House Concurrent Resolution 11: Authorize adoption of “Common Core” school standards
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on September 26, 2013, to strip out a provision added in committee that would require the Governor, legislators and school district officials to take tests based on the standards.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160886
House Concurrent Resolution 11: Authorize adoption of “Common Core” school standards
Passed 85 to 21 in the House on September 26, 2013, to authorize the State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education to spend money to implement “Common Core” curriculum promoted by an entity associated with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, subject to various restrictions and conditions specified in the resolution. The authorization does not apply to an associated student testing regime.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672823
Senate Bill 126: Appropriations: Supplemental budget
Passed 104 to 2 in the House on September 26, 2013, to appropriate $747,300 for a dock renovation project at Port Austin State Harbor in Huron County, and revise details of other previously-appropriated money and projects.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672817
Senate Bill 311: Increase tobacco sale to & possession by minors penalties
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to increase the penalties for selling tobacco to minors, from $50 to $100 for a first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses. The increased penalties would also apply to a minor who tries to buy or who possesses tobacco.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672780
Senate Bill 397: Expand a corporate/developer subsidy regime
Passed 33 to 4 in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to authorize creation of a sixth “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). The new entity would be in the Upper Peninsula.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672781
Senate Bill 398: Expand a corporate/developer subsidy regime
Passed 33 to 4 in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to authorize creation of a sixth “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).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672782
House Bill 4229: Appropriations: Supplemental school aid budget
The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to revise details of student test tracking related to high school students in “middle college” programs, which allow them to take some college courses in high school. The amendment would allow the public high school to “count” these students’ test scores in their overall student progress assessments for purposes of meeting various state and federal requirements.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=154243
House Bill 4229: Appropriations: Supplemental school aid budget
The amendment failed 16 to 21 in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to increase public school spending by $100 per-student.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672783
House Bill 4229: Appropriations: Supplemental school aid budget
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to adopt a number of technical revisions to instructions to state departments (”boilerplate language”) contained in the previously-enacted 2013-2014 state budget.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672784
House Bill 4344: Revise special Detroit powers population threshold
Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate on September 26, 2013, to revise the population threshold in a law that gives Detroit the power to define a fire arson investigator as a police officer. The Michigan constitution prohibits passing “local acts” with less than a two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate, so the legislature has circumvented this by granting certain privileges or exemptions to “a city with a population greater than 1 million,” later revised to 900,000, and then 750,000. This bill changes that to 600,000. Also, to establish that the Detroit Chief of Police is automatically deemed to be a state certified peace officer, and extend certification to an person employed as a police officer in another state within the past year if that state has certification standards substantially the same as Michigan’s.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672785
House Bill 4949: Unemployment insurance reform package
Passed 102 to 4 in the House on September 26, 2013, to increase the potential sanctions for taking unemployment benefits to which a person is not entitled.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672811
House Bill 4950: Unemployment insurance reform package
Passed 103 to 3 in the House on September 26, 2013, to potentially increase the unemployment insurance assessments (payroll tax) on an employer who fails to provide a timely notice to the state unemployment agency that a person has been fired rather than laid off, and so is not eligible for benefits.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672812
House Bill 4951: Unemployment insurance reform package
Passed 103 to 3 in the House on September 26, 2013, to revise the allocation of money recovered from unemployment benefit fraud investigations to various government funds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672813
House Bill 4952: Halt unemployment benefits for failed drug test
Passed 82 to 24 in the House on September 26, 2013, to make a person ineligible to collect unemployment benefits if a prospective employer requires a drug test as a condition of a job offer and the individual either refuses to take the test or fails it.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672814
House Bill 4954: Unemployment insurance reform package
Passed 103 to 3 in the House on September 26, 2013, to revise the allocation of money recovered from unemployment benefit fraud investigations to various government funds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672816
Senate Bill 515: Declare blueberry as the official state fruit
Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R) on September 19, 2013, to establish in law that henceforth the blueberry (Vaccinium Cyanococcus) shall be designated as the official State of Michigan fruit. Note: At present, Michigan does not have an official state fruit. Past bills have proposed designating the cherry as the official state fruit, and apple cider as the official state beverage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160840
Senate Bill 516: Convert certain bank tax breaks to cash subsidies
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on September 19, 2013, to allow certain banks that have been granted selective tax credits under the old Michigan Business Tax to essentially convert the balance of their credits into cash subsidies from the state, and revise details of the apportionment of the corporate income tax on the income of banks and affiliates that is earned in other states.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160841
Senate Bill 517: Allow giving state purchase contracts to Michigan companies, not lowest bidder
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on September 19, 2013, to allow the state to not award purchase contracts to the lowest bidder if this is not a Michigan company and a Michigan-based bidder offers the goods at a higher price. The bill would allow this if the Michigan company’s bid is not more than 1 percent higher for contracts greater than $1 million, 5 percent higher for contracts under $500,000, and 3 percent higher for contracts between those amounts.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160842
