Senate Bill 450: Give certain government employees property tax break
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on July 31, 2013, to grant a state income tax credit to teachers and public safety personnel who buy and move into a home in a run-down area that has been repossessed by the federal Housing and Urban Development agency and sold at a steep discount. Under a federal “Good Neighbor Next Door Program,” such purchase discounts are available only to these government employees. The bill would allow these buyers to cut their state income tax liability by the amount they owe each year in property tax. If the property tax amount is higher than their income tax liability the difference could not be “refunded,” however.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160591
Senate Bill 451: Authorize state child care subsidies and tax breaks
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on July 31, 2013, to authorize a “refundable” state income tax credit (essentially a cash subsidy in many cases) that would be a percentage of a federal income tax child care credit the individual can claim, with the percentage “means tested” on the basis of gross income (ranging from 110 percent for households with less than $25,000 income to 20 percent for those between $65,000 and $100,000).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160592
Senate Bill 452: Give in-state vendors “second chance” on state contracts
Introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich (D) on July 31, 2013, to establish that if a Michigan company is out-bid by an out-of-state company on a state contract, the state must give it 30 days to match or beat the lower bid.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160593
Senate Bill 453: Give in-state vendors “second chance” on state contracts
Introduced by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on July 31, 2013, to establish that if a Michigan company is out-bid by an out-of-state company on a state contract, the state must give it 30 days to match or beat the lower bid.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160594
Senate Bill 454: Ban sex offender’s participation in Halloween, birthday parties, etc.
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on July 31, 2013, to prohibit convicted sex offenders whose crime involved a minor from participating in Halloween costumes and “trick or treats,” children’s birthday parties, and similar non-holiday activities involving minors.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160595
Senate Bill 455: Mandate mental health insurance “parity”
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on July 31, 2013, to impose a new coverage mandate that would require health insurance companies to include in all their policies coverage for mental health treatment, and prohibit requiring a higher deductible or co-pay, or providing a lower benefit level, than those that apply to coverage for physical ailments.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160596
Senate Bill 456: Mandate mental health insurance “parity”
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on July 31, 2013, to impose a new coverage mandate that would require Blue Cross Blue Shield to include in all their health insurance policies coverage for mental health treatment, and prohibit requiring a higher deductible or co-pay, or providing a lower benefit level, than those that apply to coverage for physical ailments.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160597
Senate Bill 457: Authorize “second parent adoption”
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) on July 31, 2013, to provide for “second parent adoption” in Michigan law. This is a legal procedure that allows a same-sex parent to adopt his or her partner’s biological or adoptive child without terminating the first parent’s legal status as a parent.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160598
Senate Bill 458: Give tax break to new oil refinery
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on July 31, 2013, to grant a 10 year property tax exemption to the owners of a new oil refinery that is built in Michigan.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160599
Senate Bill 461: Impose term limits on charter school boards
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on July 31, 2013, to impose five-year “term limits” on charter school board members (but not on members of conventional school boards), after which they would be prohibited from being on the board again for 10 years. The bill also would require at least two parents be on the charter board, impose attendance requirements, require there be at least seven members on the board, and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160600
Senate Bill 422: Create new low-income medical welfare program
Failed 9 to 29 in the Senate on August 27, 2013, to create a new state medical welfare program that for a minimal monthly premium ($5 to $20) would provide insurance benefits to individuals below the federal poverty level who are not eligible for federal Medicaid subsidies (which mostly applies to childless adults). This is potentially an alternative to the Medicaid expansion portion of the federal health care law called “Obamacare” by most people.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=671997
House Bill 4132: Revise conservation district vacancy detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on August 27, 2013, to give the Department of Natural Resources the authority to appoint a person to fill a county conservation district board vacancy until the next annual meeting at which directors are selected. The bill also revises some other details related to these government entities.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=671988
House Bill 4541: Extend “Obsolete Property” tax break for particular developer
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on August 27, 2013, 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 project. The bill would also require the state Tax Commission to post online information about applications for these tax break exceptions that are approved or disapproved, and also send this information to the legislators representing the area where an applicant is located.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=671991
House Bill 4714: Accept federal health care law Medicaid expansion
Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on August 27, 2013, to expand Medicaid eligibility to families and childless adults up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which implements a key component of the federal health care law (aka “Obamacare”). Under that law, the feds are supposed to pay 100 percent of the expansion’s cost during the first three years, with the state responsible for not more than 10 percent of the costs starting in 2020.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672004
House Bill 4714: Accept federal health care law Medicaid expansion
The motion failed 24 to 14 in the Senate on August 27, 2013, to give the bill immediate effect. Without a two-thirds majority on this vote, the Medicaid expansion cannot proceed until 90 days after the 2013 legislative session concludes at the end of the year. Under the federal health care law, the expansion is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2014.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672005