Senate Concurrent Resolution 23: Ask Congress to pass a law enabling “direct primary care” contracts
Passed by voice vote in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to ask Congress to pass a law that requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promulgate rules that make possible the opportunity for people to enter “direct primary care” contracts with a physician for routine and preventative health care services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=165346
Senate Bill 973: Codify “child welfare partnership council”
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to establish in statute a state “child welfare partnership council” consisting of representatives of various interests, to “guide the ongoing planning and procurement processes…after the full implementation of performance-based funding in the state administered child welfare program”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697105
Senate Bill 974: Expand court authority in child welfare cases
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to give a court with jurisdiction over a juvenile’s care and supervision the authority to issue orders affecting a “party” if these are considered necessary, with “party” defined as the petitioner and the juvenile in a delinquency proceeding; and in a child protective proceeding, the petitioner, child, respondent, parent or guardian, and a child caring institution or child placing agency under contract with the state.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697107
Senate Bill 975: Exempt Kent County from higher foster care payment share
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to extend until May, 2018, for Kent County only, a 2013 law that requires the Department of Human Services to pay all of a $3 per day per child per day rate increase for private providers of foster care services as provided in the 2013-14 state budget, rather than half the amount.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697108
Senate Bill 1086: Exempt Kent County from higher foster care payment share
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to extend until May, 2018, for Kent County only, a 2013 law that requires the Department of Human Services to pay all of a $3 per day per child per day rate increase for private providers of foster care services as provided in the 2013-14 state budget, rather than half the amount.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697109
Senate Bill 1087: Exempt delinquent mortgage “work-out” advisors from licensure
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to exempt from licensure as a mortgage originator an individual who delinquent home loan borrowers to renegotiate their loans.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697110
House Bill 5230: Expand government’s power to seize and sell property deemed a “nuisance”
Passed 77 to 33 in the House on November 12, 2014, to expand the power of government to seize and sell an owner’s property, so that it applies to the contents of a building deemed a “nuisance” because they are connected with unlawful gun violence or human trafficking. Under this power the property owner does not need to be charged or convicted of a crime, and most of the proceeds from the taking go to the law enforcement agencies involved.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697137
House Bill 5450: Revise definition of “firearm” to exclude air rifles and BB guns
Passed 106 to 2 in the House on November 12, 2014, to revise the state law governing the sale, purchase, possession and carrying of firearms so that it no longer applies to air guns and and BB guns.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697141
House Bill 5610: Revise legislative journal printing detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 12, 2014, to no longer require the legislature to print and bind up to 500 copies of the official House and Senate journals for the year and distribute these to members, state departments, colleges, universities, and other specified recipients. Instead, the clerk of the House and secretary of the Senate could decide how many copies to print. The journals would still have to be made available to the public on the internet, and a hard copy given to the Library of Michigan.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697104
House Bill 5748: Revise firearms law reference detail
Passed 106 to 2 in the House on November 12, 2014, to update penal code references to a firearms transportation restriction that was repealed by a 2012 law.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697142
House Bill 5749: Repeal ban on unaccompanied minor having BB gun
Passed 102 to 6 in the House on November 12, 2014, to repeal a law that makes it a misdemeanor for a minor to possess a BB or airgun pistol unless accompanied by an adult.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697143
House Bill 5750: Change scope of gun injury duties law to remove BB guns
Passed 101 to 7 in the House on November 12, 2014, into revise a law that defines the duties of a person who injures someone with a firearm, so that it no longer applies to BB guns and air, gas or spring powered guns. See also Senate Bills 965 and 966.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697144
House Bill 5812: Cap fees for electronic copy of electronic deeds
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on November 12, 2014, to revise the meeting requirements of a commission created by a 2010 law that authorized development of uniform statewide regulations and procedures for electronic recording of real estate deeds and related documents. The bill would require this body to meet annually instead of quarterly.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697140
Senate Joint Resolution A: Replace gas tax with higher sales tax
Failed 18 to 19 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to place before voters in the next general election a Constitutional amendment to impose a 1 percent sales tax increase that would go to roads and replace the state motor fuel and diesel taxes. If the measure was approved then a large fuel tax increase proposed by House Bill 5477 would not go into effect. A two-thirds vote (26 votes) is required to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697232
Senate Bill 220: Prefer county road commissions on state road projects
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to require the state to give preference to and solicit bids from county road commissions for maintenance work on state trunk line highways.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697237
Senate Bill 281: Establish state drawbridge operations fund
Passed 30 to 6 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to create a state fund to subsidize the operational expenses of movable bridges (drawbridges, etc.), earmark certain road tax revenue to the fund, and give the Department of Transportation regulatory authority over local moveable bridges. This would have the effect of allocating the distribution of around $129 million of road tax money to local governments to legislative discretion rather than a statutory formula. The bill would also allow larger city bus systems to use some of this money for those systems rather than road and bridge projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697236
Senate Bill 841: Increase penalties, authorize property forfeiture for food stamp fraud
Passed 26 to 10 in the Senate on November 13, 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 $250,000. The bill also authorizes the seizure and forfeiture of the proceeds from this crime, and any property (including real estate) used to “facilitate” it.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697259
Senate Bill 842: Increase food stamp fraud penalties
Passed 26 to 10 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to establish sentencing guidelines for the increased food stamp fraud penalties proposed by Senate Bill 841.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697255
Senate Bill 843: Authorize establishment of welfare agency police force
