House Bill 4291: Require full tax audit details be given to audit target
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on February 25, 2014, to require the Department of Treasury to provide a person or business who has been audited with a complete copy of the audit work papers, findings, and all the correspondence and documentation which formed a basis for audit determinations. Also, to require such audits to conform with standards the department would have to establish within one year, covering audit evidence, understanding of the audited entity, documentation and much more. The bill is part of a package of reforms related to business complaints regarding state audit procedures.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685449
House Bill 4893: Revise child abuse investigation database details
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on February 25, 2014, to revise the rules for maintaining or expunging records of investigations contained in a central state registry of serious child abuse cases. The state would have to send a notice to a person being placed on the list, who would have 180 days to request a hearing. If an investigation did not provide a “preponderance of evidence” then a person could not be placed on the list, and except for very serious offenders, names would be removed from the list after 10 years.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685447
House Bill 5155: Revise criminal prosecution preliminary procedures
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on February 25, 2014, to authorize and establish procedures for “probable cause” conferences in advance of the “preliminary examinations” authorized under current law for criminal prosecutions. The subject matter would include possible plea bargains, bail, procedural aspects of the case, and more. These conferences could be waived if both sides agree. This and House Bill 5154 would also revise “preliminary examination” procedures, and timetables for both types of proceeding.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685463
Senate Bill 629: Allow city of Lansing to extend TIFA debt
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on February 26, 2014, to allow a city of Lansing “building authority” to refinance debt incurred to build garage structures with new loans that have maturities beyond what is currently allowed, and exempt these from a 2001 law that restricts refinancing if there is no overall benefit to the municipality. Lansing wants to extend its loans for cash flow purposes, because the extra tax revenue it presumed would result from projects funded by the debt has not been forthcoming. This would be the second time the legislature has allowed Lansing to extend debt in a manner not permitted by that 2001 municipal debt reform.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685604
Senate Bill 630: Allow city of Lansing to extend TIFA debt
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on February 26, 2014, to allow a city of Lansing “tax increment finance authority” to refinance debt incurred to build garage structures with new loans that have maturities beyond what is currently allowed, and exempt these from a 2001 law that restricts refinancing loans if there is no overall benefit to the municipality. Lansing wants to extend its loans for cash flow purposes, because the extra tax revenue it presumed would result from projects funded by the debt has not been forthcoming. This would be the second time the legislature has allowed Lansing to extend debt in a manner not permitted by that 2001 municipal debt reform.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685605
Senate Bill 631: Revise carrier pigeon licensure mandate
Passed 34 to 0 in the Senate on February 26, 2014, to prohibit a person from getting a state-mandated carrier pigeon license if his or her facilities do not meet regulations imposed by the local government, but preempt locals from banning carrier pigeons outright.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685602
House Bill 4638: Revise deed recording detail
Passed 106 to 4 in the House on February 26, 2014, to establish a legal presumption that a property conveyance (deed or easement) recorded with the county register of deeds is valid if the conveyance meets the statutory requirements proposed by House Bill 4640, and other legal requirements.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685606
House Bill 4639: Revise deed recording detail
Passed 106 to 4 in the House on February 26, 2014, to revise the law requiring registers of deeds to maintain an index of recorded deeds and related instruments, so that it conforms with the provisions proposed by House Bill 4640.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685607
House Bill 4640: Revise deed recording detail
Passed 106 to 4 in the House on February 26, 2014, to establish standards for the affidavit that is required when recording an unrecorded property conveyance (deed or easement) with the county register of deeds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685608
House Bill 5074: Revise delinquent property tax interest detail
Passed 34 to 0 in the Senate on February 26, 2014, to give counties discretion over whether to impose an interest rate that is lower than the 1 percent per month currently imposed on amounts due to county delinquent tax revolving funds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=685601