Senate Bill 431: Give “biobased” products state purchasing preference
Passed 35 to 2 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to require the state to give preference in purchasing and procurement to products with a higher amount of “biobased” components.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688204
Senate Bill 547: Revise consumer loan law details
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on March 26, 2014, to revise details in provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code that address “negotiable instruments,” including checks and similar rights to payment.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688241
Senate Bill 548: Revise consumer loan law details
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on March 26, 2014, to revise details of a “Uniform Electronic Transactions Act” that governs the terms and conditions under which information and signatures can be transmitted, received, and stored by electronic means.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688242
Senate Bill 549: Revise financial institutions check processing rule detail
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on March 26, 2014, to revise and update details in the Uniform Commercial Code that govern how financial institutions process checks.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688243
Senate Bill 551: Revise secured loan default details
Passed 108 to 1 in the House on March 26, 2014, to revise details of the Uniform Commercial Code that governs secured loan defaults to specify limitations on the recovery available for loss to a debtor.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688244
Senate Bill 585: Human trafficking crime package
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to raise the minimum age for prostitution-related crimes to from 16 to 18, and prohibit local units of government from enacting ordinances that establish lower minimum ages. Individuals under this age caught violating the law would be presumed to be victims of some kind of coercion and could be taken into protective custody and placed under probate (family) court supervision.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688199
Senate Bill 593: Human trafficking crime package
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to require child placement agencies to give special consideration to information that a child may be the victim of human trafficking crimes, and on that basis find that the usual reunification, adoption, or other foster care services may not be suitable. Instead, the child would have to be placed in a setting that provided mental health, counseling, or other specialized services appropriate for a human trafficking victim.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688200
Senate Bill 598: Human trafficking crime package
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to include “enticing a female away under 18 years of age” to commit prostitution-related crimes in the “predicate” crimes that come under the state racketeering law (RICO), which among other things would allow the seizure and sale of a violator’s assets, with the proceeds going to law enforcement agencies. Unrelated to human trafficking, the bill would also add felony liquor control code violations related to the sale, delivery, or importation of spirits to the predicate RICO offenses.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688202
Senate Bill 613: Permit keeping road kill
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to allow a driver who kills or injures a game animal other than bird on the road to keep it, and give the driver first priority if more than one person wants it. The Department of Natural Resources would be required to issue a “salvage tag” if requested, which would be required to get the carcass stuffed or tanned by a taxidermist. The driver would have to keep a record of the circumstances until the game is consumed or discarded.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688205
Senate Bill 714: Adopt “collaborative law” law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to adopt a “uniform collaborative law act” which would establish a statutory framework for using a collaborative process to resolve disputes arising under Michigan’s family laws or domestic relations laws without having to go to court.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688206
Senate Bill 758: Authorize more stringent sanctions for delinquent hotel tax
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to empower counties that choose to impose a tax of up to 5 percent on hotel and motel room charges to enforce the tax with the more stringent sanctions authorized by the state property tax law for delinquent “special assessment” levies, which include forfeiture and foreclosure. Currently, the maximum penalty permitted by the law authorizing this tax is 25 percent of the delinquent amount, plus interest, and up to 90 days in jail.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688195
Senate Bill 780: Appropriate $27.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Passed 106 to 3 in the House on March 26, 2014, to appropriate $27.6 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=688248
Senate Bill 786: Give tax breaks to aquaculture and hydroponics
Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate on March 26, 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=688197
Senate Bill 787: Give tax breaks to “aquaculture” and hydroponics
Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate on March 26, 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=688198
Senate Bill 820: Revise CON health facility rationing board detail
Passed 107 to 2 in the House on March 26, 2014, to require that an individual representing “nonprofit mutual disability” insurance companies be on the board of the state “Certificate of Need” rationing commission, which requires health care providers to seek government permission to open or expand a facility or add certain capital-intensive equipment (like MRIs).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688246
Senate Bill 862: Allow alcohol at Michigan Stadium international soccer game
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to allow the sale of alcohol at the University of Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor during a potential soccer game in August 2014 between the Manchester United and Real Madrid international soccer teams.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688207
Senate Bill 869: Remove specific fishing season dates from statute
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to eliminate the statutory fishing season dates for largemouth and smallmouth bass, which would leave setting the dates to the state Natural Resources Commission.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688208
House Bill 4288: Restrict use of “indirect” tax audits
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to prohibit the Department of Treasury from levying a delinquent sales tax assessment on a person or business based on an “indirect audit,” if a taxpayer has filed all the required returns and has maintained and preserved adequate records as required. The bill also establishes minimum standards for such “indirect audits”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688196
House Bill 4292: Restrict use of “indirect” tax audits
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to prohibit the Department of Treasury from levying a delinquent use tax assessment on a person or business based on an “indirect audit,” if a taxpayer has filed all the required returns and has maintained and preserved adequate records as required. The bill also establishes minimum standards for such “indirect audits”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688203
House Bill 4295: Adjust school budget projections, appropiate extra money
Passed 105 to 4 in the House on March 26, 2014, to adopt a version of the bill that does not contain $30 million in extra spending approved by the Senate for grants to schools with more “at risk” students, or $2 million the Senate added for class size reduction grants. This version also increases to $750,000 a cap on how much a single school district can get from a year-round school pilot program grant the bill funds, and does not authorize a student nutrition and behavior tracking software program for schools included in the original House version.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688254
