Senate Bill 196: Revise totaled vehicle title detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 22, 2015, to facilitate insurance companies getting salvage or scrap certificates of title on totaled vehicles from the Secretary of State if needed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712320
Senate Bill 282: Connect Upper and Lower Peninsula power grids
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on April 21, 2015, to establish a process for the state to choose an electric utility power line operator that would connect the Upper and Lower Peninsulas into a single electric grid. This relates to recent conflicts involving Wisconsin utilities and plants that serve central and western U.P. customers.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169316
Senate Bill 283: Require DNR stock walleye fry in some lakes
Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R) on April 21, 2015, to require the Department of Natural Resources to stock inland lakes in certain counties with a number of walleye “fingerlings” specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169318
Senate Bill 284: Mandate homeschool parents register with public schools
Introduced by Sen. Coleman Young, II (D) on April 21, 2015, to mandate that parents of children who are homeschooled submit the name and age of each child to the local public school district at the start of each school year. Also, to mandate that home school children must “meet in person at least twice a year” with either a physician, social worker, friend of the court employee, school counselor or teacher, audiologist, psychologist, law enforcement officer, marriage and family therapist, member of the clergy, or regulated child care provider.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169319
Senate Bill 285: Create a government “commission on pay equity”
Introduced by Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D) on April 21, 2015, to establish a government commission on pay equity to “develop definitions, models, and guidelines for employers and employees on pay equity.” The commission would include the directors of the Department of Civil Rights and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and representatives from the Michigan Women’s Commission, the National Organization of Women, the Michigan Women’s Studies Association, the AFL-CIO, the UAW, the Farm Bureau, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Association (but not the Federation of Independent Businesses). See also Senate Bill 273, which would prohibit paying a person a wage or salary that is less than an amount established under a proposed definition of comparable worth, making doing so a violation of the civil rights laws of the state.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169320
Senate Bill 286: Earmark some sales tax to roads
Introduced by Sen. John Proos (R) on April 21, 2015, to earmark up to $100 million of sales tax revenue collected on fuel purchases to road projects, based on a formula specified in the bill.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169321
Senate Bill 287: Mandate giving perinatal hospice information when birth defect detected
Introduced by Sen. Jim Marleau (R) on April 21, 2015, to mandate that a physician who informs a pregnant woman that the child has a life-limiting medical condition to also inform her about certified perinatal hospice programs, and about various options and sources of relevant information. Also, to require the Department of Community Health to establish criteria for certifying a perinatal hospice program.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169322
Senate Bill 288: Authorize alternative “low cost” car insurance
Introduced by Sen. Virgil Smith (D) on April 22, 2015, to authorize an alternative type of “low cost” auto insurance policy for car owners with incomes below 300 percent of the federal poverty rate and a good driving record. The coverage would be exempt from the regular no fault insurance coverage mandate of unlimited personal injury protection (PIP) benefits for injuruies and instead offer a maximum benefit of $50,000.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169339
Senate Bill 289: Authorize sanctions for bad faith patent infringement claim
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on April 22, 2015, to authorize damages for the target of a patent infringement claim that is made in bad faith. Damages of up to $50,000 or triple the actual loss would be authorized, plus legal costs. If the target demonstrates a “reasonable likelihood” that the claim is made in bad faith then the court could order the claim seeker to post a bond equal to the target’s likely legal expenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169340
Senate Bill 290: Expand Viet Nam veteran grant eligibility
Introduced by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D) on April 23, 2015, to extend a state grant that was given to Viet Nam era veterans under a 1974 law, so that the award would also be given to individuals who were in the military between September 1, 1973 and May 7, 1975. The last U.S. combat troops were withdrawn from Viet Nam in August, 1972.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169344
Senate Bill 291: Authorize wrongful imprisonment compensation
Introduced by Sen. Steve Bieda (D) on April 23, 2015, to authorize payment by the state of civil damages to a person wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he or she did not commit. The damages would be $60,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment, plus “economic damages” including lost wages, plus reasonable attorney fees.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169345
Senate Bill 292: Disclose unfunded liabilities in state budget
