Require certain low income housing tax disclosures
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on March 3, 2015, to allow the Department of Treasury to disclose the address and millage rate of each housing unit that is part of part of a tax-exempt housing project, and whether the units are instead subject to a “service charge” in lieu of regular property taxes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=707250
House Bill 4059: Remove sunset on allowing school retiree “double dipping”
Passed 108 to 2 in the House on March 5, 2015, to repeal the sunset on a law that allows a “retired” teacher to work in schools with shortages in certain subjects and collect pension checks alongside his or her current pay.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=707656
House Bill 4078: Spend $24.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Passed 31 to 5 in the Senate on March 5, 2015, to appropriate $24.7 million from the state Natural Resources Trust Fund for various land acquisitions and recreation projects. State oil and gas well royalty money is earmarked for this fund. At least 25 percent of its spending must be for land acquisition, and not more than 25 percent for recreation projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=707657
Senate Bill 52: Revise veteran benefits notification references
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 11, 2015, to revise references to some state departments in a 2008 law that requires a letter be sent to returning veterans listing all the state-funded veterans service organizations, in order of the amount of state funding each receive.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=708827
Senate Bill 72: Ban medical marijuana use on property open to the public
Passed 34 to 3 in the Senate on March 10, 2015, to prohibit the possession or use of medical marijuana on any portion of private property that is open to the public, or where it is banned by the property owner. The bill would also permit a landlord to refuse to rent a residence to someone who uses medical marijuana on the property. Because the bill amends an initiated law adopted by the people, it requires a three-fourths supermajority vote in the Senate and House.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=708635
House Bill 4122: Repeal film producer subsidies
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 10, 2015, to require that if any money appropriated for film subsidies hasn’t been spent when the program ends it should be used to repay losses incurred by state pension funds due to a deal the previous administration made to use the pension funds to back investments made by some politically well-connected individuals in an Oakland County film production start-up.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167795
House Bill 4122: Repeal film producer subsidies
Passed 58 to 51 in the House on March 11, 2015, to repeal the program that gives Michigan tax dollars to film producers, as of Oct. 1. In the current fiscal year $50 million in subsidies to film producers have been authorized. Since 2008 some $500 million in state tax revenue has been distributed to producers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=708773
House Bill 4162: Remove some licensure restrictions on residential lift installers
Passed 62 to 47 in the House on March 11, 2015, to exempt residential lift installers from the comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors. Residential repair contractors would be subject to a less onerous regulatory regime for residential homebuilders. This would greatly increase the number of professionals allowed to install stairway chairlifts and platform lifts in private residences for elderly or handicapped individuals.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=708774
House Bill 4163: Remove some licensure restrictions on residential lift installers
Passed 62 to 47 in the House on March 11, 2015, to permit a licensed residential home builder to install residential stairway lifts without being subjected to the much more rigorous licensure provisions that apply to elevator contractors. The residential contractor would have to be “certified” by the manufacturer of the lifts, which are one-story stair-climbing machines for elderly or handicapped individuals. See also House Bill 4162.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=708775
Senate Bill 112: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709204
Senate Bill 113: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709205
Senate Bill 114: Change reference to “crippled children” in state law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2015, to revise a reference to “crippled children” in state law to instead refer to “children and youth with special health care needs”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709206
Senate Bill 137: Authorize appropriation for university autism programs
Passed 62 to 48 in the House on March 12, 2015, to authorize the transfer to university autism programs of $3.0 million from a state fund created by a 2012 law intended cover subsidies to health insurance companies to compensate for the cost of a new autism treatment coverage mandate imposed by another law passed that year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709049
Senate Bill 138: Revise crime victim’s rights fund distribution
Passed 58 to 52 in the House on March 12, 2015, to allocate up to $4.8 million in the current fiscal year to maintain a statewide trauma system and related emergency medical services program activities. Money in this fund comes from assessments on criminal defendants. Current statute requires it be used for crime victim services and compensation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709050
House Bill 4069: Revise criminal defendant “youthful trainee status”
Passed 98 to 12 in the House on March 12, 2015, to make 21 to 23 year old offenders eligible for criminal defendant “youthful trainee status,” which provides a mechanism for not including the offense on a youth’s permanent record. The bill would also establish various conditions for this status, including a full time school, work or community service requirement and more. This status allows a youthful offender who pleads guilty to criminal offenses other than serious felonies to serve a sentence and then have the proceedings dismissed without having a criminal conviction record, and with no civil disability or loss of rights or privileges.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709046
