House Bill 4069: Expand forest property tax breaks
Passed 98 to 12 in the House on March 19, 2013, to not impose a property tax “recapture” charge assessed when property is withdrawn from a program granting tax exemptions to owners of large tracts of forest generally grown for “industrial” uses (like paper mills), if the property is entered into a similar “qualified forest” tax break program for private owners of smaller parcels. The program for the larger “industrial” forests requires owners to grant public recreational access, while the small-owner one does not. See also House Bill 4320.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654664
House Bill 4243: Revise forest property tax breaks
Passed 95 to 15 in the House on March 19, 2013, to revise the formula used to calculate the property tax “recapture rate” assessed when productive forestland is withdrawn from a program granting property tax exemptions to owners of smaller “non-industrial” sized parcels of forestland, with the rate depending on whether timber has been harvested on the property. See also House Bills 4069 and 4320.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654665
House Bill 4244: Revise forest property tax breaks
Passed 95 to 15 in the House on March 19, 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 House Bill 4243.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654666
House Bill 4320: Expand forest property tax breaks
Passed 94 to 16 in the House on March 19, 2013, to expand the eligibility for certain forest property tax breaks to owners of smaller parcels (a separate program gives breaks to large “industrial” forest tracts), double the number of acres eligible for these smaller “qualified forest” tax breaks from 1.2 million to 2.4 million statewide, authorize a new 2 mill property tax on property in this program that would go to proposed “Private Forestland Enhancement Fund” to subsidize private forestland management activities, and revise other details of this program.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654667
House Bill 4321: Expand forest property tax breaks
Passed 95 to 15 in the House on March 19, 2013, to earmark to a proposed “private forestland enhancement fund” the tax revenue that is “recaptured” from a parcel which had been eligible for certain commercial forest property tax breaks but no longer meets the eligibility criteria. See also House Bill 4320.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654668
House Bill 4322: Expand forest property tax breaks
Passed 93 to 17 in the House on March 19, 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 House Bill 4320.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654669
House Bill 4323: Expand forest property tax breaks
Passed 99 to 11 in the House on March 19, 2013, to expand the powers and duties of the 79 government “conservation district” authorities in the state, among other things giving them a role in granting the extensive property tax breaks for forestland owners which House Bill 4320 would expand and modify.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654670
House Bill 4324: Expand forest property tax breaks
Passed 100 to 10 in the House on March 19, 2013, to expand to privately owned forestland a state program in which farms are inspected and their compliance with certain conservation, environmental risk, soil nutrient protocols, etc. is verified, giving them qualified exemptions from certain environmental law penalties. See also House Bill 4320.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654671
House Bill 4325: Revise DNR and Agriculture Department “mission statements”
Passed 99 to 11 in the House on March 19, 2013, to explicitly include among the duties of the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture that they work together to jointly promote forestry and development of the state’s forest products industry.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654672
House Bill 4337: Authorize Ducks Unlimited fundraising plate
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 19, 2013, to require the Secretary of State to develop a Ducks Unlimited fundraising license plate, with most of the fees collected for the plate going to the Michigan Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, and some spent on wetland conservation “education and outreach” campaigns.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654551
Senate Bill 19: Revise mortgage licensure law detail
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on March 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=654946
Senate Bill 31: Revise regulation of trusts detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 20, 2013, to establish that a trustee of a trust has an “insurable interest” in the life of an individual insured under a life insurance policy owned by the trustee acting in a fiduciary capacity for the trust, given certain conditions specified in the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654863
Senate Bill 32: Revise regulation of trusts detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 20, 2013, to establish that a trustee of a trust has an “insurable interest” in the life of an individual insured under a life insurance policy owned by the trustee acting in a fiduciary capacity for the trust, given certain conditions specified in the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654864
Senate Bill 65: Revise income tax withholding detail
Passed 107 to 3 in the House on March 20, 2013, to revise details of the statute requiring employee income tax payments for businesses categorized as a “flow-through entity”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654945
Senate Bill 95: Repeal right-to-work
The motion passed 26 to 9 in the Senate on March 19, 2013, to postpone any action on a Democratic motion to discharge the bill from committee and bring the bill directly to the full Senate until the very last day of 2013 session, which is generally a pro-forma session in which substantive measures are not voted on.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654641
Senate Bill 96: Repeal right-to-work