Introduced by Sen. John Proos (R) on April 23, 2015, to require the constitutionally required executive budget the governor must submit each year to include an accounting by department of the unfunded liabilities incurred to pay future pension and post-retirement health benefits promised to retired employees (legacy costs).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169346
Senate Bill 293: Require semi-annual state unfunded liability estimates
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R) on April 23, 2015, to require the twice-a-year state “revenue estimating conferences” at which state officials estimate how much tax and fee revenue the state can expect to collect and spend in the coming year, to also estimate the state’s unfunded liabilities. These consist primarily of underfunded “defined benefit” government and school employee pension plans.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169347
Senate Bill 294: Establish rental unit bedbug procedures
Introduced by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R) on April 23, 2015, to prohibit a landlord from renting a unit that he or she knows is infested with bedbugs; prohibit tenants from moving infested items into a unit or attempting to apply pest control treatments to the unit; and require tenants to grant reasonable access to professional pest management personnel and comply with the control protocols established by the landlord. Tenants who cause an infestation would be responsible for treatment costs, and landlords would have limited liability for items damaged by treatment.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169348
Senate Bill 295: Increase “renewable” energy mandates on utilities
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on April 23, 2015, to revise the 2008 law mandating that electric utilities generate at least 10 percent of their power from “renewable” sources by 2015, by increasing this to 20 percent by 2020.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169349
Senate Bill 296: Increase mandate on utilities
Introduced by Sen. David Knezek (D) on April 23, 2015, to reduce consumption to increase a mandate that electric and gas utilities undertake programs intended to cause net consumption to fall. 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=169350
Senate Bill 297: Eliminate renewable energy utility surcharge
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on April 23, 2015, to eliminate a provision that allows electric utilities to impose a surcharge on customer bills to pay for the mandate imposed by a 2008 law that electric utilities generate at least 10 percent of their power from “renewable” sources.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169352
House Bill 4173: Revise principle residence property tax exemption claim process
Passed 108 to 1 in the House on April 22, 2015, to revise details of a real estate transfer tax exemption for homeowners whose home is worth less and is sold for less than when they bought it. The bill eases slightly the eligibility for this exemption, and makes that expansion retroactive for up to four years in the past.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712259
House Bill 4325: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Passed 60 to 49 in the House on April 23, 2015, to establish a process by which school districts would be required to submit their budget projections and assumptions to the state each July, and require intermediate school districts to declare whether they concur with the projections and assumptions. If they did not this would trigger a detailed reporting and oversight process specified in this and related bills. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330 intended to create an “early warning system” for school districts with financial problems.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712387
House Bill 4326: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Passed 60 to 49 in the House on April 23, 2015, to revise a 2012 law establishing various alternative processes for resolving financial crises in school districts to accommodate the proposal in House Bill 4325 and related bills establishing an “early warning system” for school districts with financial problems. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712388
House Bill 4327: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Passed 60 to 49 in the House on April 23, 2015, to revise a law that requires overspending school districts to adopt a deficit elimination plan approved by the state. Among other things the bill would require these plans to be posted online and include an academic reform plan, require additional disclosures to the legislature, and prescribe “enhanced” deficit elimination plans for chronically overspending districts. It would also give the Department of Education explicit authority to withhold state school aid payments to an overspending district. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330 intended to create an “early warning system” for school district with financial problems.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712391
House Bill 4328: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Passed 58 to 51 in the House on April 23, 2015, to give the Department Treasury the authority to withhold state school aid payments from an overspending school district that fails to submit an acceptable “deficit elimination plan” as required by law, or which falls more deeply into financial trouble and must operate under an “enhanced” deficit plan. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4325 to 4330 intended to create an “early warning system” for school district with financial problems.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712394
House Bill 4329: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Passed 59 to 50 in the House on April 23, 2015, to authorize appointment of an Emergency Manager for a public school district that fails to comply with an “enhanced deficit elimination plan” required by House Bill 4327 for a district whose regular deficit elimination plan failed to fix the problem.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712398
