Replies

House Joint Resolution CC: Call for “Article V” U.S. balanced budget amendment convention
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on January 15, 2014, to submit an application to Congress calling for a “convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Consitution,” limited to proposing an amendment that prohibits the federal government from spending more in any fiscal year than it collects in tax and other revenue (balanced budget amendment). Legislatures representing two-thirds of the states must request this to get a convention, and three-quarters of the states must approve any amendment proposed by an “Article V” convention for it to become part of the constitution. The resolution names 17 states that have submitted applications. It state that delegates would be appointed (not elected) to participate in drafting rules, bylaws, and procedural agreements for the convention.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=162315

Senate Bill 841: Increase penalties, authorize property forfeiture for food stamp fraud
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on March 4, 2014, to revise a law that bans having or using a false or doctored food stamp debit card (“bridge card”), reducing the threshold for criminal penalties from getting $250 worth of merchandise to $100, and increasing the penalty from 93 days in jail to one year, and potentially up to five years in prison, or 20 years if the value has exceeded $5,000. The bill also authorizes the seizure and forfeiture of the proceeds from this crime, and any property (including real estate) used to “facilitate” it.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163741

Senate Bill 842: Increase food stamp fraud penalties
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on March 4, 2014, to establish sentencing guidelines for the increased food stamp fraud penalties proposed by Senate Bill 841.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163742

Senate Bill 843: Authorize establishment of welfare agency police force
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on March 4, 2014, to give the Department of Human Services (the state welfare department) the authority to appoint agents with the same powers as peace (police) officers and limited arrest powers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163743

Senate Bill 844: Authorize establishment of welfare agency police force
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on March 4, 2014, to exempt the state welfare agency police proposed by Senate Bill 843 from the “gun-free zone” restrictions in the state’s concealed pistol license law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163744

Senate Bill 845: Give district court magistrates arrest warrant power
Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on March 4, 2014, to allow a district court magistrate to issue an arrest warrant.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163745

Senate Bill 846: Revise “development district” liquor license law
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on March 4, 2014, to extend to villages and townships the 2005 law that authorizes the issuance of additional on-premises liquor licenses in excess of the number of licenses allowed in an area under a state quota system, for businesses that will offer dining, recreation, or entertainment in “development” or “redevelopment” districts.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163746

Senate Bill 847: Expand homestead property tax credit
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on March 4, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163747

Senate Bill 848: Authorize aquatic vegetation harvest tool tax break
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R) on March 4, 2014, to exempt from the state use tax the purchase of tools and equipment used to harvest, handle “transform” or package aquatic vegetation from the waters of this state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163748

Senate Bill 849: Require an early voting system
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on March 5, 2014, to require and set rules for “early voting” beginning 30 days before election days.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163736

Senate Bill 850: Exempt public safety employees from no-contract “step pay hike” ban
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on March 5, 2014, to exempt law enforcement and fire department employees from a 2011 law that banned automatic seniority-based automatic pay hikes for individual government employees (“step increases”) during the time when a government employee union contract has expired and no replacement has been negotiated. Specifically, the bill would exempt public safety workers covered by a 1969 compulsory arbitration law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163737

Senate Bill 851: Exempt “low risk foods’ from some food service safety mandates
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on March 5, 2014, 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=163738

Senate Bill 852: Grant industrial plant rehab tax break for particular developer
Introduced by Sen. Bert Johnson (D) on March 6, 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163762

Senate Bill 853: Expand eyeglass/contact lens prescription licensure mandates
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on March 6, 2014, to prohibit the use of an “automated refractor” device to determine eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions by anyone except a licensed physician (including ophthalmologists) or optometrists. Also, to codify in statute current regulations prohibiting any other kind of professional from writing eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163763

Senate Bill 854: Revise government long-term trust fund detail
Introduced by Sen. Jim Marleau (R) on March 6, 2014, to revise references in a law governing government entities that have a long-term or perpetual trust fund.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163764

House Bill 5374: Expand mandate to allow service dogs
Introduced by Rep. David Knezek (D) on February 27, 2014, 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=163687

House Bill 5375: Revise nursing home medical treatment restriction
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 27, 2014, to explicitly permit nursing homes to provide medical treatment provided by health care professionals in any licensed field.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163688

House Bill 5376: Revise nursing home medical treatment restriction
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 27, 2014, to revise the definition of “learned profession” in the Michigan limited liability company act to make it conform with the proposal in House Bill 5375 removing current restrictions on the types of health care professional who can provide medical treatment in a nursing home.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163689

House Bill 5377: Revise nursing home medical treatment restriction
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 27, 2014, to revise the definition of “learned profession” in the Michigan business corporations act to make it conform with the proposal in House Bill 5375 removing current restrictions on the types of health care professional who can provide medical treatment in a nursing home.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163690

House Bill 5378: Expand scope of Consumer Protection Act regulations
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on February 27, 2014, to eliminate a provision of the Consumer Protection Act that excludes from its provisions matters governed by other comprehensive regulatory regimes in state law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163691

House Bill 5379: Repeal county “ag advantage” ad authorization
Introduced by Rep. Rick Outman (R) on March 4, 2014, to repeal a law that allows counties to levy a special tax or appropriate general tax revenue to advertise the county’s “agricultural advantages”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163723

House Bill 5380: Call for “Article V” U.S. balanced budget amendment convention
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on March 4, 2014, to provide a process for the legislature appointing delegates to a potential “Article V” U.S. balanced budget amendment convention of the states (as opposed to electing delegates), and prescribe the powers and duties of those delegates. House Joint Resolution CC and Senate Joint Resolution V call for such a convention.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163724

