House Bill 4241: Authorize seasonal load limit exceptions for septic haulers
Introduced by Rep. Ken Goike (R) on February 12, 2013, to allow an emergency exemption from seasonal road weight limit restrictions for septage haulers in emergency cases, such as when a homeowner’s septic system has backed up.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154255
House Bill 4242: Raise burden of proof to justify new government regulations
Introduced by Rep. Ken Goike (R) on February 12, 2013, to require government agencies to demonstrate that a rule they want to impose is “necessary and suitable to achieve its purpose in proportion to the burdens it places on individuals”..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154256
House Bill 4243: Revise forest property tax breaks
Introduced by Rep. Edward McBroom (R) on February 12, 2013, to revise the formula used to calculate the property tax “recapture rate” assessed when productive forestland is withdrawn from a program granting property tax exemptions. The change would have the effect of lowering the amount of this recapture payment depending on whether timber has been harvested on the property. See also Senate Bill 51.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154257
House Bill 4244: Revise forest property tax breaks
Introduced by Rep. Bruce Rendon (R) on February 12, 2013, to revise details of the procedures and fees used by forest property owners to get certain forest property tax breaks, so that these conform to the changes and expansion of the program proposed by Senate Bill 51.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154258
House Bill 4245: Exempt windmills from property tax
Introduced by Rep. Kevin Daley (R) on February 12, 2013, to exempt from property taxes “renewable energy systems” that generate electric (this mostly means wind turbines).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154259
House Bill 4246: Give “biobased” product state purchasing preference
Introduced by Rep. Paul Muxlow (R) on February 12, 2013, to require the state to give preference in purchasing and procurement to “biobased” products. Contracts would have to be given to providers of equivalent “biobased” products, rather than to the lowest bidder, if the price was not more than 5 percent higher.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154260
House Bill 4247: Give government loan guarantees to certain food processing entities
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on February 12, 2013, to create a new government loan program guaranteeing loans of up to $5 million each for “innovation in value-added agricultural processing and related production operations” or the “commercialization of agriculture technologies, processes or products”..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154261
House Bill 4248: Require prescription to buy pseudophedrine
Introduced by Rep. John Kivela (D) on February 12, 2013, to prohibit the sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine cold medications except with a doctor’s prescription.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154262
House Bill 4249: Ban local mandates that private employers must grant leave
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on February 12, 2013, to preempt local governments from adopting ordinances or policies that require private sector employers to provide paid or unpaid employee leave that is not required under state or federal law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154263
House Bill 4250: Mandate homeschool parents register with state
Introduced by Rep. Woodrow Stanley (D) on February 13, 2013, to require the parents of children who are homeschooled to submit the name and age of each child to the state Department of Education at the start of each school year.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154380
House Bill 4251: Revise local road project contracting details
Introduced by Rep. Kevin Cotter (R) on February 13, 2013, to establish that if a township contributes 50 percent or more to the cost of a road project, it can require the county road commission contract for the work through competitive bidding.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154381
House Bill 4252: Allow no-reason absentee voting
Introduced by Rep. Marilyn Lane (D) on February 13, 2013, to eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154382
House Bill 4253: Allow no-reason absentee voting
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 13, 2013, to eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154383
House Bill 4254: Exempt “electric carriages” from motor vehicle regulations
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R) on February 14, 2013, to exempt “electric carriages” from regulations authorized under the Michigan vehicle code. These are defined as “a horse-drawn carriage that has been retrofitted to be propelled by an electric motor instead of by a horse and that is used to provide taxi service”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154399
House Bill 4255: Ban surcharge to use credit
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on February 14, 2013, to prohibit merchants from charging a surcharge to use a credit card.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154400
House Bill 4256: Exempt House cafeteria from blind concessionaire mandate
Introduced by Rep. Cindy Denby (R) on February 14, 2013, to exempt the cafeteria in the House Office Building from a law that requires contracts for concessions in state buildings to be granted only to blind people.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154401
House Bill 4257: Revise liquor license detail
Introduced by Rep. Cindy Denby (R) on February 14, 2013, to extend to counties, villages and townships the provisions of a law that authorizes “redevelopment project area liquor licenses” over and above a particular city’s liquor license quota if the city meets certain redevelopment capital investment thresholds.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154402
House Bill 4258: Authorize a memorial highway designation
Introduced by Rep. Margaret O’Brien (R) on February 14, 2013, to designate a portion of I-94 in Kalamazoo county as the “Officer Eric Zapata Memorial Highway”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154403
House Bill 4259: Extend “Obsolete Property” tax break