House Bill 4330: Establish overspending public school “early warning system”
Passed 60 to 49 in the House on April 23, 2015, to update references to deficit elimination plans in the school aid act to accommodate the overspending school district “early warning system” proposals contained in House Bill 4325 to 4329. The bill would make forfeit 10 percent of a district’s state aid if it fails to comply with provisions of this package or to post budget and other financial information on its website.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712400
House Bill 4331: Increase municipal and school “emergency loan” funding
Passed 64 to 45 in the House on April 23, 2015, to increase from $50 million to $70 million the amount allocated through 2018 for “financial emergency” loans from the state to public school districts, and increase from $35 million to $48 million the amount of such loans to cities, townships, villages, and counties.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712385
House Bill 4332: Increase municipal and school “emergency loan” funding
Passed 105 to 4 in the House on April 23, 2015, to increase from $50 million to $70 million the amount allocated through 2018 for “financial emergency” loans from the state to public school districts, and increase from $35 million to $48 million the amount of such loans to cities, townships, villages, and counties.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712386
House Bill 4354: Revise insurance company trade secret detail
Passed 95 to 14 in the House on April 22, 2015, to allow insurance companies or rating organizations filing on the insurer’s behalf to designate certain information in filings they are required to make with the state as a trade secret. If the state insurance commissioner agrees the information is proprietary then it would not be subject to open records law disclosure.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712260
House Bill 4476: Restrict imposing mediation in domestic relations disputes
Introduced by Rep. Harvey Santana (D) on April 21, 2015, to prohibit a court from ordering the parties in a domestic relations dispute to enter mediation against their will unless certain factors are present, including a personal protection order restraining one of the parties, a court “no contact” order, child abuse or neglect by one of the parties, health and safety concerns, or some other “good cause”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169370
House Bill 4477: Establish confidential “service of process” procedure
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on April 21, 2015, to establish alternative “service of process” procedures for appeals cases. This would provide a means for delivering legal notices to an individual whose address the court has prohibited from being disclosed. See also Senate Bill 257.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169371
House Bill 4478: Authorize PPOs for threats against pets
Introduced by Rep. Robert Kosowski (D) on April 21, 2015, to authorize courts to issue a personal protection order against an individual who threatens, harms or tries to take an animal in which the petitioner has an ownership interest, or who interferes with the petitioner’s efforts to remove the animal from premises the premises of individual to be restrained.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169372
House Bill 4479: Create new crime of assaulting pregnant woman
Introduced by Rep. Amanda Price (R) on April 21, 2015, to make assault and battery against a pregnant women a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment up to 93 days and a $500 fine, with higher penalties (up to five years) for those with prior convictions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169373
House Bill 4480: Revise child custody “best interest of the child” detail
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on April 21, 2015, to establish that in determining the “best interest of child” in child custody dispute cases a court may not “consider negatively” actions taken by a parent in self defense or to protect a child from “the child’s abusive parent”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169374
House Bill 4481: Revise rapist father parental rights detail
Introduced by Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) on April 21, 2015, to revise a law that prohibits granting custody of a child conceived by rape to the rapist unless the parents establish a “mutual custodial environment,” so it still prohibits granting the offender custody unless the other parent consents.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169375
House Bill 4482: Restrict child custody changes for active military member
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on April 21, 2015, to clarify the definition of “active duty” for purposes of a 2005 law prohibiting a court from changing an established child custody or parenting time order of a parent has been called to active duty in the military. See also Senate Bill 9 and House Bill 4071.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169376
House Bill 4483: Mandate employers turn over “comparable worth” pay data
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on April 21, 2015, to mandate that employers provide to employees wage information on “similarly situated employees,” meaning employees who are within the same job classification or whose duties are comparable in skill, effort, responsibility, working conditions, and training. See also Senate Bill 273 and House Bills 4484 to 4487.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169377
House Bill 4484: Increase wage sex discrimination penalty
