Senate Bill 13: Eliminate straight ticket ballot option
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on January 20, 2015, to eliminate the straight party ticket option from election ballots.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166782
Senate Bill 14: Restrict radioactive material storage and disposal
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on January 20, 2015, to prohibit storing or disposing radioactive waste from another state or country in Michigan, and ban storing any radioactive material other than what is allowed under current law for nuclear power plants, uranium mines and medical uses. The bill would also create a state advisory board for the purpose of writing a report on the potential impact of depositing radioactive waste deep underground at a site in Kincardine, Ontario, as proposed by an Ontario utility.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166783
Senate Bill 15: Assert immunity of “Michigan-made” firearms from federal gun bans
Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on January 20, 2015, to establish that firearms which are completely made in Michigan may be possessed and sold in this state, notwithstanding any potential federal gun bans claiming authority based on the U.S. constitution’s interstate commerce clause.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166784
Senate Bill 17: Return tax foreclosure profits to homeowner
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 20, 2015, to require any profits from the sale of a tax delinquent residence at a foreclosure auction to be turned over to the (former) homeowner.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166785
Senate Bill 18: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 20, 2015, to require the state to take actions that remove questions about the title to land held “under color of title” by a number of citizens of Clarence Township in Calhoun County, and convey clean titles to these owners.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166786
Senate Bill 19: Clarify ownership for some Calhoun County landholders
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 20, 2015, to establish that the property conveyances that would result from the proposal in Senate Bill 18 would not be subject to the taxable value “bump up” wherein the new basis for property tax assessments becomes the property’s state equalized value (market value), rather than the capped “taxable value”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166787
Senate Bill 20: Require that criminal offenders know act was unlawful for conviction
Introduced by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) on January 20, 2015, to establish that in any new law creating a criminal offense enacted after Jan. 1, 2016, if the law does not indicate whether a “culpable mental state” (“mens rea”) is required to establish guilt, the presumption will be that this is required, meaning that prosecutors must show that the defendant violated the law “purposely, knowingly or recklessly.” If a new criminal law does require a culpable mental state, the bill would require this be shown for “each material element of the offense.” Under current law, many complex “administrative” offenses authorize criminal penalties for actions that a regular person would not know are illegal.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166788
Senate Bill 21: Increase some State Police pensions
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 21, 2015, to revise wording in a provision of the State Police pension law. This appears to make no substantive change and is related to Senate Bill 22 which increases some pensions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166940
Senate Bill 22: Increase some State Police pensions
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on January 21, 2015, to increase the monthly pension payment to certain retired State Police employees by $300.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166941
Senate Bill 23: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 21, 2015, to reverse the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2011 income tax overhaul and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166942
Senate Bill 24: Authorize homestead tax exemption for inherited house
Introduced by Sen. Mike Nofs (R) on January 21, 2015, to establish if a person dies and leaves his or her principal residence to a child, the heir may retain the homestead property tax exemption for up to two years as long as it is vacant and not leased or used for a business operation.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166943
Senate Bill 25: Give TEDF subsidies to hospitals
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R) on January 22, 2015, to allow “Transportation Economic Development Fund” subsidies and spending for medical care and research facilities..