The motion passed 26 to 9 in the Senate on March 19, 2013, to postpone any action on a Democratic motion to discharge the bill from committee and bring the bill directly to the full Senate until the very last day of 2013 session, which is generally a pro-forma session in which substantive measures are not voted on.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654642
Senate Bill 178: Revise insurance drug pre-approval details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 20, 2013, to require insurance companies that require prior authorization for prescription drug reimbursements to use a standardized prior authorization form.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654865
Senate Bill 179: Revise insurance drug pre-approval details
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 20, 2013, to require Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance policies that require prior authorization for prescription drug reimbursements to use a standardized prior authorization form.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654866
Senate Bill 219: Designate veteran status on state ID card if requested
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 20, 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.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654862
Senate Bill 233: Appropriate $23.5 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 20, 2013, to specify that money the bill appropriates to research criminal sentencing reform be used for a contract with the Council of State Governments to continue a review of the length of prison stays and parole board discretion in this state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=155877
Senate Bill 233: Appropriate $23.5 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Passed 107 to 3 in the House on March 20, 2013, to appropriate $23.3 million from the state Natural Resources Trust Fund for various land acquisitions and recreation projects, $21 million in non-NRTF money for dredging public boating access sites and harbors, and another $3 million for a veterans benefits initiative. State oil and gas well royalty money is earmarked to the NRTF.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654983
Senate Bill 236: Revise legal notice publishing detail
Passed 35 to 2 in the Senate on March 20, 2013, to make permanent a provision allowing annual cost-of-living increases in the rates that newspapers may charge for publishing legal notices from matters arising out of court proceedings that are required by law to be published.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654867
Senate Bill 252: Authorize state subsidies for marina dredging projects
Passed 106 to 4 in the House on March 20, 2013, to appropriate $1 million for state subsidies to private marinas for harbor dredging. The state would pay 5 percent of bank loans of up to $500,000 per marina.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654984
Senate Bill 256: Revise state “supply chain management development commission”
Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate on March 20, 2013, to revise details of a 2008 law that created a state “supply chain management development commission” with the mission of developing “a road map for attracting, supporting, marketing, and growing the international trade, supply chain, and logistics industries.” The bill would change the name of this entity, move it from the Department of Treasury to the Michigan Strategic Fund agency, allow this entity to be funded with state tax and fee revenue (rather than just federal or other funds), and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654868
Senate Bill 264: Accelerate dredging permit processing deadlines
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on March 21, 2013, to accelerate the deadline for the state to process a dredging permit, and reduce the fees if the dredged material is at least 90 percent sand.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655146
House Bill 4093: Eliminate .08 BAC drunk driving sunset
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on March 20, 2013, to make permanent the 2003 decrease in the drunk driving intoxication threshold (from .10 to .08 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood) mandated by the federal government as a condition of federal road funding.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654943
House Bill 4127: Require GPS tether for “assaultive crime” bail
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on March 21, 2013, to specifically authorize GPS “tether” monitoring of defendants on bail for any “assaultive” crime, at the discretion of the judge.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655370
House Bill 4131: Eliminate .08 BAC drunk driving sunset
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on March 20, 2013, to eliminate the 2013 sunset on the .08 grams per 100 milliliters blood-alcohol-content (BAC) threshold for drunk driving offences. Under current law, on Oct. 1, 2013 the limit returns to .10 grams per 100 milliliters. This bill amends the state sentencing guidelines law; see also House Bill 4093.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=654944
House Bill 4177: Revise vulnerable adult abuse law detail
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on March 21, 2013, to clarify a reference to vulnerable adult abuse in the first degree murder statute. The bill would define first-degree murder as murder perpetrated in the commission of not just first degree vulnerable adult abuse, but also second degree.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655371
House Bill 4264: Allow consecutive sentences for financial exploitation crime
Passed 102 to 8 in the House on March 21, 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. Consecutively means “back-to-back” sentences, as opposed to “concurrently,” which means sentences are served at the same time.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655369
House Bill 4274: Revise insurance drug pre-approval details