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on April 21, 2015, to authorize penalties of between $500 and $20,000 depending on the number of employees for an employer who pays different wages to men and women who are “similarly employed.” The bill also removes from the law a provision stating that, “No female shall be assigned any task disproportionate to her strength, nor shall she be employed in any place detrimental to her morals, her health or her potential capacity for motherhood”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169378
House Bill 4485: Authorize a government “pay equity” award
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on April 21, 2015, to authorize a government “pay equity in the workplace” award to “encourage employers to eliminate barriers to equal pay for equal work,” according to criteria that officials in the state Department of Civil Rights would devise.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169379
House Bill 4486: Mandate “comparable worth” wages
Introduced by Rep. Leslie Love (D) on April 21, 2015, to establish a government “commission on pay equity” to “develop definitions, models, and guidelines for employers and employees on pay equity.” House Bill 4487 would prohibit employing a person for a wage or salary that is less than someone else doing a different but “comparable” job “using the criteria of composite skills, responsibility, effort, education or training, and working conditions.” The commission would include the directors of the Department of Civil Rights and the MEDC, and representatives from the Michigan Women’s Commission, the National Organization of Women, and the Michigan Women’s Studies Association, the AFL-CIO, the UAW, the Farm Bureau, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and the Small Business Association (but not the larger Federation of Independent Businesses).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169380
House Bill 4487: Mandate “comparable worth” wages
Introduced by Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D) on April 21, 2015, to prohibit paying a person a wage or salary that is less than an amount established under a proposed definition of comparable worth, making it a violation of the state civil rights law. The bill would prohibit different levels of compensation for work of “comparable value,” meaning a “comparable composite skill, responsibility, effort, education or training, and working conditions.” House Bill 4486 would create a government commission to establish how different kinds of work, experience, training, conditions, etc. would be measured and weighted for enforcement purposes.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169381
House Bill 4488: Mandate “comparable worth” wages
Introduced by Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D) on April 21, 2015, to mandate that firms accepting a state contracts worth $500,000 or more get an “equal pay certificate of compliance” by certifying they are not guilty of various illegal sex discrimination violations, and that they pay compensation based on a concept of “comparable worth” specified in the bill. A firm would have to pay $150 to get this certificate and also answer detailed questions about how it determines employee compensation, the sex and compensation of all current employees, and any other questions created by employees of the state Department of Civil Rights.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169382
House Bill 4489: Mandate employers post government “pay equity” posters
Introduced by Rep. Kristy Pagan (D) on April 21, 2015, to mandate that employers post a notice in their workplace that describes state and federal pay equity laws with contact information for government regulators, subject to a $100 fine for not posting it.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169383
House Bill 4490: Require government “comparable worth” pay report
Introduced by Rep. Vanessa Guerra (D) on April 21, 2015, to require that an annual state government report on state employment trends also include information on “current and projected levels of pay differential for men and women who perform the same work”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169384
House Bill 4491: Mandate “comparable worth” wages
Introduced by Rep. Winnie Brinks (D) on April 21, 2015, to expand a law that bans employer not paying employees of the opposite sex less for equal work on jobs (that require) equal skill, effort, and responsibility…under similar working conditions. Under the bill, differential pay would be banned for “equivalent” job requirements and employee skills (vs. “equal”) performed in “comparable” working conditions (vs. “similar”). Also, the bill would expand this ban to cover wage differentials based on race, religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, height, weight, familial status, or marital status.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169385
House Bill 4492: Mandate “comparable worth” wages
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, III (D) on April 21, 2015, to extend to violations of the “comparable worth” compensation mandates that House Bill 4491 would impose on employers the same sanctions and remedies as those authorized by the state civil rights law.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169386
House Bill 4493: Mandate Holocaust and genocide instruction
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on April 21, 2015, to mandate that public schools must provide high school students at least six hours each school year of instruction about genocides, including the Holocaust.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169387
House Bill 4494: Authorize triple damages for false monetary claim against state