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167087
Senate Bill 26: Revise real estate licensure details
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R) on January 22, 2015, to revise, update and expand many details of the law that imposes a licensure mandate on real estate brokers and salespersons. Among other things, the bill would establish that possession of a law degree or MBA degree would be considered equivalent to 60 of the 90 hours of instruction mandated to obtain a broker’s license.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167088
Senate Bill 27: Revise abortion complication reporting law
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 22, 2015, to require the Department of Community Health to create a form that can be used by an individual who has actual knowledge of a woman who has sought treatment for a physical complication that is a result of an abortion, and which was not reported to the state by the abortion provider as required. The bill establishes procedures to record the information in a manner that would not reveal to an outsider the identity of the woman who is the subject of the report, and transmit it to any physician and health facility named in the form in a manner that does not reveal the identity of the individual who provided the information.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167089
Senate Bill 28: Increase penalties for certain animal abuse crimes
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on January 22, 2015, to revise a 2008 law that increased the penalties for abusing animals in cases of multiple animals, to increase the penalties even more for violations involving 25 or more animals, or when the violator has prior offenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167090
Senate Bill 29: Increase penalties for certain animal abuse crimes
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 22, 2015, to establish sentencing guidelines for the increased animal cruelty penalties proposed by Senate Bill 28.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167091
Senate Bill 30: Exempt certain pension income from state income tax
Introduced by Sen. David Knezek (D) on January 22, 2015, to reverse the provision of Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2011 income tax overhaul and business tax cut that partially eliminated some of the state income tax exemptions for pension income.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167092
House Bill 4035: Allow waiver or jury trial in commercial leases
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to allow commercial lease agreements to include a provision waiving a party’s right to a jury trial in the event of a dispute.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166945
House Bill 4036: Increase liquor distributors reporting requirements
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to require liquor distributors to submit detailed monthly reports on the amount of products they received and delivered, including free “sample” bottles given out to retailers. Also, the require all the regular taxes be paid on those samples.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166946
House Bill 4037: Let township supervisors officiate marriages
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to allow township supervisors to perform (“solemnize”) marriages.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166947
House Bill 4038: Allow eviction notices by email
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on January 21, 2015, to allow landlords to send eviction notices by email, if the lease provides for this.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166948
House Bill 4039: Revise tax foreclosure publication details
Introduced by Rep. Jon Bumstead (R) on January 21, 2015, to revise details of the public notice publication provisions of the law authorizing foreclosure for delinquent property taxes. This applies to the publications a notice may or must be published in, and in certain cases would allow posting on a website.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166949
House Bill 4040: Waive some state fees for veterans
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on January 21, 2015, to revise the documentation required by a veteran to establish a claim to a waiver authorized by a 2012 law of the fees charged under a state-imposed licensure mandate for electricians.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166950
House Bill 4041: Ban welfare and remove children from home for truancy
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on January 21, 2015, to prohibit giving welfare benefits to a household with children who are truants or not being educated, and remove the children from the household.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166951
House Bill 4042: Impose tax on horse-drawn vehicles
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to empower counties to impose a registration fee (tax) of up to $50 on horse-drawn vehicles. A vote of the people would be required.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166952
House Bill 4043: Reduce school aid differences between districts
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to increase the per student school aid “foundation allowance” for lower spending school districts to a level defined in the bill, and lower it for higher spending districts. In the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015 the reduction would be $219, $220 in the following year, and $225 in the third year. Charter schools would get the minimum foundation allowance.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166953
House Bill 4044: Revise government audit requirement
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to exempt government authorities with annual budgets less than $50,000 from an annual audit requirement, and only require audits every two years unless some material deficiency is found by an audit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166954
House Bill 4045: Make target pay arrest warrant costs
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to empower courts to order a person convicted of a crime to reimburse the expenses incurred in executing a bench warrant for the person’s arrest.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166955
House Bill 4046: Require enhanced school bus tail lights
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on January 21, 2015, to mandate that new school buses have “enhanced rear lighting at the top and bottom”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166956
House Bill 4047: Rename a road
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on January 21, 2015, to designate a portion of M-18 between Gladwin and Beaverton in Gladwin County as the “Veterans Memorial Highway”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166957
House Bill 4048: Let library board members get pay
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on January 22, 2015, to allow members of the board of directors of a public libraries to be paid up to $30 per meeting, plus expenses. Library board members are political appointees who under current law receive reimbursement for expenses but no pay.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167164
House Bill 4049: Revise nursing facility tax detail
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on January 22, 2015, to eliminate a “grandfathering” and ownership change qualification from the law that exempts property owned by a “skilled nursing facility” from property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167165
House Bill 4050: Ease gas station liquor license restrictions
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on January 22, 2015, to ease certain restrictions on gas stations that have liquor licenses, among other things changing a requirement that some types of seller must have $250,000 in inventory, changing this to $50,000.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167166