Passed 25 to 11 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to give the Department of Human Services (the state welfare agency) the authority to appoint agents with the same powers as peace (police) officers and limited arrest powers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697256
Senate Bill 844: Authorize establishment of welfare agency police force
Passed 25 to 11 in the Senate on November 13, 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.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697260
Senate Bill 866: Increase penalty for crimes if victim is older
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to increase the penalties for various crimes against a person over 65 years of age, with steeper penalties in some cases if the victim is age 70 or older.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697261
Senate Bill 867: Increase penalty for crimes if victim is older
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 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.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697262
Senate Bill 941: Revise scrap tire regulatory regime details
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to revise and update details of the extensive regulatory regime imposed on the storage, transportation and processing of scrap tires. The bill includes changes to bonding requirements and regulations on storage facilities and hauling companies, imposes new permit fees on the latter, adds exemptions for a “community cleanup site,” prohibits openly burning a scrap tire, and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697267
Senate Bill 942: Revise scrap tire regulatory regime details
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to establish sentencing guidelines for violations of the regulations on scrap tire storage, processing and transportation that Senate Bill 941 would modify.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697268
Senate Bill 1038: Revise property tax appeal details
Passed 30 to 7 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to revise details of the law authorizing various appeals of property tax classifications, valuations, and exemptions. Among other changes this would allow appeals for the current year’s taxes and the three preceding years. The bill would also prohibit an assessor from being a member of a local government’s property tax board of review; and expand allow local governments’ authority to appeal adverse tax rulings.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697247
Senate Bill 1039: Revise state tax tribunal membership
Passed 31 to 5 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to establish that members of the seven-member state “tax tribunal” that issues judgments on property tax appeals serve could be removed “for cause,” and after notice and hearing. Under current law members are appointed by the governor for four year terms, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697248
Senate Bill 1040: Revise property tax appeal details
Passed 30 to 7 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to repeal a law making prepayment of a disputed property tax levy, plus penalties and interest, a condition for filing an appeal to the state court of claims of a state “tax tribunal” judgment on the validity of the levy.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697249
Senate Bill 1043: Update land survey “corner” rules
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to revise and update various definitions in the state law intended to protect and perpetuate public land survey “corners” and the monuments marking them, and revise certain procedures surveyors must use related to these corners.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697269
Senate Bill 1056: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to require the state to take actions that remove questions about the title to land held “under color of title” by a number of citizens of Clarence Township in Calhoun County, and convey clean titles to these owners.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697250
Senate Bill 1088: Allow community colleges to put money in municipal bonds
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to allow community colleges to invest funds in Michigan municipal bonds rated as “investment grade” by at least one standard rating service.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697253
Senate Bill 1100: Impose cash register fraud detector device mandate on merchants
Passed 31 to 5 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to give the state Department of Treasury the authority to mandate that, for purposes of collecting sales tax, up to 1,000 merchants statewide must install software or detectors to expose the use an “automated sales suppression device” for falsifying the records of electronic cash registers (also called “zappers” or “phantom-ware”).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697265
House Bill 4157: Lend IT project money to local governments
Passed 90 to 17 in the House on November 13, 2014, to create a government “information, communication, and technology innovation revolving fund” to make loans to state agencies, local governments, colleges and universities, school districts, and nonprofits that provide public services, for projects that meet various criteria specified in the bill, and which would be selected by a board of state officials and political appointees.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697334
House Bill 4401: Revise excavation and mining permit detail
Passed 68 to 39 in the House on November 13, 2014, to exempt from state dredging and related permit requirements excavation or mining activities associated with an active mining operation, unless they create an inland lake with a surface area of five acres or greater.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697333
House Bill 4480: Require more detailed reports on corporate subsidy costs & outcomes
Passed 107 to 0 in the House on November 13, 2014, to require the Michigan Strategic Fund and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to annually submit and post online more detailed reports on the costs and outcomes generated by their various “economic development” loan, tax break and subsidy programs targeted at specific corporations, developers or industries.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697325
House Bill 4481: Convert 21st Century Jobs Fund from rule-based to discretionary subsidy program
Passed 106 to 1 in the House on November 13, 2014, to essentially eliminate various restrictions and requirements, including requirements for regular audits and reports, that apply to money spent by a “commercialization” component of the “21st Century Jobs Fund” business subsidy program. The bill would transfer authority over this spending from “independent experts” on a “commercialization board” to political appointees on the Michigan Strategic Fund board. This and related bills would generally convert this from appearing to be a “rule-based” subsidy program governed by statutory prescriptions and restrictions into one in which the political appointees on the Michigan Strategic Fund board have more discretion to give out the subsidies. See also 4482, which requires more disclosures on the cost and outcomes of these programs.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697326
House Bill 4482: Convert 21st Century Jobs Fund from rule-based to discretionary corporate subsidies
Passed 77 to 30 in the House on November 13, 2014, to consolidate within the Michigan Strategic Fund agency the decision-making powers currently vested in various other government “economic development” and job training programs created over the years, including the “21st Century Jobs Fund.” In general the bill amends the law creating this agency to reflect proposals in Senate Bills 269 to 272, SB 278, House Bill 4481 and others that together convert state “economic development” activities from rule-based programs to ones in which subsidies, loans and tax breaks are granted at the discretion of political appointees on the Michigan Strategic Fund board. The bill also expand this agency’s authority over “brownfield” and “historic district” tax breaks and subsidies, and job training subsidies for particular firms..
