Senate Bill 396: Restrict replacement-construction property tax hikes
Passed 82 to 27 in the House on February 11, 2014, to revise a provision restricting property tax assessment increases on construction that replaces parts of a structure damaged by accident or an Act of God. The bill would prohibit an assessment hike as long as the construction is of substantially the same materials and square footage. This restriction would also apply to improvements that do increase property value but are undertake to meet current health, sanitary, zoning, safety, fire, or buiding code requirements.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=682906
Senate Bill 581: Correct citation reference in jail law
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on February 11, 2014, to correct a citation reference in a statute requiring verification of school enrollment or employment of an individual released from jail for either of these.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=682907
House Bill 5198: Revise child services worker discipline procedure
Passed 108 to 1 in the House on February 11, 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=682905
Senate Bill 446: Revise hospital “swing bed” regulations
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 12, 2014, to revise details in a state “Certificate of Need” medical facility rationing scheme related to hospitals with “swing beds” in short-term nursing care programs (meaning beds that can be used for either acute care or skilled nursing care).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683174
Senate Bill 719: Allow renegotiation of state environmental cleanup and recreation loans
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 12, 2014, to allow local governments with financial problems to negotiate more favorable terms on loans made to them by the state using money the state itself borrowed under the 1998 “Clean Michigan Initiative” ballot proposal, which authorized $675 million of new government debt (“bond sales”) for environmental cleanup and recreation projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683172
Senate Bill 749: Revise crime victim impact statement detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 12, 2014, to restrict a parent or guardian’s right to to allow the parent or guardian of a crime victim who was less than 18 years when the crime was committed to make a “victim impact statement” at specified points of the trial and sentencing, even though the victim has reached the age of majority (turned 18) by that time. This would not apply if the parent or guardian is the defendant or is incarcerated. Under current law, only parents or guardians of minors can make this statement.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683175
Senate Bill 750: Revise crime victim impact statement detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on February 12, 2014, to allow the parent or guardian of a crime victim who was less than 18 years when the crime was committed to make a “victim impact statement” at specified points of the trial and sentencing, even though the victim has reached the age of majority (turned 18) by that time. This would not apply if the parent or guardian is the defendant or is incarcerated. Under current law, only parents or guardians of minors can make this statement.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683176
House Bill 4808: Revise first degree murder lifer law for minors
Passed 35 to 3 in the Senate on February 12, 2014, to revise Michigan’s mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for certain very serious crimes committed by minors. The bill is linked to Senate Bill 319, which would make life without parole no longer be automatic in these cases, but prosecutors could request it. Otherwise, the minimum sentence would be 25 to 40 years, and the maximum at least 60 years. This and SB 319 respond to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miller v Alabama decision. The bills would not apply the new standard retroactively to the approximately 350 current prisoners in this category, but include a provision authorizing parole hearings for them if a future ruling requires this.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683173
House Bill 5025: “Human trafficking” criminal law package
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on February 12, 2014, to allow and facilitate the expungement of a prostitution offense from a person’s criminal record if the person was the victim of a “human trafficking” violation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683209
House Bill 5231: Make prostitution law gender neutral
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on February 12, 2014, to eliminate gender references in state laws outlawing prostitution. Also, to change the crimes of “pandering” and “accepting the earnings of a prostitute” from a Class G to a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=683210