House Bill 4051: Require certain low income housing tax disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 22, 2015, to allow the Department of Treasury to disclose the address of each housing unit that is part of housing projects exempt from property taxes, and whether the units are instead subject to a “service charge”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167167
House Bill 4052: Ban local “community benefit” mandate as condition of developing property
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on January 22, 2015, to prohibit local governments from adopting a “community benefits” ordinance that imposes mandatory wage, benefit, or leave time requirements on developers or contractors as a condition of developing a piece of property. This would also prohibit locals from imposing a “prevailing wage” mandate requiring these employers to pay “union scale” wages to the extent this is not already required by state or federal law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167168
House Bill 4053: Increase penalty for paying a person to run for office
Introduced by Rep. Earl Poleski (R) on January 22, 2015, to authorize up to one year in prison and $500 fine for promising, providing, or accepting valuable consideration to run (or not run) for a political office, not including campaign contributions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167169
House Bill 4054: Expand mobile home court regulation
Introduced by Rep. Andy Schor (D) on January 22, 2015, to impose new licensure conditions mobile home parks; require the state “Manufactured Housing Commission” to notify local governments of any complaints from residents; impose a performance bond mandate on mobile home park owners; impose an annual inspection mandate; authorize placing a park under court-ordered receivership if conditions threaten residents’ health and safety; and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167170
House Bill 4055: Increase mandate on utilities
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on January 22, 2015, to reduce consumption to increase a mandate that requires electric and gas utilities to undertake programs intended to cause net consumption to fall each year. The bill would gradually make the mandates more stringent by requiring annual reductions of 2 percent for electricity and 1.5 percent for gas.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167171
House Bill 4056: Require human trafficking hotline postings
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on January 22, 2015, to mandate that signs giving information about a human trafficking hotline be posted at all highway rest areas, bus and train depots, etc. The signs would also have to be posted at all “adult oriented entertainment” businesses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167172
House Bill 4057: Mandate “disparate impact” study for new industrial facilities
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on January 22, 2015, to require an applicant for an air quality emissions permit to submit a study of the “increased and cumulative risks” of discharges for a project in a “likely disparate impact” area, and require the Department of Environmental Quality to hold a hearing and consider this before issuing a permit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167173
House Bill 4058: Impose new regulations on “petroleum coke”
Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D) on January 22, 2015, to impose new regulations and a permit mandate on the storage and transport of “petroleum coke” (“pet coke”). This is related to a Marathon Oil refinery expansion in Detroit.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167174
Senate Joint Resolution D: Equalize school district funding
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R) on January 21, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a Constitutional amendment to require that by the 2020-2021 school year all school districts receive the same amount of money for operating expenses per student from the state and from local property taxes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166944
Senate Joint Resolution C: Allow NRTC funds for logging and mining infrastructure
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on January 20, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to expand the things for which Natural Resources Trust Fund money can be used. This money comes from oil, gas, and mineral royalties and leases on state-owned lands, and currently may be used for state land acquisitions, and conservation and recreation projects. The measure would allow the money to also 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=166767
Senate Joint Resolution A: Place right to fish, hunt and trap in Constitution
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on January 20, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to establish that the people have the right fish hunt and trap, and to harvest game and fish.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166765
Senate Joint Resolution B: Reduce pay of absent legislators
Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) on January 20, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to reduce the pay of legislators who are absent from a legislative session day. Note: MichiganVotes.org contains a Missed Votes Report that shows the number of roll call votes missed by each current legislator, and a link to a list of the particular votes. The missed votes for past legislators can be looked up on the advanced searches page.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166766
House Joint Resolution A: Repeal constitutional prohibition on graduated state income tax
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to repeal an existing prohibition on a graduated income tax (as opposed to Michigan’s current flat tax). The measure does not specify a rate structure, which would be left to future legislatures.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166518
House Joint Resolution B: Allow private school vouchers for “special needs” children
Introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly (R) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to require the state provide financial support for children with “special needs” to attend the school of their choice, including a nonpublic school, up to the amount that would be provided if the child were enrolled in a regular public school. The measure does not define “children with special needs”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166519
House Joint Resolution C: Lengthen term limits
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to extend the term limits of state representatives and senators, allowing the former up to six terms of two-years each, and the latter up to three terms of four years each. Currently, representatives may only have three two-year terms, and senators two four-year terms. Term limits on legislators and state officers were adopted by a 59-41 percent vote of the people in 1992.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166520
House Joint Resolution D: Require community colleges charge military resident tuition
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on January 15, 2015, to place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to require community colleges to charge active duty military members and veterans no more for tuition than residents of the district covered by the college.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=166521
Senate Bill 16: Allow NRTC funds for state forest logging roads
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on January 20, 2015, to expand the things for which Natural Resources Trust Fund money can be used. This money comes from oil, gas, and mineral royalties and leases on state-owned lands, and currently may be used for state land acquisitions, and conservation and recreation projects. The measure would allow the money to also 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. See also Senate Joint Resolution C.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167232