House Bill 4135: Revise criminal defendant “youthful trainee status”
Passed 85 to 25 in the House on March 12, 2015, to require that if a young criminal assigned to “youthful trainee status” (which provides a mechanism for not including an offense on the youth’s permanent record) is convicted for a serious felony listed in the bill while in this program, the “trainee” status must be revoked (which means the previous crime also goes on the person’s record).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709047
House Bill 4169: Revise “boot camp” prison alternative detail
Passed 99 to 11 in the House on March 12, 2015, to eliminate the option of sending a youthful offender to prison for up to three years eligible instead of assigning him to a “special alternative incarceration” sentencing program, changing this instead to sending him to prison for two years, parole for three years, or a county jail for up to one year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=709048
Senate Bill 191: Expand retail fraud penalties
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on March 10, 2015, to include retail fraud and failing to appear in court among the violations for which a court may order a convicted person to reimburse the state or a local government for expenses they incur related to the incident, including transportation costs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168863
Senate Bill 192: Revise excavation and mining permit detail
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on March 10, 2015, to exempt from state dredging and related permit requirements excavation or mining activities associated with an active mining operation, unless they create an inland lake with a surface area of five acres or greater.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168865
Senate Bill 193: Revise excavation and mining permit detail
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on March 10, 2015, to establish that permits for a previously permitted excavation or mining activities associated with an inland lake may be renewed for a fee of $250 if the scope of the project has not “materially increased” as defined in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168866
Senate Bill 194: Require candidate personal finance disclosures
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on March 10, 2015, to require candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state senator, state representative, state Board of Education, elected state and university board members, current state office holders, certain executive branch officials, and certain local offices that pay more than twice the median state per capita income to file personal financial disclosure statements that include the names of all of the person’s family members; his or her employer; the source and amount of wage, salary and other income for the candidate and his or her spouse plus any gifts; a list of assets; certain transactions and liabilities; business ownerships; any trustee, director, or similar positions held in a business, union, non-profit, educational or other institution; any future employment agreements, including leave-of-absence agreements; and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168867
Senate Bill 195: Revise pharmacy licensure detail
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on March 10, 2015, to repeal a licensure mandate requirement that an applicant for a new pharmacy, drug manufacturer or wholesale distributor license who is not a licensed health care professional licensed must submit fingerprints.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168868
Senate Bill 196: Revise totaled vehicle title detail
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on March 11, 2015, to facilitate insurance companies getting salvage or scrap certificates of title on totaled vehicles from the Secretary of State if needed.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168893
Senate Bill 197: Pro-rate Michigan’s electoral college presidential votes
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on March 11, 2015, to end the current winner-take-all system of allocating Michigan’s presidential electors, and instead pro-rate the state’s electoral college votes on the basis of the state’s popular vote totals.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168894
Senate Bill 198: Authorize state child care subsidies and tax breaks
Introduced by Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D) on March 11, 2015, to authorize a “refundable” state income tax credit (essentially a cash subsidy in many cases) that would be a percentage of a federal income tax child care credit the individual can claim, with the percentage “means tested” on the basis of gross income (ranging from 110 percent for households with less than $25,000 income to 20 percent for those between $65,000 and $100,000).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168895
Senate Bill 199: Expand “bottle bill”
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on March 12, 2015, to expand the state “bottle bill” deposit requirement to include water and all nonalcoholic carbonated or noncarbonated drinks sold in an airtight metal, glass, or plastic container that holds one gallon or less, except for milk and unflavored rice or soy milk, with some additional exceptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168908
Senate Bill 200: Authorize state subsidies to brokers selling certain stock portfolios
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on March 12, 2015, to authorize state subsidies to investment brokers and dealers that market portfolios of companies “doing business in this state” in which at least 10 percent are firms that that employ 50 or fewer employees.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168909
Senate Bill 201: Appropriations: “Omnibus” education budget