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on April 21, 2015, to create a new “false claims” cause of action, in which an individual or the Attorney General could sue a person who performs one of a wide range of actions that constitute a false or fraudulent monetary claim against the state or a local government. A court would be authorized to award triple damages against the perpetrator, and the individual who brought the suit (or the Attorney General’s office) would be eligible to receive a portion of the damages.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169388
House Bill 4495: Revise delinquent municipal borrower’s repayment procedure
Introduced by Rep. Anthony Forlini (R) on April 21, 2015, to establish that lenders who loan money to a local government, with the loan secured by the borrower’s “unlimited tax pledge,” have a “statutory first lien” (legal claim) on “all taxes subject to the (municipality’s) unlimited tax pledge.” Under the bill, such lenders be less likely to have to go to court to enforce their claim.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169389
House Bill 4497: Liberalize school debt repayment requirements
Introduced by Rep. Roger Victory (R) on April 21, 2015, to eliminate a requirement that school districts must pay back their debt to a state School Bond Loan Fund by a “final repayment date” determined for each district by the state treasurer. The requirement was instituted by a 2005 law to fix the problem of districts extending debt on old projects by combining with additional borrowing for new projects.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169391
House Bill 4499: Increase asset forfeiture burden of proof
Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R) on April 22, 2015, to establish a more rigorous “clear and convincing” burden of proof requirement on a law that gives government the power to seize and sell an owner’s property if it is deemed a “nuisance” due being associated with criminal activity. See also House Bill 4504.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169393
House Bill 4500: Mandate criminal asset forfeiture disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Jim Runestad (R) on April 22, 2015, to amend the state law authorizing sanctions and remedies for identity theft to conform with the criminal asset forfeiture disclosures proposed by House Bill 4504.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169394
House Bill 4501: Repeal archaic laws
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on April 22, 2015, to revise state sentencing guidelines to reflect the repeal of various archaic crimes proposed by House Bill 4248.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169395
House Bill 4502: Designate peeper as official state amphibian
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on April 22, 2015, to establish that the northern spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) shall be designated as the official State of Michigan amphibian. Note: At present Michigan does not have an official state amphibian, but past bills have proposed peepers, marbled salamanders (Ambystome opacum), gray tree frogs (Hyla versicolor) and Blanchard’s cricket frogs (acris crepitans blanchardii). However, Michigan does have an official state reptile, which is the painted turtle (chrysemys picta).
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169396
House Bill 4503: Require police criminal asset forfeiture disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Triston Cole (R) on April 22, 2015, to amend the state’s “Revised Judicature Act” to incorporate the requirements proposed by House Bill 4504 that law enforcement agencies file detailed annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings they were involved in.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169397
House Bill 4504: Require police criminal asset forfeiture disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Klint Kesto (R) on April 22, 2015, to require law enforcement agencies to file annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings concluded, pending or “negotiated.” The bill would also require the reports to disclose for each property seizure the alleged violation; the date the property was seized; whether any person was charged or convicted; a description of the property; its value; whether there was a plea or other agreement; the property’s final disposition; whether the seizure was based on arrangements with federal, state or local agencies (“adoptive” seizure); details of the costs and expenses associated with the seizure and more. The State Police would be required to compile these disclosures into a report and post it on the internet.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169398
House Bill 4505: Increase criminal asset forfeiture burden of proof
Introduced by Rep. Peter Lucido (R) on April 22, 2015, to establish a more rigorous “clear and convincing” burden of proof requirement in the illegal drug law provisions of the Public Health Code that give government the power to seize and sell a person’s property even if the person is not charged or convicted of a crime. See also House Bill 4504.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169399
House Bill 4506: Require police criminal asset forfeiture disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) on April 22, 2015, to amend the illegal drug law provisions of the Public Health Code to incorporate the requirements proposed by House Bill 4504 that law enforcement agencies file detailed annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings they were involved in.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169400
House Bill 4507: Require police criminal asset forfeiture disclosures
Introduced by Rep. Brandt Iden (R) on April 22, 2015, to amend the law that gives government the power to seize and sell a person’s property if it is deemed a “nuisance” because is connected with unlawful activity, so that it reflects the requirements proposed by House Bill 4504 that law enforcement agencies file detailed annual reports on the number of criminal asset forfeiture proceedings they were involved in.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169401