House Bill 5381: Ban local government contracts to elected official campaign contributors
Introduced by Rep. Jim Townsend (D) on March 4, 2014, to prohibit local governments from awarding contracts worth $25,000 or more to a vendor who made a political contribution of at least $100 in the previous 12-month period to an elected officeholder in the local government.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163725

House Bill 5382: Authorize commission to determine need for state agencies
Introduced by Rep. Jim Townsend (D) on March 4, 2014, to authorize a legislative commission to examine each state agency, determine the need for the functions the agency performs, and recommend the its abolition, continuation, or reorganization, along with the consolidation, transfer, or reorganization of its programs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163726

House Bill 5383: Expand drunk driving provisions to include illegal drugs
Introduced by Rep. Dan Lauwers (R) on March 4, 2014, to permit expert witness testimony concerning chemical testing and custody of evidence to be provided by video communication in preliminary examinations and criminal trials. Also, to authorize a judge or district court magistrate under specified circumstances to release a defendant whose preliminary chemical test reveals the presence of a controlled substance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163727

House Bill 5384: Expand drunk driving provisions to include illegal drugs
Introduced by Rep. Dan Lauwers (R) on March 4, 2014, to require the preliminary chemical test of a driver that reveals the presence of a controlled substance to be entered into the state Law Enforcement Information Network database, and be removed if subsequent tests show no drugs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163728

House Bill 5385: Expand drunk driving provisions to include illegal drugs
Introduced by Rep. Dan Lauwers (R) on March 4, 2014, to expand the law that requires a person arrested for drunk driving to take a chemical test so that it also applies to drug tests.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163729

House Bill 5386: Require gas and oil lease disclosures to landowners
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on March 4, 2014, to require the Department of Environmental Quality to provide on its website general information on oil and gas leasing, exploration, drilling and related topics; and require an individual who solicits a landowner to lease oil or gas rights to give the landowner a toll-free telephone number the department is required to maintain providing this kind of information.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163730

House Bill 5387: Revise retired school employee pension “double dipping”
Introduced by Rep. Theresa Abed (D) on March 4, 2014, to no longer require school districts to pay the cost of back-filling the unfunded liability for pension and post-retirement health benefits earned or promised to a “retired” teacher who is simultaneously collecting pension checks and payroll compensation for substitute teaching.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163731

House Bill 5388: Revise eviction and tenant damage procedures
Introduced by Rep. Marilyn Lane (D) on March 4, 2014, to allow a sheriff or other officer to serve a delinquent tenant with a court-ordered money judgment for damages to the property at the same time as an eviction notice.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163732

House Bill 5389: Revise nursing home feeding detail
Introduced by Rep. Paul D. Clemente (D) on March 4, 2014, to allow a nursing home to use a “dining assistant” to provide feeding assistance to a patient who needs “encouragement” but does not have complicated feeding problems, with the consent of the patient or patient’s representative.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163733

House Bill 5390: Revise wage garnishment rules
Introduced by Rep. Kevin Cotter (R) on March 4, 2014, to revise the law that authorizes a court-ordered garnishment of an individual’s wages to establish that the “writ of garnishment” remains in effect until the balance of the judgment is satisfied, instead of a maximum of 182 days. House Bill 5391 would limit the amount that can be taken from each paycheck.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163750

House Bill 5391: Revise wage garnishment rules
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCready (R) on March 4, 2014, to revise the law that authorizes a court-ordered garnishment of an individual’s wages to satisfy an obligation, to cap the garnishment at 15 percent of “take-home” pay, as specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163751

House Bill 5392: Let schools spend leftover bond debt on non-authorized projects
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on March 4, 2014, to allow school districts to spend up to 15 percent of the debt authorized by a bond initiative on projects that were not specified in the initiative, if the project that was specified has been completed, subject to restrictions listed in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163752

House Bill 5393: Ban selling “e-cigarettes” to minors; regulate these as tobacco
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on March 4, 2014, to ban selling or giving minors electronic vapor cigarettes, or any device that delivers nicotine, and mandate these be sold in child-proof containers. The bill would also define e-cigarettes as a “tobacco product,” which potentially subjects these to other state regulations, taxes and public place smoking bans.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163753

House Bill 5394: Authorize charitable contribution income tax credits
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R) on March 4, 2014, to authorize state income tax credits for charitable donations to food banks, shelters, community foundations, public art, public radio, colleges, universities, and museums.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163754

House Bill 5395: Revise candidate name detail
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on March 6, 2014, to permit candidates to specify that a “recognized diminutive” for his or her surname (last name) appear on the ballot. Current law permits this for a first or middle name.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163767

House Bill 5396: Trim mandated barber college instruction hours
Introduced by Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R) on March 6, 2014, to reduce from 250 to 225 the number of hours of classroom study, demonstrations, and recitations that a licensed barber college must offer, and reduce from 1,750 to 1,575 hours the amount of required “practical barber training” it must provide.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163768

House Bill 5397: Authorize local government energy efficiency homeowner loans
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R) on March 6, 2014, to allow local governments in communities with a municipal utility to provide an energy efficiency loan program for homeowners. Loan payments could be made with utility bills.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163769

House Bill 5398: Allow certain government land swaps
Introduced by Rep. Jon Bumstead (R) on March 6, 2014, to allow a county 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163770