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, Jr. (D) on February 14, 2013, for particular developer to revise the criteria in the law that authorizes tax breaks for the rehabilitation and reuse of “obsolete structures” in a way that will allow granting these tax breaks to a particular Detroit developer.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154404
House Bill 4260: Revise mammography report disclosure details
Introduced by Rep. Winnie Brinks (D) on February 14, 2013, to require the summary and written report of a mammography examination sent to a doctor or patient by a federally certified mammography facility to include cautionary information regarding breast density if the patient is determined to have “heterogeneously or extremely dense breast tissue”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154405
House Bill 4261: Mandate dialysis center backup generators
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on February 14, 2013, to mandate that dialysis treatment centers have a backup emergency generator.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154406
House Bill 4262: Revise ban on carrying dangerous weapons
Introduced by Rep. Frank Foster (R) on February 14, 2013, to revise details of which items are banned in the law prohibiting carrying knives “with unlawful intent.” The new language would prohibit an “object designed, manufactured, or intended to be used to cause death or injury.” Among other things this would replace language banning knives with “a blade over three inches in length.” The bill also clarifies that the prohibition does not apply to weapons kept in a person’s home or workplace, or ones being transported between these places and the hunting fields.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154407
House Bill 4263: Designate “Michigan Man” as official state song
Introduced by Rep. Frank Foster (R) on February 14, 2013, to designate “Michigan Man” by Mike Ridley as the official state song. Senate Bill 644 of 2003 would have established as a matter of law that “Michigan, My Michigan” by Douglas Malloch and W. Otto Meissner would be the official state song.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154408
House Bill 4264: Allow consecutive sentences for financial exploitation crime
Introduced by Rep. Tom Leonard (R) on February 14, 2013, to allow sentences imposed for committing certain “financial exploitation” crimes against a vulnerable or incapacitated adult to be served consecutively with sentences imposed for other violations of this statute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154409
House Bill 4265: Allow consecutive sentences for financial exploitation crime
Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R) on February 14, 2013, to allow sentences imposed for for committing certain “financial exploitation” crimes against a vulnerable or incapacitated adult to be served consecutively with sentences imposed for other violations of this statute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154410
Senate Bill 19: Revise mortgage licensure law detail
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on February 20, 2013, to revise details of the selection of representatives of the mortgage industry for a government “mortgage industry advisory board” that advises a state “commissioner of the office of financial and insurance regulation,” but does not itself have any regulatory authority.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=645891
Senate Bill 97: Repeal child car seat penalty waiver provision
Passed 35 to 1 in the Senate on February 20, 2013, to repeal a provision of the law mandating child car seats that waives penalties for a violation if the driver gets a car seat and brings the receipts to court.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=645893
House Bill 4125: Repeal osteopath school “advisory board”
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on February 20, 2013, to eliminate an advisory board created as part of a 1969 law authorizing a state-supported school of osteopathic medicine.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=646050
Senate Bill 205: Increase solicitation of sex from minor penalties
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R) on February 19, 2013, to increase the penalties for the crime of soliciting sex from a minor who is at least 16 years of age.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155089
Senate Bill 206: Increase solicitation of sex from minor penalties
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on February 19, 2013, to revise the sentencing guidelines for the penalty increase proposed by House Bill 4209 for the crime of soliciting a minor 16 years of age or older to commit prostitution..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155090
Senate Bill 207: Subsidize rail and marine freight facilities
Introduced by Sen. John Proos, IV (R) on February 20, 2013, to require rather than just allow the department of transportation to give financial aid to rail and marine freight facilities, including grants and loan subsidies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155226
Senate Bill 208: Revise unemployment benefits detail
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on February 20, 2013, to clarify an unemployment benefits provision related to charges levied against a employer when two or more employers of a single employee are involved.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155227
Senate Bill 209: Extend charity sales tax exemption
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 20, 2013, to veterans groups to include nonprofit veterans organizations under an exemption allowing charitable entities to sell up to $5,000 in goods at retail for fundraising purpose without incurring sales tax liability.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155228
Senate Bill 210: Revise nonprofit sales tax exemption
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 20, 2013, to exempt from sales tax up to $25,000 in aggregate annual retail sales made by a nonprofit organization for fundraising purposes, rather than $5,000 under current law. At least 10 similar bills raising the $5,000 cap have been introduced since 2002.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155233
Senate Bill 211: Establish firefighters’ cancer presumption