House Bill 4508: Limit forfeiture in minor marijuana crime
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on April 22, 2015, to revise the illegal drug law provisions of the Public Health Code to establish that a vehicle used to transport one ounce or less of marijuana purchased for personal use is not subject to forfeiture provisions that give the government the power to seize and sell a person’s property even if the person is not charged or convicted of a crime.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169402
House Bill 4509: Ban intent to sell ivory and rhinoceros horn
Introduced by Rep. Henry Yanez (D) on April 23, 2015, to ban the importation, sale, purchase, barter, or possession with intent to sell of ivory or rhinoceros horns and products, subject to fines of $5,000 or double the value of the products for second offenses.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169403
House Bill 4510: Authorize charitable contribution income tax credits
Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D) on April 23, 2015, to authorize state income tax credit for donations to nonprofit organizations.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169404
House Bill 4511: Revise state oil pipeline regulation
Introduced by Rep. Sarah Roberts (D) on April 23, 2015, to give the Department of Environmental Quality explicit authority to regulate pipelines used to transport oil or petroleum; mandate that pipeline owners have “emergency response plans” for pipeline leaks that include consultation with local governments; require pipeline owners to pay for regular state inspections of underwater pipelines and more.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169405
House Bill 4512: Revise state oil pipeline regulation
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on April 23, 2015, to authorize the imposition of an annual per-mile oil or petroleum “pipeline impact fee” in an amount that would be determined by the state Public Service Commission, with half the revenue given to the county where a pipeline is located.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169406
House Bill 4513: Revise state oil pipeline regulation
Introduced by Rep. Tom Cochran (D) on April 23, 2015, to give the Department of Environmental Quality explicit authority to regulate pipelines used to transport oil or petroleum, rather than just the Public Services Commission. See House Bill 4511 and 4512.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169407
House Bill 4514: Revise state oil pipeline regulation
Introduced by Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D) on April 23, 2015, to require oil pipeline owners to make a “good faith effort” to employ or contract with Michigan residents and companies in their response activities to any future leak.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169408
Senate Bill 85: Extend preemption of local gun control to air guns
Passed 79 to 31 in the House on April 29, 2015, to revise the state law preempting restrictive local gun control ordinances so it applies to “pneumatic” guns, defined as ones that shoot “a BB or pellet by spring, gas, or air.” Locals could adopt restrictions on possession of these by minors, prohibit “brandishing” them to induce fear, or shooting in a heavily populated area.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712799
Senate Bill 217: Revise forest property tax break references
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on April 28, 2015, to revise references in the property tax law to reflect changes made by a 2013 law in forest property tax breaks.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712647
House Bill 4102: Appropriations: “Omnibus” state budget
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on April 28, 2015, to impose a July 1, 2016 deadline for the Department of Community Health to establish contract performance standards for Medicaid health plans, which are essentially “Health Maintenance Organizations” run by hospitals, and through contracts with the state are the means by which most Medicaid benefits are delivered in Michigan.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=167585
House Bill 4102: Appropriations: “Omnibus” state budget
Passed 59 to 51 in the House on April 28, 2015, the House version of the non-education portion of the state government budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015. (House Bill 4115 contains K-12 school, college and university spending.) This would appropriate $37.857 billion, compared to $37.4 billion originally appropriated the previous year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712723
House Bill 4115: Appropriations: “Omnibus” education budget
Passed 60 to 50 in the House on April 29, 2015, the House version of the K-12 school aid, community college and university budgets for the fiscal year that begins Oct 1, 2015. A separate House budget authorizes the rest of state government spending (House Bill 4102). This bill would appropriate $13.906 billion for K-12 public schools, compared to $13.870 billion originally appropriated for the prior year. It also appropriates $1.527 billion for state universities, compared to $1.516 billion the prior year. Community colleges would get $392 million, vs. $364 million the prior year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712783
House Bill 4151: Repeal criminal sanctions for minor with BB gun
Passed 30 to 7 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to repeal a law that makes it a misdemeanor for a minor unaccompanied by an adult to possess a BB pistol except in his or her own home or yard.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712742
House Bill 4152: Revise firearms definition
