Replies

Senate Bill 73: Create new fraud crime
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 3, 2015, to create an explicit crime of obtaining a service or property by fraud or deception, and authorize penalties that increase with the value of the property or service.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167957

Senate Bill 74: Create new fraud crime
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 3, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the explicit crime of obtaining a service or property by fraud or deception proposed by Senate Bill 73.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167958

Senate Bill 75: Appropriate $24.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R) on February 3, 2015, to appropriate $24.7 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.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167959

Senate Bill 76: Authorize new specialty plate; give profits to private organization
Introduced by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D) on February 3, 2015, to authorize a new “women veterans” specialty license plate, and turn over the profits to the American Cancer Society.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167960

Senate Bill 77: Revise limousine regulations and special Detroit powers
Introduced by Sen. Virgil Smith (D) on February 4, 2015, to allow Detroit to expand the scope of a protectionist city regulatory regime on “limousines,” by increasing the capacity limit of vehicles subject to the city’s restrictions from ones that carry six or fewer people including the driver to ones that carry eight or fewer. The bill would also lower the city population threshold in a law that authorizes Detroit to impose these regulations, to reflect the city’s shrinking population. The limousine regulations have the effect of limiting competition to the taxi cartels that are protected by the city.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168038

Senate Bill 78: Impose new regulations on “petroleum coke”
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 4, 2015, to impose new regulations on the storage of “petroleum coke” (“pet coke”).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168039

Senate Bill 79: Authorize tax break for hiring unemployed person
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 4, 2015, to authorize a $3,000 tax credit for employers with under 100 employees who hire a new full time worker who had been unemployed for 60 days or more, subject to various requirements and restrictions specified under the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168040

Senate Bill 80: Decriminalize marijuana
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on February 4, 2015, to eliminate criminal sanctions for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, and instead authorize civil fines of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for subsequent offenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168041

Senate Bill 81: Revise bank foreclosed residence tax treatment
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise a provision that allows a bank or other lending institution that has foreclosed on a residence to retain the previous owner’s principal residence exemption on for up to three years. The bill would reduce that to two years, but eliminate a requirement that the lending institution pay what it otherwise would have paid in school operating taxes without the exemption (the requirement means the lender doesn’t actually save any money, but keeping the “exemption” nevertheless makes it easier to sell the property to a new homeowner).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168092

Senate Bill 82: Clarify taxable software definition
Introduced by Sen. Peter MacGregor (R) on February 5, 2015, to clarify that when one person grants another the right to use “prewritten computer software,” this is not subject to the state use tax. This applies to “cloud”-based computing services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168093

Senate Bill 83: Clarify taxable software definition
Introduced by Sen. John Proos (R) on February 5, 2015, to clarify that when one person grants another the right to use “prewritten computer software,” this is not subject to the state sales tax. This applies to “cloud”-based computing services.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168094

Senate Bill 84: Authorize “Choose Life” license plate
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R) on February 5, 2015, to require the Secretary of State to develop a “Choose Life” license plate, with fees collected from its sale spent on projects that promote alternatives to abortion.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168095

House Bill 4078: Spend $24.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Passed 103 to 7 in the House on February 5, 2015, to appropriate $24.7 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=704040

House Bill 4126: Revise detail of securities regulation
Introduced by Rep. Nancy Jenkins (R) on February 3, 2015, to revise a provision in the state “uniform securities act” (which governs the issuance and sale of stocks) so as to clarify the escrow of purchaser funds in an intrastate offering.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168024

House Bill 4127: Ban using credit scores in insurance pricing
Introduced by Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) on February 3, 2015, to prohibit the use of an individual’s credit score by an insurance company to determine his or her insurance premium price.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168025

House Bill 4128: Waive drivers license fee for “homeless”
Introduced by Rep. Brain Banks (D) on February 3, 2015, to waive the drivers license application fee for a person who is “homeless” as defined in the bill (which means the individual is getting benefits from a government or nonprofit entity).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168026