Introduced by Sen. Tory Rocca (R) on February 20, 2013, to establish a presumption that cases of certain types of cancer contracted by non-volunteer firefighters arose out of and in the course of employment for purposes of granting workers compensation benefits, unless there is evidence to the contrary, and unless the person is a consistent cigarette smoker.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155229
Senate Bill 212: Revise concealed pistol law sentencing guidelines
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 20, 2013, to revise sentencing guidelines to reflect the concealed pistol license law revisions proposed by Senate Bill 213.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155230
Senate Bill 213: Allow concealed pistols in schools; revise CPL procedures
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R) on February 20, 2013, to allow a teacher, administrator, or other school employee to licensed to carry a concealed pistol to do so in school if the school’s chief executive officer or school board authorizes this. The bill would also remove taverns, child care centers and certain arenas from the concealed pistol permit law’s “gun free zone” provision; eliminate county concealed weapon licensing boards, and transfer the responsibility for issuing concealed pistol licenses to the state police; and revise various other details of this law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155231
Senate Bill 214: Allow NRTC funds for dredging, timber & mining infrastructure
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on February 20, 2013, to revise the rules for use of the money in the Natural Resources Trust Fund. The trust fund receives money from oil, gas, and mineral royalties and leases on state-owned lands and uses this for land acquisitions, and conservation and recreation projects. The bill would allow the money to also be used to be used to develop and maintain road infrastructure for natural-resource based industries including timber and mining, and for waterways infrastructure including breakwaters and dredging.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155232
Senate Bill 215: Authorize state loans to marinas
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on February 21, 2013, to authorize state loans of up to $500,000 to marinas for dredging.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155374
Senate Bill 216: Revise liquor control regulatory regime
Introduced by Sen. Howard Walker (R) on February 21, 2013, to revise many details of the state’s liquor distribution regulatory regime to reflect the recommendations of an advisory committee convened by Gov. Rick Snyder. Among many other changes, the bill would exempt small breweries and wineries from the mandate to only distribute their products through the wholesaler distribution monopolies authorized by this law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155375
House Bill 4266: Increase EITC
Introduced by Rep. Phil Cavanagh (D) on February 19, 2013, to increase the state earned income tax credit from an amount equal to 6 percent of the federal EITC, to 20 percent. This is a “refundable” credit for low income workers (meaning that a check is sent to the taxpayer for the balance of the credit exceeding taxes owed). According to a House Fiscal Agency analysis, this increase would cost $261 million annually.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155098
House Bill 4267: Authorize Detroit college fund
Introduced by Rep. David Nathan (D) on February 19, 2013, to establish a “Detroit college promise fund” to hold and disburse the tax refund contributions proposed by House Bill 4268.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155099
House Bill 4268: Authorize Detroit college fund
Introduced by Rep. David Nathan (D) on February 19, 2013, to allow an individual to choose to automatically contribute $5 or more from his or her state income tax refund to a new a “Detroit college promise fund” proposed by House Bill 4267.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155100
House Bill 4269: Create state school safety commission
Introduced by Rep. David Nathan (D) on February 19, 2013, to create a statewide school safety commission to recommend policies and practices to prevent violent incidents at schools.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155101
House Bill 4270: Subsidize motorists’ gas expense
Introduced by Rep. Jim Ananich (D) on February 19, 2013, to give individuals with annual incomes below $50,000 a gasoline purchase subsidy equal to half the amount they spend on fuel for traveling to and from work. A 25 percent subsidy could be claimed by those with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000, and a 10 percent subsidy for incomes between $75,000 and $100,000. The subsidies are styled as “refundable” tax credits. The bill does not specify which government spending would be cut or taxes raised to provide these subsidies.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155102
House Bill 4271: Authorize and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries
Introduced by Rep. Mike Callton (R) on February 19, 2013, to authorize and establish a comprehensive regulatory regime for medical marijuana dispensaries, including municipal licensure or prohibition, with civil and criminal penalties for violations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155103
House Bill 4272: Authorize school “cardiac emergency response drills”
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 19, 2013, to allow schools to substitute a “cardiac emergency response drill” (presumably involving the use of defibrillator devices) for one of the six fire drills schools are required to hold each year.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155104
House Bill 4273: Require youth athlete cardiac arrest protocols
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 19, 2013, to require the Department of Community Health to develop sudden cardiac arrest educational materials, a training program, and protocols for limiting affected young athletes’ participation in athletic programs; and require schools, recreation agencies, leagues, etc. to comply with procedures the department recommends. Among other things, they would have get youth athletes and their parents or guardian to sign an acknowledgement that they have received the relevant education materials.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155105
House Bill 4274: Revise insurance drug pre-approval details