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697327
House Bill 4572: Revise taxation of airplane fuel
Passed 32 to 4 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to exempt the sale of aviation gasoline, aviation jet fuel, and other aviation fuel from sales tax. also House Bills 4571 and 4677, which raise the excise tax imposed on airplane fuel and revise the distribution of revenue between various state funds to minimize the impact of the tax changes. The bottom line would be higher taxes on airplane fuel and more revenue for state airport maintenance projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697271
House Bill 4677: Earmark some sales tax on gasoline to public transportation subsidies
Passed 34 to 2 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to earmark an additional sales tax revenue to school funding and revenue sharing. Along with House Bills 4571 and 4572, which raise the excise tax imposed on airplane fuel and revise the distribution of revenue between various state funds to minimize the impact of the tax changes. The bottom line would be higher taxes on airplane fuel and more revenue for state airport maintenance projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697272
House Bill 5117: Eliminate sunset on road commission eliminations
Passed 99 to 8 in the House on November 13, 2014, to extend until 2018 a Jan. 1, 2015 sunset on a 2011 law that provides procedures for eliminating a county road commission and transferring its duties to the county board.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697336
House Bill 5118: Eliminate sunset on road commission eliminations
Passed 99 to 8 in the House on November 13, 2014, to extend until 2018 a Jan. 1, 2015 sunset on a 2011 law that provides procedures for eliminating a county road commission and transferring its duties to the county board.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697337
House Bill 5202: Revise installment tax payment detail
Passed 106 to 1 in the House on November 13, 2014, to establish that tax liens on township special assessment installment payments do not become effective (“attach”) until the payment is due.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697338
House Bill 5453: Increase overweight truck fines
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to increase the fines imposed on trucks whose weight exceeds state limits. This is part of a road funding increase package that includes a major fuel tax hike in House Bills 5477.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697238
House Bill 5477: Replace per-gallon fuel tax with higher wholesale tax
Passed 23 to 14 in the Senate on November 13, 2014, to replace the current 19-cent per gallon gas tax and 15-cent diesel tax with a 9.5 percent wholesale fuel tax, gradually increasing to 15.5 percent in 2018. When fully phased-in this would represent a tax hike of around $1.0 billion at current wholesale fuel prices, or around 10 cents per gallon. When in place, the tax could only rise or fall by 5 percent per year even if wholesale prices rose or fell faster.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697246
House Bill 5513: Expand mobile home court environmental regulation
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on November 13, 2014, to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Quality over mobile home parks; impose new licensure conditions; require the state “Manufactured Housing Commission” to notify local governments of any complaints from residents; impose a performance bond mandate on mobile home park owners; impose an annual inspection mandate; authorize placing a park under court-ordered receivership if conditions threaten residents’ health and safety; and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697348
House Bill 5617: Let library board members get pay and set pay
Passed 103 to 4 in the House on November 13, 2014, to allow members of the board of directors of a public libraries to be paid up to $30 per meeting, plus expenses. Library board members are political appointees who under current law do not receive pay.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697340
House Bill 5806: Allow deeper debt for college conservation improvements
Passed 106 to 1 in the House on November 13, 2014, to revise a law that lets a community college borrow for a term of up 10 years to pay for an “energy conservation improvement,” instead letting them incur debt with a term of up to 25 years. The bill also eliminates a provision restricting this debt to improvements that would pay their cost in future savings.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=697335