House Bill 4129: Expand mandate to not prohibit service dogs
Introduced by Rep. Brain Banks (D) on February 3, 2015, 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=168027

House Bill 4130: Authorize Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs specialty plate
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 3, 2015, to authorize a specialty license plate recognizing a state government “Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs,” and give the net revenue generated from sale of the plates to that entity.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168028

House Bill 4131: Allow no-reason absentee voting
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 3, 2015, to eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168029

House Bill 4132: Authorize parenting time “right of first refusal”
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 3, 2015, to establish that if a court awards parenting time in a child custody dispute (or orders joint custody), it may give one or both parents a “right of first refusal” to provide child care if the other parent intends to leave the child with a substitute child care provider for a significant period of time during his or her specified parenting time.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168030

House Bill 4133: Authorize “second parent adoption”
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on February 3, 2015, to provide for “second parent adoption” in Michigan law. This is a legal procedure that among other things allows a party in a same-sex relationship to adopt his or her partner’s biological or adoptive child without terminating the other party’s legal status as a parent.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168031

House Bill 4134: Establish that military experience meets boiler installer licensure requirements
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on February 3, 2015, to establish that having recent and relevant military training and experience meets the criteria for obtaining the state license mandated to earn a living as a boiler installer, boiler repairer or boiler special inspector.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168032

House Bill 4135: Revise criminal defendant “youthful trainee status”
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on February 3, 2015, to require that if a young criminal assigned to “youthful trainee status” (which provides a mechanism for not including an offense on the youth’s permanent record) is convicted for a serious felony listed in the bill while in this program, the “trainee” status must be revoked (which means the previous crime also goes on the person’s record).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168033

House Bill 4136: Add civics to high school graduation requirements
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on February 3, 2015, to add a “civics” component to the state high chool graduation requirements. Students would be required to pass a test comprised of questions identical to some or all those of those on the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship naturalization test.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168034

House Bill 4137: Reduce maximum probation time
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 4, 2015, to reduce the maximum period of probation for less serious felony violations to two years with certain exceptions, and make other changes to probation rules and procedures. Under current law the maximum period of probation for all felonies is five years.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168059

House Bill 4138: Revise parole standards
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on February 4, 2015, to require that parole be granted to prisoners who have served their minimum time if the person has at least an “average probability” under a “validated risk assessment instrument” of not being a risk to public safety, and who meets other criteria specified in the bill and current statute, subject to a number of restrictions and exceptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168060

House Bill 4139: Revise multistate foster care compact
Introduced by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R) on February 4, 2015, to replace an existing interstate compact to which Michigan belongs that deals with the placement of children in foster homes or adoptions in another state with a new, updated compact.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168061

House Bill 4140: Authorize “Choose Life” license plate
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to require the Secretary of State to develop a “Choose Life” license plate, with fees collected from its sale spent on projects that promote alternatives to abortion.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168138

House Bill 4141: Establish joint custody presumption
Introduced by Rep. Jim Runestad (R) on February 5, 2015, to establish that in a custody dispute between parents, a court must order joint custody unless it determines by clear and convincing evidence that a parent is unfit, unwilling, or unable to care for the child.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168143

House Bill 4142: Increase vehicle weitht and size violation penalties
Introduced by Rep. Ken Goike (R) on February 5, 2015, to increase fines for overweight and oversized vehicles.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168144

House Bill 4145: Ban state family planning contracts with abortion providers
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to prohibit the state from entering into family planning or reproductive health service contracts or grants to entities that perform abortions, which would include the Planned Parenthood organization.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168147

House Bill 4146: Restrict late term abortions to facilities with neonatal unit
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to ban abortions after the fetus has completed 19 weeks of gestation except in a hospital that has a neonatal intensive care unit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168148