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on March 12, 2015, to authorize an “omnibus” education budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015. This would authorize $393.8 million for community colleges, $1.541 billion for state universities, and $13.958 billion for K-12 public schools, or $15.294 billion in total. This reflects the executive budget recommendation for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. House Bill 4315 and Senate Bill 202 would authorize spending for the rest of state government. Spending in both bills comes to $53.869 billion, or slightly less when adjusted to reflect interdepartment transfers, of which $22.6 billion is federal money.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168910
Senate Bill 202: Appropriations: 2015-2016 “omnibus” budget
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on March 12, 2015, to authorize an “omnibus” state government budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015, except for education spending. This would appropriate $37.9 billion for all state departments, compared to $34.4 billion the previous year. This reflects the executive budget recommendation for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. House Bill 4316 and Senate Bill 201 would appropriate money for public schools, colleges and universities. Spending in both bills comes to $53.869 billion, or slightly less when adjusted to reflect interdepartment transfers, of which $22.6 billion is federal money.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168911
House Bill 4304: Revise natural gas utility regulation detail
Introduced by Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) on March 5, 2015, to make explicit in statute that the state’s Public Service Commission may not allow a regulated monopoly that is a natural gas utility to recover through regulated rates the penalties and fines paid by the utility for violations of the regulated utility law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168835
House Bill 4305: Create process to remove deceased individuals from welfare rolls
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on March 5, 2015, to require a state “registrar” office to notify on a monthly basis all state departments that provide any kind of welfare or other public assistance benefit of all death notifications it receives. House Bill 4306 requires the departments to cut the deceased persons from the benefit rolls.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168836
House Bill 4306: Create process to remove deceased individuals from welfare rolls
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on March 5, 2015, to require state departments that provide any kind of welfare or other public assistance benefit to remove from the rolls beneficiaries who have died according the notices House Bill 4305 would require.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168837
House Bill 4307: Revise election law references
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on March 5, 2015, to revise statutory references in the state election law to reflect some past amendments to the law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168838
House Bill 4308: Repeal mandate that utilities use “renewable” energy sources
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on March 5, 2015, to repeal the mandate imposed by a 2008 law requiring 10 percent of the electricity sold by utilities to come from “renewable” sources.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168839
House Bill 4309: Respect health care payer and provider exercise of conscience
Introduced by Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R) on March 5, 2015, to establish that a medical services care payer, facility or provider have a right to decline to provide or pay for health care services as a matter of conscience, if the services violate sincerely held religious, ethical or moral principles.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168840
House Bill 4310: Pro-rate Michigan’s electoral college presidential votes
Introduced by Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R) on March 5, 2015, to require that at political party conventions one presidential elector from each congressional district and two electors at large be chosen. The elector ultimately chose for each district would the one whose party’s candidate for president won in that congressional district. The at-large candidates elected would be, as now, those who belonged to the political party whose presidential candidate won statewide. This would end the current “winner take all” system.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168841
House Bill 4311: Repeal government unions’ duty to represent non-members
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on March 5, 2015, to establish that government employee unions have no duty to represent workers who have elected to not pay union dues or fees as permitted under the state’s right to work law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168842
House Bill 4312: Extend right to work to firefighters and police
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on March 5, 2015, to extend the state’s right to work law to firefighters and police officers, which means they would not be required to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168843
House Bill 4313: Expand ban on banning service dogs
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on March 5, 2015, to expand a law that prohibits businesses and landlords from restricting access to seeing-eye and other service dogs, so it includes dogs used by veterans who have symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other service-related disabilities.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168844
House Bill 4314: Expand scope of reckless driving penalties
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on March 5, 2015, to extend the same penalties for committing a traffic violation that causes death or serious injury to another person while driving on public roads to driving on private property open to public or on frozen lakes and rivers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168845
House Bill 4316: Appropriations: “Omnibus” education budget
