Senate Bill 156: Revise MBT detail
Passed 100 to 10 in the House on September 9, 2014, to clarify the legislative intent of provisions in the Michigan Business Tax, so as to reverse the effect of a recent state Supreme Court ruling (IBM v. Treasury) that reportedly would force the state to refund more than $1 billion to many companies located out of the state. The case involved the interaction of a multistate Tax Compact the state entered in 2006 with provisions of the MBT, which was repealed in 2011 (but is still in effect for certain companies that received subsidies and tax breaks under its provisions). According to the Senate Fiscal Agency, the bill would also reduce the tax liability of certain firms going forward by a significant amount over the next 15 years.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695199
Senate Bill 633: Allow community service to cover some “bad driver” fees
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on September 9, 2014, to allow a person to do 10 hours of “community service” in lieu of paying a state “bad driver fee” for certain offenses, including driving without a license and failing to have or produce proof of insurance. The fees for these particular offences were repealed by a 2011 law, so the bill would apply only to individuals who incurred and failed to pay them in the past. These very high, revenue-raising fees were originally imposed in 2003 to avoid spending cuts in that year’s and subsequent state government budgets. A law enacted earlier in 2014 would gradually phase out the fees imposed for additional offenses.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695197
Senate Bill 758: Authorize more stringent sanctions for delinquent hotel tax
Passed 97 to 13 in the House on September 9, 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=695196
Senate Bill 959: Extend hazardous waste fees
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on September 9, 2014, to extend for another three years the Oct. 1, 2014 sunset on a law that imposes fees on hazardous waste generators and handlers. This bill covers handlers, and Senate Bill 960 extends the fees for companies that generate wastes. The fees extract some $1.1 million annually from these industries.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695198
Senate Bill 960: Extend hazardous waste fees
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on September 9, 2014, to extend for another three years the Oct. 1, 2014 sunset on a law that imposes fees on hazardous waste generators and handlers. This bill covers companies that generate wastes, and Senate Bill 959 extends the fees for handlers. The fees extract some $1.1 million annually from these industries.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695201
House Bill 4411: Rename a highway
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on September 9, 2014, to designate a non-motorized lane of a bridge over the Grand River on M-231 in Ottawa County as the “Sgt. Henry E. Plant non-Motorized Trail”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695189
House Bill 4783: Expand a corporate/developer subsidy regime
Passed 83 to 27 in the House on September 9, 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 would probably be in Detroit (see also Senate Bill 398). In December, 2013 the legislature enacted a law authorizing sixth such entity, this in the Upper Peninsula.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695200
House Bill 4814: Rename bridge in Monroe County
Passed 109 to 0 in the House on September 9, 2014, to rename a bridge on US-24 in Monroe County as the “Matt Urban Memorial Bridge”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695188
House Bill 4882: Revised delinquent property tax payment
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on September 9, 2014, to allow a local government to create a delinquent property tax installment plan for a “financially distressed person,” and waive the interest charges if the person actually pays-off the delinquent amounts.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695195
House Bill 5398: Allow certain government land swaps
Passed 104 to 5 in the House on September 9, 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=695187
Senate Bill 156: Revise MBT detail
Passed 34 to 3 in the Senate on September 10, 2014, to clarify the legislative intent of provisions in the Michigan Business Tax, so as to reverse the effect of a recent state Supreme Court ruling (IBM v. Treasury) that reportedly would force the state to refund more than $1 billion to many companies located out of the state. The case involved the interaction of a multistate Tax Compact the state entered in 2006 with provisions of the MBT, which was repealed in 2011 (but is still in effect for certain companies that received subsidies and tax breaks under its provisions). According to the Senate Fiscal Agency, the bill would also reduce the tax liability of certain firms going forward by a significant amount over the next 15 years.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695323
Senate Bill 903: Authorize bone marrow transplant fundraising license plate
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on September 10, 2014, to require the Secretary of State to develop a fundraising license plate with proceeds going to research, technology, patient support and education regarding bone marrow donation and transplants.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695312
Senate Bill 935: Impose licensure on “genetic counselors”
Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on September 10, 2014, to impose licensure, fees, certification through a nationally recognized certifying agency, and more on “genetic counselors” as they are defined in the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695314
Senate Bill 970: Revise commercial drivers license detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 10, 2014, to revise various details of the the state law providing for a commercial drivers license learner’s permit so as to conform with federal definitions and requirements. The bill would also revise details of the procedures for insurers and lien holders (lenders) related to the release of title and possession of vehicles that have been scrapped or are being returned from a salvage yard.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=695313