Passed 102 to 7 in the House on March 21, 2013, to require Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance policies that require prior authorization for prescription drug reimbursements to use a standardized prior authorization form.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655344
House Bill 4275: Revise insurance drug pre-approval details
Passed 101 to 8 in the House on March 21, 2013, to require insurance companies that require prior authorization for prescription drug reimbursements to use a standardized prior authorization form.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655345
House Bill 4277: Require expeditious liquor license issue
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on March 21, 2013, to require the Liquor Control Commission to issue a conditional liquor license for a new beer-and-wine retail merchant, or the transfer of an existing restaurant or bar’s license, within 20 days of an applicant submitting all the necessary paperwork, fees, “proof of financial responsibility,” etc. This license would expire after one year, or when the regular license is approved or denied, whichever comes first.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655361
House Bill 4369: Codify “education achievement authority” for failed schools
The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 20, 2013, to repeal the law authorizing charter schools.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=156558
House Bill 4369: Codify “education achievement authority” for failed schools
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 20, 2013, to phase-in an eventual cap of 50 on the number of academically-failed schools the authority could manage.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=156558
House Bill 4369: Codify “education achievement authority” for failed schools
Passed 57 to 53 in the House on March 21, 2013, to codify in statute the powers and structure of a state “education achievement authority” (already created by means of an administrative “interlocal agreement”), which is an office in the Department of Education tasked with managing, overseeing or contracting-out the operations of public schools deemed to have failed academically.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655375
House Bill 4376: Repeal “proprietary school solicitor” permit mandate
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal a law that requires an individual operating as a proprietary school solicitor to obtain a permit from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Solicitors are responsible for recruiting potential students to proprietary schools that provide training in a specific trade, occupation or vocational field.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655362
House Bill 4377: Repeal “community planner” registration mandate
Passed 95 to 15 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal a registration mandate imposed on professional “community planners” who prepare government land use plans.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655363
House Bill 4378: Repeal interior designer registration
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal a law that establishes a government interior designer registry and makes it available to state or local government agencies. To be included on the registry a designer must have passed a test created by a national organization of incumbent interior designers. This organization has sought repeatedly in this state to impose a full licensure and regulatory regime on interior designers, with several bills introduced in previous legislatures. The bill was amended to leave in place a peculiar provision “allowing” interior designers to provide design services (explicit government permission is generally not required to practice a non-licensed occupation in this country).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655364
House Bill 4379: Repeal registration for foresters
Passed 105 to 5 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal statutory references to registered foresters. House Bill 4281 would repeal registration provisions for foresters.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655365
House Bill 4380: Repeal registration for foresters
Passed 105 to 5 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal statutory references to registered foresters. House Bill 4281 would repeal registration provisions for foresters.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655366
House Bill 4381: Repeal registration for foresters
Passed 105 to 5 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal a law that provides for government registration of foresters. Individuals are prohibited from using the title of “registered forester” unless they have graduated from an accredited college or university and have two or more years of forestry work experience.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655367
House Bill 4392: Repeal ocularist registration
Passed 105 to 5 in the House on March 21, 2013, to repeal a law that provides for the registration of ocularists and ocularist apprentices, who design, fabricate, and fit “ocular prosthetic appliances,” or artificial eyes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655368
House Bill 4398: Reduce certain dredging permit fees and restrictions
Passed 33 to 2 in the Senate on March 21, 2013, to reduce the permit fees for dredging projects where 90 percent of the dredge material is shown to be sand, and allow the Department of Environmental Quality to bypass a 20-day objection period and issue permits if emergency conditions exist. This and House Bill 4400 reduce the fees, and House Bill 4399 allows the objection period waiver.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655147
House Bill 4399: Reduce certain dredging permit fees and restrictions
Passed 34 to 1 in the Senate on March 21, 2013, to reduce the permit fees for dredging projects where 90 percent of the dredge material is shown to be sand, and allow the Department of Environmental Quality to bypass a 20-day objection period and issue permits if emergency conditions exist. This bill allows the objection period waiver, and House Bill 4400 reduces the fees.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=655148