House Bill 4147: Ban school discrimination based on student religious expression
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Hooker (R) on February 5, 2015, to prohibit a public school from discriminating against a student or parent on the basis of their religious viewpoint or expression. Schools would have to treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint no differently that the expression of a secular viewpoint.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168149

House Bill 4148: Revise procedures for dissolving fiscally failed school district
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on February 5, 2015, to establish procedures for transferring the property of a school district that has become fiscally unviable to one or more nearby school districts. (A version of this bill was originally introduced after the Buena Vista and Inkster school districts reached this state and were dissolved in 2013.) Specifically, the bill specifies procedures for when the receiving district does not want the dissolved district’s buildings or land. The Intermediate School District would then have the right of first refusal, with other local government entities next in line. If none of them wanted the property it would be sold, with unpaid lenders of the dissolved district having first claim to the proceeds. The state would be responsible for any demolition costs.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168150

House Bill 4149: Accelerate vehicle trade-in “use tax on the difference” only
Introduced by Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) on February 5, 2015, to accelerate the 24-year phase-in of a 2013 law that exempted from use tax the value of a trade-in when buying a motor vehicle, titled watercraft or recreational vehicle.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168151

House Bill 4150: Accelerate vehicle trade-in “sales tax on the difference”
Introduced by Rep. Michael Webber (R) on February 5, 2015, only to accelerate the 24-year phase-in of a 2013 law that exempted from sales tax the value of a trade-in when buying a motor vehicle, titled watercraft or recreational vehicle.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168152

House Bill 4151: Repeal criminal sanctions for minor with BB gun
Introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on February 5, 2015, to repeal a law that makes it a misdemeanor for an minor unaccompanied by an adult to possess a BB gun except in his or her own home or yard.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168153

House Bill 4152: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so related laws no longer apply to airguns and BB guns.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168154

House Bill 4153: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so related laws no longer apply to airguns and BB guns.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168155

House Bill 4154: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Brett Roberts (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of firearm in Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to exclude paint ball guns, but include BB guns and air guns. This is part of a package that excludes BB guns and air guns from the definition of firearms in criminal and firearms regulation laws.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168156

House Bill 4155: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Triston Cole (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state penal code to exclude airguns and BB guns (“pneumatic” guns), but retain criminal penalties for using the latter in the commission of a crime.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168157

House Bill 4156: Revise firearms definition
Introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state law authorizing regulations on selling, purchasing, possessing, and carrying a firearm, to exclude airguns and BB guns.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168158

House Bill 4157: Increase “snow day” exceptions to minimum school days requirement
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the law that requires public schools to provide a minimum of 1,098 hours and 170 days of instruction per year, by exempting schools missed up to nine days of class due to various reasons specified in the bill. Under current law this exception exempts up to six days.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168159

House Bill 4158: Let less credit-worthy municipalities incur “pension obligation bond” debt
Introduced by Rep. Ben Glardon (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise a 2012 law that allows municipalities to borrow money to cover unfunded pension liabilities if this is done as part of a plan to close a traditional “defined benefit” pension system to new employees. The bill would allow local governments with significantly lower credit-worthiness ratings to incur this additional debt (“A“ rather than “AA,” which is three grades lower).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168160

House Bill 4159: Revise “gun free zone” CPL exception
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 5, 2015, to revise the “gun free zone” provision of the concealed pistol permit law to exempt retired corrections, probation, and parole officers who have concealed pistol licenses from the restrictions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168161

House Bill 4160: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 5, 2015, to establish that using a firearm in self defense or to defend one’s home or property under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in such situations is not considered illegal “brandishing,” which means to display or wave a firearm in a menacing or threatening manner. Also, to revise the brandishing law to require the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168162

House Bill 4161: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on February 5, 2015, to define “brandishing” a firearm as “to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in a reasonable person.” Under current law “brandishing” is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. See also House Bill 4160, which requires the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution, and exempts behavior permitted under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in a self defense situation or in defense of one’s home or property.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=168163