Senate Bill 518: Authorize “Denver boot” for delinquent court fees
Introduced by Sen. John Proos, IV (R) on September 19, 2013, to empower courts to order that the vehicle of a person who fails to pay a court-ordered penalty, fee, or costs within 56 days be immobilized using a “Denver boot” until the delinquent amounts are paid.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160843
Senate Bill 519: Authorize seizure of lawsuit judgments to pay delinquent court fees
Introduced by Sen. John Proos, IV (R) on September 19, 2013, to require the State Court Administrative Office to maintain a database of people with delinquent court-ordered penalties, fees, or costs, and if a person on the list wins a monetary award in a lawsuit then deduct the delinquent amounts from the award. The same would apply to a person with delinquent child support payments.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160844
Senate Bill 520: Revise details of child support order procedures
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R) on September 19, 2013, to revise notification details of alimony or child support orders, and of restitution orders imposed on individuals who are delinquent in these payments.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160845
Senate Bill 521: Authorize Friend of the Court subpoenas
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R) on September 19, 2013, to authorize Friend of the Court offices to issue subpoenas in unresolved parenting time conflicts in divorce cases.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160846
Senate Bill 522: Repeal child support “service fee”
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 19, 2013, to repeal a $2 monthly fee imposed on court-ordered child support payers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160847
Senate Bill 523: Authorize using delinquent child support payer’s IRA
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on September 19, 2013, to pay arrearage to allow assets in a delinquent child support payer’s Individual Retirement Account to be seized to make up the arrearage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160848
Senate Bill 524: Authorize using delinquent child support payer’s IRA to pay arrearage
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on September 19, 2013, to allow assets in a delinquent child support payer’s Individual Retirement Account to be seized to make up the arrearage. This bill establishes that if the payer goes bankrupt the creditors can’t claim the IRA money if it is being used to cover the child support arrearage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160849
Senate Bill 525: Authorize using delinquent child support payer’s IRA to pay arrearage
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on September 19, 2013, to allow assets in a delinquent child support payer’s Individual Retirement Account to be seized to make up the arrearage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160850
Senate Bill 526: Revise child support recipient detail
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 19, 2013, to establish that court-ordered child support payments should go to the person who is actually caring for the children, not necessarily the person who is “legally responsible” for this.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160851
Senate Bill 527: Revise child support motion filing fee detail
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 19, 2013, to require fees for legal actions involving child custody, support, or parenting time to be paid when the action is filed.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160852
Senate Bill 528: Clarify procedures to seize delinquent child support payer’s lottery winnings
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on September 19, 2013, to clarify procedures related to seizing a delinquent child support payer’s lottery winnings to pay the arrearage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160853
Senate Bill 529: Revise child support guidelines detail
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 19, 2013, to establish that a state “Office of Child Support” has the duty to “develop and implement guidelines for the allocation and distribution of all child support payments”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160854
Senate Bill 530: Revise and update Friend of the Court procedures and powers
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 19, 2013, to revise and update details related to the powers, procedures and duties of Friend of the Court offices.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160855
Senate Bill 531: Repeal landscape architect licensure
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on September 19, 2013, to revise a law addressing construction industry indemnity agreements to reflect the proposal in Senate Bill 513 to repeal licensure of landscape architects.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160856
Senate Bill 532: Let foreclosing lender keep homestead property tax exemption
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on September 19, 2013, to allow a home loan lender who forecloses on the loan to retain the delinquent debtor’s principal residence property tax exemption from school operating millages.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160857
House Bill 4992: Revise state student testing detail
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on September 17, 2013, to allow a school district to alter or omit portions of state student assessment tests that collect demographic information from students or other information not related to the actual test.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160808
House Bill 4993: Increase hunting and fishing fees for PR campaign
Introduced by Rep. Jon Bumstead (R) on September 17, 2013, to increase hunting and fishing license fees by $1 and use the money for ads promoting hunting and fishing. The bill would create a state “wildlife council and wildlife management public education fund” with political appointees on its board representing various interests deciding what advertising agency to hire to do the PR campaign.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160809
House Bill 4994: Ban personal care product “micro beads”
Introduced by Rep. Terry Brown (D) on September 17, 2013, to prohibit the manufacture and sale in Michigan of personal care products containing plastic particles. This refers to “micro beads” in some brands of toothpaste and facial or body washes, which reportedly accumulate in the Great Lakes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160810
House Bill 4995: Allow electronic “proof of insurance”
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on September 17, 2013, to allow “proof of insurance” documents motorists are required to have when driving under the state’s no-fault insurance law to be an electronic communication from the insurance company.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160811
House Bill 4996: Exempt some small stock offerings from state registration
Introduced by Rep. Nancy Jenkins (R) on September 17, 2013, to exempt certain small company stock offerings from state registration requirements if they meet various conditions specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160812
House Bill 4997: Ban sale of e-cigarettes to minors
Introduced by Rep. Rick Outman (R) on September 19, 2013, to ban the sale to minors of electronic cigarettes or any oral device that provides vaporized nicotine.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160824