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so it longer applies to BB, pellet or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712743
House Bill 4153: Revise firearms definition
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in state statute so it longer applies to BB, pellet or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712744
House Bill 4154: Revise firearms definition
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the law that authorizes hunting and fishing regulations, so that it no longer applies to “air soft” or paint ball guns. Restrictions would still apply to use in the field of BB or pellet guns (precision versions of the latter are often used for hunting). This is part of a package that revises the definition of “firearm” in other statutes so it longer applies to BB, pellet, paint ball or “air-soft” guns.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712745
House Bill 4155: Revise firearms definition
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state penal code so it longer applies to BB, pellet, paint ball or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive.” However, using one of those non-firearms to commit a crime would still be subject to serious criminal penalties (the bill authorizes up to five years for a first offense).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712746
House Bill 4156: Revise firearms definition
Passed 89 to 20 in the House on February 26, 2015, to revise the definition of “firearm” in the state law authorizing regulations on selling, purchasing, possessing, and carrying a handgun, To revise the definition of “firearm” in the state penal code so it longer applies to BB, pellet, paint ball or “air-soft” guns. The new definition would be a gun that “expels a projectile by action of an explosive.” However, using a non-firearm to commit a crime would still be subject to criminal penalties.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=706732
House Bill 4160: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to establish that using a firearm in self defense or to defend one’s home or property under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in such situations is not considered illegal “brandishing,” which means to display or wave a firearm in a menacing or threatening manner. Also, to revise the brandishing law to require the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution. House Bill 4161 clarifies the definition of brandishing.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712751
House Bill 4161: Revise firearms “brandishing” law
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on April 29, 2015, to define “brandishing” a firearm as “to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in a reasonable person.” Under current law “brandishing” is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. See also House Bill 4160, which requires the behavior to be “willful” in order to warrant criminal prosecution, and exempts behavior permitted under the 2006 law repealing a legal “duty to retreat” in a self defense situation or in defense of one’s home or property.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712752
House Bill 4363: Increase mechanical contractor license fees
Passed 100 to 10 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend for another four years certain “temporary” increases in mechanical contractor license fees. This and several related fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712772
House Bill 4364: Increase plumbers license fees
Passed 96 to 14 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend for another four years “temporary” increases in plumbers’ license fees. This and several related fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712773
House Bill 4381: Increase licensure fees
Passed 88 to 22 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase license fees imposed on a range of businesses and occupations in which licensure mandates are imposed as a condition of earning a living. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712776
House Bill 4382: Increase licensure fees
Passed 92 to 18 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase license fees imposed on electricians and electrical contractors. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712774
House Bill 4383: Increase licensure fees
Passed 92 to 18 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase annual building inspector registration fees. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712775
House Bill 4384: Increase business fees
Passed 88 to 22 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase the fees imposed on limited liability corporation annual statements of resident agents. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712777
House Bill 4398: Increase business and occupational licensure fees
Passed 98 to 12 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase annual registration fees imposed on stock brokers and advisors. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712779
House Bill 4399: Increase business fees
Passed 98 to 12 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase the fees imposed on limited liability corporation annual statements of resident agents. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712786
House Bill 4400: Increase livestock dealer licensure fees
Passed 99 to 11 in the House on April 29, 2015, to increase the license fees imposed on livestock dealers, truckers, brokers and agents as a condition of earning a living in this profession, and to revise various details in the licensure-related regulations. Technically, this and related bills extend the sunset on previously enacted “temporary” fee increases. The fee increases were proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as part of his annual budget recommendation.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712787
