Senate Bill 276: Require community service work by welfare recipients
Passed 91 to 19 in the House on March 11, 2014, to require welfare recipients to perform community service if they are not already in a welfare-related work or training program, subject to many exceptions.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687214
Senate Bill 329: Ease certain winery and distiller restrictions
Passed 103 to 5 in the House on March 12, 2014, to ease current restrictions on a wine maker, distiller or brandy manufacturer possessing real estate that is occupied by another vendor, which would make these restrictions the same as ones that now apply to brewers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687254
Senate Bill 389: Give high school diploma to Viet Nam veterans
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on March 11, 2014, to grant a high school diploma to veterans who did not graduate but joined the armed forces during Vietnam war.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687213
Senate Bill 504: Revise liquor license law details
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on March 12, 2014, to revise the state Liquor Control Code, establishing that rather than being “liberally” construed, regulator should interpret the intent and purposes it sets forth and “protect the public health, safety, and welfare” of citizens.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687258
Senate Bill 505: Revise liquor license law details
Passed 103 to 5 in the House on March 12, 2014, to codify in law an administrative restrictions on alcohol manufacturers, sellers, and distributors giving bars and restaurants items that promoted brands and prices of their products. Among other things the bill would allow some promotional items to be distributed, but ban giving bars and restaurants glasses with brand logos, while also repealing a ban on their using logoed glassware they buy at retail from another source.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687261
Senate Bill 506: Revise liquor license law details
Passed 107 to 1 in the House on March 12, 2014, to prohibit requiring brewers and beer wholesalers from having to pay a state beer tax more than once every three months. The bill also revises details of which entities are required to deliver the tax.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687264
Senate Bill 507: Revise liquor license law details
Passed 107 to 1 in the House on March 12, 2014, to prohibit requiring wineries, liquor makers or their wholesalers from having to pay a state wine or liquor tax more than once every three months. The bill also revises details of which entities are required to deliver the tax.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687267
Senate Bill 608: Authorize additional state spending, projects, debt, and Medicaid expansion fund source shifts
Passed 106 to 2 in the House on March 12, 2014, to adopt a compromise version of the bill reported by a House-Senate conference committee. This appropriates $215 million in additional spending on roads (including $100 million for extra winter maintenance costs), plus extra money for a variety of other government programs. It authorizes but does not fund a project involving purchase of the Steelcase “Pyramid” building for a loosely defined, education-related “public/private partnership.” The bill also authorizes $60.3 million in new debt for state college and university construction projects. Finally, it adjusts spending in the current year budget to reflect fund source changes triggered by adoption of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion starting in April. For more details see a summary prepared by the House Fiscal Agency.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687278
Senate Bill 608: Authorize additional state spending, projects, debt, and Medicaid expansion fund source shifts
Passed 30 to 5 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to adopt a compromise version of the bill reported by a House-Senate conference committee. This appropriates $215 million in additional spending on roads (including $100 million for extra winter maintenance costs), plus extra money for a variety of other government programs. It authorizes but does not fund a project involving purchase of the Steelcase “Pyramid” building for a loosely defined, education-related “public/private partnership.” The bill also authorizes $60.3 million in new debt for state college and university construction projects. Finally, it adjusts spending in the current year budget to reflect fund source changes triggered by adoption of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion starting in April. For more details see a summary prepared by the House Fiscal Agency.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687285
Senate Bill 636: Facilitate “land line” phone service transition to cell phones
Passed 71 to 39 in the House on March 11, 2014, to streamline regulations on “landline” telephone service providers so as to facilitate transitioning customers to a wireless (cell phone or VOIP) system, and allow phone companies to discontinue landline service after 2016. The bill authorizes appeal procedures requiring a stare investigation for individual customers who believe no equivalent replacement service is available.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687217
Senate Bill 648: Authorize state grants to certain doctors
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 11, 2014, to expand a state scholarship that subsidizes the medical school loans for a student who agrees to provide specified primary care services in an area of the state deemed to have a shortage of such providers. The bill would expand the program to dentists and increase the maximum subsidy to $200,000. Different parts of these provisions are contained in a package comprised of this and Senate Bill 649.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687113
Senate Bill 649: Authorize state grants to certain doctors
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 11, 2014, to expand a state scholarship that subsidizes the medical school loans for a student who agrees to provide specified primary care services in an area of the state deemed to have a shortage of such providers. The bill would expand the program to dentists and increase the maximum subsidy to $200,000. Different parts of these provisions are contained in a package comprised of this and Senate Bill 648.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687114
Senate Bill 650: Revise brewer regulation details
Passed 105 to 3 in the House on March 12, 2014, to allow very small commercial brewers (ones that produce fewer than 1,000 barrels per year, labeled by the bill “qualified micro brewers”) to sell directly to a retail merchant, rather than being mandated to sell through a member of a state beer wholesaler cartel created by current liquor control laws. This is part of a package of modest liquor law reforms comprised of Senate Bills 504 to 507, 651, and House Bill 4277.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687268
Senate Bill 780: Appropriate $27.7 million for state land acquisitions and recreation projects
Passed 33 to 2 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to appropriate $27.6 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=687273
Senate Bill 820: Revise CON health facility rationing board detail
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to require that an individual representing “nonprofit mutual disability” insurance companies be on the board of the state “Certificate of Need” rationing commission, which requires health care providers to seek government permission to open or expand a facility or add certain capital-intensive equipment (like MRIs).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687272
House Bill 4709: Revise beer brewer regulations
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to increase the maximum production level that subjects a brewer to state “microbrewer” regulations (vs. more rigid regular brewer regulations), from 30,000 barrels annually to 60,000.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687275
House Bill 4710: Revise beer brewer regulations