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on March 10, 2015, to authorize an “omnibus” education budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015. This would authorize $393.8 million for community colleges, $1.541 billion for state universities, and $13.958 billion for K-12 public schools, or $15.294 billion in total. This reflects the executive budget recommendation for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. House Bill 4315 and Senate Bill 202 would authorize spending for the rest of state government. Spending in both bills comes to $53.869 billion, or slightly less when adjusted to reflect interdepartment transfers, of which $22.6 billion is federal money.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168858
House Bill 4317: Increase gas tax, exempt fuel from sales tax
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on March 10, 2015, to replace the current 19-cent per gallon gas tax and 15-cent diesel tax with a 7.5 percent wholesale fuel tax, gradually increasing to 13.5 percent over six years, and allocate all the increased revenue to roads rather than municipal bus subsidies and other transit spending. House Bill 4318 would phase out the state sales tax on fuel sales over the same period, and the two bills are “tie-barred,” meaning one cannot become law unless both do. At current prices a 7 percent wholesale tax would extract approximately the same as the current 19 cent per gallon gasoline tax, and increase the current 15 cent per gallon tax on diesel to the same rate.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168859
House Bill 4318: Increase gas tax, exempt fuel from sales tax
Introduced by Rep. Todd Courser (R) on March 10, 2015, to no longer impose the 6 percent sales tax on gasoline and diesel motor fuel sales, phased in over six years. House Bill 4317 would replace the current 19-cent per gallon gas tax and 15-cent diesel tax with a new tax based on the wholesale price of fuel, initially levied at a rate of 7.5 percent and rising to 13.5 percent over the same period. The two bills are “tie-barred,” meaning one cannot become law unless both do.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168860
House Bill 4319: Revise stop at railroad crossings law detail
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on March 10, 2015, to revise the law that requires a vehicle to stop at railroad crossings. Currently, this does not apply if a track is “abandoned,” and the bill would expand this to one that is “inactive,” which means the track has been covered or removed and all signs, signals, and other warning devices have been removed.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168871
House Bill 4320: Revise stop at railroad crossings law detail
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on March 10, 2015, to authorize posting signs that say “exempt” at inactive railroad crossings where the tracks have been removed or covered up, which would mean school buses are not required to stop. See also House Bill 4319.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168872
House Bill 4321: Restrict warrantless residence searches
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on March 10, 2015, to establish that a law enforcement officer may not search a residence without a search warrant if a resident expressly objects, even if another resident consents after the objector is no longer physically present. This would not apply if one resident is the victim of a crime committed by another resident, or in “exigent” circumstances, meaning there is imminent danger to people, a suspect may escape or evidence may be destroyed.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168873
House Bill 4322: Revise definition of “veteran”
Introduced by Rep. Adam Zemke (D) on March 10, 2015, to make explicit that the term “veteran” in state statutes includes those who served in the naval or air services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168874
House Bill 4323: Let county veteran’s relief fund tax cover administration expense
Introduced by Rep. Adam Zemke (D) on March 10, 2015, to establish that revenue from a 0.1 mill property tax counties are authorized to impose for a veteran’s relief fund may be spent for administration of the fund.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168875
House Bill 4324: Revise excavation and mining permit detail
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on March 10, 2015, to establish that permits for a previously permitted excavation or mining activities associated with an inland lake may be renewed for a fee of $250 if the scope of the project has not “materially increased” as defined in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168876
House Bill 4325: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on March 10, 2015, to establish a process by which school districts would be required to submit their budget projections and assumptions to the state each July, which would assemble these and give them the intermediate school district to which the regular districts belong, which would be required to declare whether they concur with the projections and assumptions. If they did not this would trigger a detailed reporting and oversight process specified in this and related bills. The bill is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330, intended to create an “early warning system” for school districts with financial problems.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168877
House Bill 4326: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on March 10, 2015, to revise a 2012 law establishing various alternative processes for resolving financial crises in school districts to accommodate the proposal in House Bill 4325 and related bills establishing an “early warning system” for school districts with financial problems. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168878
House Bill 4327: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on March 10, 2015, to revise a law that requires school districts that run a budget deficit to adopt a deficit elimination plan approved by the state, by adding a “pre-plan” provision for a district shown to be experiencing financial stress by the reports and processes proposed by House Bill 4325 and related bills. Also, to establish an “enhanced deficit elimination plan” for a district that fails to meet a regular deficit elimination plan. The bill is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330 intended to create an “early warning system” for school district with financial problems.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168879