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 19, 2013, to require Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance policies that require prior authorization for prescription drug reimbursements to use a standardized prior authorization form.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155106
House Bill 4275: Revise insurance drug pre-approval details
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on February 19, 2013, to require insurance companies that require prior authorization for prescription drug reimbursements to use a standardized prior authorization form.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155107
House Bill 4276: Ban mandating “common core standards” in public schools
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 19, 2013, to prohibit the Michigan state Board of Education from implementing the “common core standards” promoted by the “Common Core State Standards Initiative” associated with the National Governor Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Also, to require the board to rescind its adoption of those standards in a 2010 resolution.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155108
House Bill 4277: Require expeditious liquor license issue
Introduced by Rep. Ray Franz (R) on February 19, 2013, to require the Liquor Control Commission to issue a conditional liquor license within 20 days of an applicant submitting all the necessary paperwork, fees, “proof of financial responsibility,” etc. This would expire after one year, or when the regular license is approved or denied, whichever comes first.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155109
House Bill 4278: Mandate environmental assessments for new schools
Introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) on February 19, 2013, to prohibit building a new school unless a preliminary assessment is done to discover whether any hazardous substances are on the property, and if this indicates there are, to undertake the (extensive) cleanup procedures specified under state environmental law. The bill also adds a variety of public notice requirements.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155110
House Bill 4279: Authorize rewards for littering informants
Introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) on February 19, 2013, to establish an illegal dumping informant program which would provide rewards to persons who materially contribute to the imposition of civil fines against litterers or illegal dumpers. The reward would be equivalent to half the fine collected from an illegal dumper.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155111
House Bill 4280: Authorize rewards for littering informants
Introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) on February 19, 2013, to establish an illegal dumping informant program which would provide rewards to persons who materially contribute to the imposition of civil fines against litterers or illegal dumpers. The reward would be equivalent to half the fine collected from an illegal dumper.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155112
House Bill 4281: Expand school “sinking fund” uses to include “technology” and “security”
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCready (R) on February 19, 2013, to allow school districts to use “sinking fund” taxes for “upgrading of technology” or for “school security.” Under current law, sinking funds are permanent funds that may be used only for infrastructure-related spending including the purchase of land or construction and (major) repair of school buildings. The conventional public school establishment has been trying for a dozen years to get this restriction expanded, with more than a dozen bills introduced, several to allow technology spending. In January 2013, following the Newtown school shooting incident, a bill was introduced to allow this property tax revenue to be used for “security;” now this one adds “technology” to that.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155113
House Bill 4282: Post legislative committee recordings online
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on February 19, 2013, to require the Legislature to create an publicly accessible online repository with audio or video recordings of House and Senate committee meetings.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155114
House Bill 4283: Revise allowable deer hunting guns south of “rifle line”
Introduced by Rep. Matt Lori (R) on February 19, 2013, to revise the types of firearms allowed for deer hunting south of the “rifle line” in the Lower Peninsula. In addition to shotguns and muzzle-loading rifles, hunters could use a .35 caliber or larger pistol capable of holding no more than nine rounds, and a .35 caliber or larger rifle loaded with straight-walled cartridges and a maximum case length of 1.80 inches (in other words, not a high-power rifle cartridge, which carry for extremely long distances).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155115
House Bill 4284: Revise ORV shoulder-riding details
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 19, 2013, to authorize local governments to ask the Department of Transportation to allow ORV’s on the shoulders of state trunk line highways in northern Michigan at the request of local governments, where necessary to connect existing ORV networks.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155116
House Bill 4285: Earmark timber sale proceeds to local government PILT disbursements
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on February 19, 2013, to earmark revenue from sales of timber on state land for “payments in lieu of (property) taxes” (PILT) to local governments on state-owned property in their jurisdictions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155117
House Bill 4286: Authorize adoption tax credit/subsidy
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on February 19, 2013, to authorize a $1,200 “refundable” income tax credit for adoption expenses. “Refundable” means the state will send the individual a check for the amount that the credit exceeds his or her tax liability.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155118
House Bill 4287: Designate veteran status on state ID card if requested
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D) on February 19, 2013, to require the Secretary of State to designate on state identification cares whether the card holder is a military veteran, if this is requested by a veteran who has specified documents proving this status.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155119