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to increase the number of “brewpubs” in which a single owner can have an interest, from three to six, with a maximum capacity between them of 18,000 barrels of beer per calendar year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687276
House Bill 4711: Revise beer brewer regulations
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to revise a law that prohibits a brewer from having more than one brewery in the state that sells beer at retail for on-premises consumption. The bill increases this to two, and three for “microbrewers” who produce more than 30,000 barrels per year (and less than 60,000).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687283
House Bill 4711: Revise beer brewer regulations
Passed 34 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to revise a law that prohibits a brewer from having more than one brewery in the state that sells beer at retail for on-premises consumption. The bill increases this to two, and three for “microbrewers” who produce more than 30,000 barrels per year (and less than 60,000).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687277
House Bill 4810: Revise lower homestead tax for assisted living residents
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 11, 2014, to revise a 2012 law that allows an individual who moves into an assisted living facility to retain the principal residence property tax exemption on his or her own residence, by removing a condition that the home must not be for sale.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687112
House Bill 4941: Revise nurse license reciprocity detail
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on March 12, 2014, to extend licensing reciprocity to licensed Canadian nurses.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687270
House Bill 4964: Authorize automatic government employee 401(k) enrollments
Passed 106 to 2 in the House on March 12, 2014, to allow the state, schools and local governments to automatically enroll eligible employees in 401(k) type retirement accounts, with a percentage of the individual’s pay deposited in the account. An employee could choose to opt-out of deductions and deposits.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687271
House Bill 5282: Allow deadly force to defend nuclear plants
Passed 102 to 6 in the House on March 12, 2014, to explicitly allow an officer providing security at a nuclear generating plant to use deadly force if he or she “honestly and reasonably believes (it) is necessary to prevent” a person from breaking in with the intent to inflict harm, engage in radiological sabotage or steal nuclear material. This would include immunity from lawsuits.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687252
House Bill 5342: Clarify prescription drug “use tax” exemption
Passed 107 to 1 in the House on March 12, 2014, to exempt over-the-counter drugs from use tax if they are obtained under a prescription.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687253
Senate Bill 610: Revise state ban on short-barreled rifles and shotguns
Passed 103 to 6 in the House on March 13, 2014, to revise a state ban on short-barreled rifles or shotguns to clarify that it bans guns that are banned under federal law, which exempts antiques and “curios and relics”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687500
Senate Bill 759: Revise beaver trap license restriction
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 13, 2014, to repeal a prohibition on a person with a state “fur dealer license” also having a license to trap beaver.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687465
House Bill 4155: Make government firearms ownership databases non-public information
Passed 81 to 28 in the House on March 13, 2014, to establish that state databases containing information on licenses issued to individuals to purchase, carry, possess, or transport pistols are confidential and not subject to disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687493
House Bill 4740: Revise county medical care facility board of trustees detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 13, 2014, to revise the details governing appointments by county boards to the board of trustees of the Pinecrest Medical Care Facility in the Upper Peninsula, a joint county medical care facility for Menominee, Dickinson, and Delta Counties.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687464
House Bill 4811: Revise “military family relief fund” details
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on March 13, 2014, to expand the conditions and revise procedures for military families applying for assistance from a state “military family relief fund” created by a 2004 law for families who are suffering financial stress as a result of the military service, or who have an emergency. Also, to allow $50,000 from the fund to be used for annual advertising and marketing. The money comes from an income tax checkoff.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687463
House Bill 5085: Revise restrictions on minors shooting pistols
Passed 107 to 2 in the House on March 13, 2014, to revise the law that requires minors shooting a pistol to do so only under the supervision of a parent or guardian, so as to allow this supervision to be provided by an adult age 21 or older who has successfully completed a pistol safety training course that meets the requirements of the state’s concealed pistol law.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687503
House Bill 5091: Establish that open firearms carry is not “brandishing”
Passed 104 to 5 in the House on March 13, 2014, to revise the definition of illegally “brandishing” a firearm to state that it applies only to a person who acts in a “willful” manner. The bill would also establish that pointing a gun at someone to defend oneself or another is not “brandishing.” House Bill 5092 establishes a statutory definition of brandishing that requires an “intent” to threaten.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687501
House Bill 5092: Establish that open firearms carry is not “brandishing”
Passed 105 to 4 in the House on March 13, 2014, to define “brandishing” a firearm as “to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear.” Under current law “brandishing” is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. See also House Bill 5091.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687502
House Bill 5324: Make government firearms ownership databases non-public information
Passed 88 to 21 in the House on March 13, 2014, to establish that a firearms-related court order or disposition entered into the state’s Law Enforcement Information Network (LIEN) is not subject to disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687494
House Bill 5325: Make government firearms ownership databases non-public information
Passed 89 to 20 in the House on March 13, 2014, to define the state databases containing information on individual firearms ownership that House Bill 5227 would make confidential and not subject to disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687495
House Bill 5326: Make government firearms ownership databases non-public information
Passed 87 to 22 in the House on March 13, 2014, to revise a provision of the state concealed pistol license law so it conforms with the proposal in House Bill 5227 establishing that state firearms owner records would be exempt from disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687496
House Bill 5327: Make government firearms ownership databases non-public information
The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 12, 2014, to add House Bill 4774 to the ones that must pass for this bill to become law. HB 4774 would expand to all gun purchases, including rifles and shotguns, a state pistol purchase “license” mandate that applies to person-to-person sales but not gun store sales.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=163504
House Bill 5327: Make government firearms ownership databases non-public information
Passed 82 to 27 in the House on March 13, 2014, to establish that state records and databases related to individual firearms ownership and permits are confidential and not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The bill authorizes law enforcement exceptions allowing access based on reasonable suspicion of a crime or threat, and a $500 civil fine for violations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=687498