House Bill 4467: Don’t impose “insurance” regulations on extended service contracts
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on March 26, 2014, to establish that service contracts covering the future maintenance, repair or replacement of vehicles, building or other property are not “insurance” subject to the licensure mandates and regulations imposed by the state insurance code.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688194
House Bill 5248: Waive some licensure fees for veterans
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on March 26, 2014, to waive fees charged for state-imposed dental assistant and hygienist licensure mandates if the applicant is an honorably discharged veteran who performed these roles in the military.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688245
Senate Bill 622: Clarify real estate improvement use tax provision
Passed 106 to 2 in the House on March 27, 2014, to clarify the applicability of the state use tax on “a manufacturer that affixes its product to real estate”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688435
Senate Bill 821: Revise 2012 “personal property tax” reform law
Passed 35 to 2 in the Senate on March 27, 2014, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688361
House Bill 4135: Let foreclosing banks claim homestead tax exemption
Passed 85 to 23 in the House on March 27, 2014, to grant a homestead property tax exemption for up to three years to a bank or other financial institution that has foreclosed and taken possession of a home because the borrower failed to make payments on the mortgage loan, as long as the property is for sale and not leased out (even to the former owner).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688439
House Bill 4295: Adjust school budget projections, appropiate extra money
The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on March 27, 2014, to add back the $2 million the Senate added and the House removed for class size reduction grants.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155260
House Bill 4478: Revise voter signature detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to allow a voter who can’t sign his or her own name because of a disability to use a signature stamp where signatures are required on election-related documents. Also, to allow the state elections bureau and board of canvassers to craft the 100-word ballot language people will see at the polls when the legislature places a proposed law on the ballot, rather than having the legislature craft the language. This has become an issue in a personal property reform package comprised of Senate Bills 821 to 830.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688346
House Bill 4601: Name a highway
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on March 27, 2014, to designate a portion of US-10 in Lake County as the “Sheriff Robert Radden Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688430
House Bill 4646: Revise child adoption/placement details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to authorize and specify procedures under which a parent could execute an out-of-court consent to an adoption after the child’s birth. This is part of a legislative package designed to speed-up the adoption process, including reducing the time a birth-parent has to change his or her mind.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688350
House Bill 4647: Revise child adoption/placement details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to establish that three months after formal an adoption placement of adoptee who is less than one year old (rather than six months under current law), a court could enter an order of adoption, unless it determined that circumstances had arisen that make adoption undesirable. This is part of a legislative package designed to speed-up the adoption process, including reducing the time a birth-parent has to change his or her mind.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688337
House Bill 4648: Revise child adoption/placement details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to revise details of a law that describes when parental rights can be terminated and when they cannot, so as to establish procedures for when the parental rights of a mother have not been officially terminated, and the court finds that the best interest of the child would be served by granting custody to the putative father. This is part of a legislative package designed to speed-up the adoption process, including reducing the time a birth-parent has to change his or her mind.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688338
House Bill 4865: Authorize mobile dental facilities
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to allow dental services to be provided in a mobile dental facility if the state grants a permit, subject to an extensive set of regulations and restrictions specified in the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688341
House Bill 4907: Revise arson law details
Passed 107 to 1 in the House on March 27, 2014, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688424
House Bill 4907: Revise arson law details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to clarify wording in the state’s law against arson. The revisions generally do not make any substantive changes to this law, except the bill would remove an explicit “intent” provision, which supporters say is already implicit in other language specifying the law applies to “willful or malicious” action.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688335
House Bill 4908: Revise arson law details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to revise and update details of state sentencing guidelines for the crime of arson. The revisions do not make any substantive changes to this law. See also House Bill 4907.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688336
House Bill 4936: Redesignate a highway
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on March 27, 2014, to designate a portion of U.S. 127 in Clinton County as the “Tim Sanborn Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688427
House Bill 5064: Name I-75 after Tuskegee airmen
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on March 27, 2014, to designate Interstate I-75 in Michigan as “Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Trail”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688432
House Bill 5072: Change scenic road PR label
The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 26, 2014, to require the proposed signs to also disclose the amount of cash subsidies and selective tax breaks the state paid to corporations and developers through its “economic development” programs, with the information posted in the same sized font.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=161057
House Bill 5072: Change scenic road PR label
Passed 105 to 3 in the House on March 27, 2014, to change the label applied to roads deemed by a 1993 law to be “heritage routes” because of their scenic, recreational, or historic associations, instead calling them “Pure Michigan Byways”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688429
House Bill 5152: Exempt voter registration-related Social Security numbers from FOIA
Passed 34 to 3 in the Senate on March 27, 2014, to specifically include the last four digits of a individual’s Social Security numbers among certain voter registration information that is exempt from disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act, and establish that candidate nominating petition signatures are not valid if they do not contain the date and the signer’s street address in addition to the signature. The bill also revises details of candidate filing deadlines when an office becomes vacant.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688347
House Bill 5282: Allow deadly force to defend nuclear plants
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 25, 2014, to explicitly allow an officer providing security at a nuclear generating plant to use deadly force if he or she “honestly and reasonably believes (it) is necessary to prevent” a person from breaking in with the intent to inflict harm, engage in radiological sabotage or steal nuclear material. This would include immunity from lawsuits.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=688339