House Bill 4328: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Introduced by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) on March 10, 2015, to give the Department Treasury the authority to withhold state school aid payments from an overspending school district that fails to submit an acceptable “deficit elimination plan” as required by law, or which falls more deeply into financial trouble and must operate under an “enhanced” deficit plan. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330 intended to create an “early warning system” for school district with financial problems.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168880
House Bill 4329: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Introduced by Rep. Patrick Somerville (R) on March 10, 2015, to authorize appointment of an Emergency Manager for a public school district that fails to comply with an “enhanced deficit elimination plan” required by House Bill 4327 for a district whose regular deficit elimination plan failed to fix the problem.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168881
House Bill 4330: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on March 10, 2015, to update references to deficit elimination plans in the school aid act to accommodate the overspending school district “early warning system” proposals contained in House Bill 4325 to 4329.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168882
House Bill 4331: Increase municipal and school “emergency loan” funding
Introduced by Rep. Bradford Jacobsen (R) on March 10, 2015, to increase from $50 million to $100 million the amount allocated through 2018 for “financial emergency” loans from the state to public school districts, and increase from $35 million to $85 million the amount of such loans to cities, townships, villages, and counties.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168883
House Bill 4332: Increase municipal and school “emergency loan” funding
Introduced by Rep. Daniela Garcia (R) on March 10, 2015, to essentially eliminate a $50 million cap on the amount allocated through 2018 for “financial emergency” loans from the state to public school districts, and a $35 million cap on the amount of such loans to cities, townships, villages, and counties.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168884
House Bill 4333: Prohibit MEGA corporate subsidy deal modifications
Introduced by Rep. Lee Chatfield (R) on March 10, 2015, to prohibit state “economic development” officials from amending or modifying a corporate tax break and subsidy deal granted to certain businesses and developers under a Michigan Economic Growth Authority law repealed in 2011. The bill was introduced after it was revealed that these deals have generated a unfunded liability of nearly $10 billion, and that officials continue to amend and modify them in ways that may increase the liability.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168885
House Bill 4334: Prohibit MEGA corporate subsidy deal modifications
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on March 10, 2015, to prohibit state “economic development” officials from amending or modifying a corporate tax break and subsidy deal granted to certain businesses and developers under a Michigan Economic Growth Authority law repealed in 2011. The bill was introduced after it was revealed that these deals have generated a unfunded liability of nearly $10 billion, and that officials continue to amend and modify them in ways that may increase the liability.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168886
House Bill 4335: Increase gas tax, exempt fuel from sales tax
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on March 10, 2015, to phase out charging the 6 percent sales tax on gasoline and diesel motor fuel sales over six years. House Bill 4336 would gradually increase the motor fuel tax by an equivalent amount. Sales tax revenue is mostly earmarked to schools, and to local governments revenue sharing. The bill requires the legislature to appropriate at least as much as the previous year to both those areas, using revenue from other taxes. If it does not, then the 6 percent sales tax would automatically be imposed on fuel sales again.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168887
House Bill 4336: Increase gas tax, exempt fuel from sales tax
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on March 10, 2015, to replace the current 19-cent per gallon gas tax and 15-cent diesel tax with an 8.5 percent wholesale fuel tax, gradually increasing to 13.5 percent over six years. When fully phased-in this would represent a tax hike of around 20 cents per gallon based on current wholesale fuel prices. See also House Bill 4335, which would phase out the state sales tax on fuel sales over the same period, which means the two bills combined would result in no net tax increase. This bill is “tie barred” to that one, meaning it won’t go into effect unless the sales tax change does also.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168888
House Bill 4337: Increase gas tax, exempt fuel from sales tax
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on March 10, 2015, to replace the current 15 cent per gallon motor carrier fuel tax imposed on interstate truckers with a new tax imposed at the 8.5 percent wholesale fuel tax rate proposed by House Bill 4335, which would gradually increase to 13.5 percent over six years.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168889
House Bill 4338: Let local school districts not state manage 401k contracts
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on March 10, 2015, to allow individual school districts rather than the state to manage the contracts given to investment companies to administer the 401(k) defined contribution component of a so-called “hybrid” retirement plan that gives new school employees 401(k) contributions in addition to a conventional defined benefit pension that is slightly less generous than the one granted to existing employees.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168890
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