House Bill 4409: Repeal welfare “extender” subsidy
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on April 29, 2015, to repeal a law that requires the state to send $10 per month for six months to former welfare recipients who leave the they no longer qualify. The House Fiscal Agency reports the extra payments cost the state $116,400 annually.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712797
House Bill 4434: Exempt Kent County from higher foster care payment share
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on April 29, 2015, to make subject to annual appropriations a provision that requires the Department of Human Services to pay all of a $3 per day per child per day rate increase for private providers of foster care services, rather than half the amount.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712798
House Bill 4439: Extend sunset on scrap tire vehicle title tax
Passed 102 to 8 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend from Dec. 31, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2019, the $1.50 tire disposal surcharge fee that is tacked on to vehicle title fees.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712788
House Bill 4440: Shift some road tax money from corporate subsidies to road projects
Passed 107 to 3 in the House on April 29, 2015, to not earmark $12 million in annual road tax money to the state “Transportation Economic Development Fund” next year, and instead use it for regular road projects. TEDF money is a type of corporate subsidy in which the state pays for access improvements related to a particular investor’s or developer’s plant or project.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712794
House Bill 4441: Increase and/or extend government license and permit fees
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend until Oct. 1, 2016 the authorization for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to collect fees for a number of permit mandates imposed on businesses and industries by state environmental laws.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712789
House Bill 4442: Extend part time independent student scholarships
Passed 108 to 2 in the House on April 29, 2015, to limit to community college students (and not university students) a state scholarship program for part-time independent students (ones who are not a “dependent” of their parents). The bill would also replace a $600 limit on the scholarships with one to be determined by the Department of Treasury, and repeal a ban on granting them to seminary students.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712795
House Bill 4443: Increase and/or extend government license and permit fees
Passed 106 to 4 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend for another four years (though September of 2019) a $30 State Police fee for taking fingerprints and completing a criminal record check for employment-related or licensing-related purposes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712790
House Bill 4446: Increase and/or extend government license and permit fees
Passed 103 to 7 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend various license fees charged by the Secretary of State, and the amounts the department charges for commercial look-up services, registration services, and bulk record sales.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712792
House Bill 4448: Increase and/or extend government license and permit fees
Passed 107 to 3 in the House on April 29, 2015, to extend for another four years permit and application fees charged by the Department of Environmental Quality for shoreline and waterway infrastructure and construction projects, including marina projects, seawalls, jetties, docks, wharves, stream enclosures, golf courses, waterfront subdivisions, and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=712793
House Bill 4515: Mandate employers create job description for each position
Introduced by Rep. Erika Geiss (D) on April 23, 2015, to mandate that employers with five or more employees must create a job description for each position that must include “a list of the essential duties and responsibilities; a description of the skills, training, and effort required to perform the job; and the working conditions and schedule.” Also, to mandate that employers make these available to job applicants, and prohibit employers from the initial and revised job descriptions.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169409
House Bill 4516: Make retroactive disabled veteran property tax exemption
Introduced by Rep. Holly Hughes (R) on April 23, 2015, to make retroactive for 2013 and 2014 the principal residence property tax exemption granted to a totally disabled veteran.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169410
House Bill 4517: Revise school bond refunding detail
Introduced by Rep. David E. Rutledge (D) on April 23, 2015, to allow the bond debt of a school district that was consolidated into a larger or different district to be refinanced.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169411
House Bill 4518: Increase renewable energy mandates on utilities
Introduced by Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D) on April 23, 2015, to revise the 2008 law mandating that electric utilities generate at least 10 percent of their power from “renewable” sources by 2015, by increasing this to 20 percent by 2020.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169412
House Bill 4519: Eliminate renewable energy utility surcharge
Introduced by Rep. Julie Plawecki (D) on April 23, 2015, to eliminate a provision that allows electric utilities to impose a surcharge on customer bills to pay for the mandate imposed by a 2008 law that electric utilities generate at least 10 percent of their power from “renewable” sources.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=169413