Senate Bill 134: Appropriations: “Omnibus” education budget
Passed 24 to 14 in the Senate on May 5, 2015, the Senate version of the K-12 school aid, community college and university budgets for the fiscal year that begins Oct 1, 2015. A separate Senate budget authorizes the rest of state government spending (Senate Bill 133). This bill would appropriate $13.969 billion for K-12 public schools, compared to $13.870 billion originally appropriated for the prior year. It also appropriates $1.541 billion for state universities, compared to $1.516 billion the prior year. Community colleges would get $394 million, vs. $364 million the prior year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713160
House Bill 4239: Allow disabled to hunt from “personal assistive mobility device”
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 5, 2015, to allow a disabled individual to hunt small game from an electric “personal assistive mobility device,” subject to conditions and restrictions specified in the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713208
House Bill 4319: Revise stop at railroad crossings law detail
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 5, 2015, to revise the law that requires a vehicle to stop at railroad crossings. Currently, this does not apply if a track is “abandoned,” and the bill would expand this to one that is “inactive,” which means the track has been covered or removed and all signs, signals, and other warning devices have been removed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713210
House Bill 4320: Revise stop at railroad crossings law detail
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 5, 2015, to authorize posting signs that say “exempt” at inactive railroad crossings where the tracks have been removed or covered up, which would mean school buses are not required to stop. See also House Bill 4319.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713211
House Bill 4390: Allow financial literacy as high school economics credit
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 5, 2015, to allow a financial literacy or “personal economics” course to be substituted for the one-half credit economics course required under state high school graduation standards.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713209
Senate Bill 133: Appropriations: 2015-2016 “Omnibus” budget
Passed 23 to 15 in the Senate on May 5, 2015, the Senate version of the non-education portion of the state government budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2015. This would appropriate $38.0 billion, compared to $37.4 billion originally appropriated the previous year. Of this, $17.2 billion comes from state tax, fee and other revenue, compared to $17.6 billion the previous year. The rest of this budget is federal money ($20.8 billion, compared to $19.8 billion the previous year). The education portion of the budget (K-12, community colleges and state universities) is in Senate Bill 134. Altogether, the Senate proposes to spend $53.9 billion next year, vs. $53.2 billion originally appropriated for the current year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713157
Senate Bill 134: Appropriations: “Omnibus” education budget
Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate on May 5, 2015, the Senate version of the K-12 school aid, community college and university budgets for the fiscal year that begins Oct 1, 2015. A separate Senate budget authorizes the rest of state government spending (Senate Bill 133). This bill would appropriate $13.969 billion for K-12 public schools, compared to $13.870 billion originally appropriated for the prior year. It also appropriates $1.541 billion for state universities, compared to $1.516 billion the prior year. Community colleges would get $394 million, vs. $364 million the prior year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713133
House Bill 4069: Revise criminal defendant “youthful trainee status”
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on May 7, 2015, to make 21 to 23 year old offenders eligible for criminal defendant “youthful trainee status,” which provides a mechanism for not including the offense on a youth’s permanent record. The bill would also establish various conditions for this status, including a full time school, work or community service requirement and more.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713275
House Bill 4071: Restrict child custody changes for active military member
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 7, 2015, to revise 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 (unless it is the best interest of the child), so as to also allow the military parent to request a stay until he or she has returned from duty at any stage before final judgment in the proceedings.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713330
House Bill 4135: Revise criminal defendant “youthful trainee status”
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on May 7, 2015, to require (rather than just “allow”) that if a young criminal assigned to “youthful trainee status” (which provides a mechanism for not including an offense on the youth’s permanent record) is convicted for a serious felony listed in the bill while in this program, the “trainee” status must be revoked (which means the previous crime also goes on the person’s record).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713277
House Bill 4169: Revise “boot camp” prison alternative detail
Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on May 7, 2015, to eliminate the option of sending a youthful offender to prison for up to three years eligible instead of assigning him to a “special alternative incarceration” sentencing program, changing this instead to sending him to prison for two years, parole for three years, or a county jail for up to one year.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713276
House Bill 4333: Prohibit MEGA corporate subsidy deal modifications
Passed 105 to 5 in the House on May 7, 2015, to prohibit state “economic development” officials from amending or modifying a corporate tax break and subsidy deal granted to certain businesses and developers under a Michigan Economic Growth Authority law repealed in 2011. The bill was introduced after it was revealed that these agreements have generated an unfunded liability of nearly $10 billion for the state, and that officials continue to amend the deals in ways that may increase this.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713292
House Bill 4334: Prohibit MEGA corporate subsidy deal modifications
Passed 104 to 6 in the House on May 7, 2015, to prohibit state “economic development” officials from amending or modifying a corporate tax break and subsidy deal granted to certain businesses and developers under a Michigan Economic Growth Authority law repealed in 2011. The bill was introduced after it was revealed that these agreements have generated an unfunded liability of nearly $10 billion for the state, and that officials continue to amend the deals in ways that may increase this.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713293
House Bill 4362: Revise workers comp insurance detail
Passed 109 to 1 in the House on May 7, 2015, to establish that employers in a workers compensation self-insurance group possess a proportional share of the group’s assets that exceed its self-insurer group obligations, and require these groups to establish processes and procedures to distribute the excess, with state approval.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713376
House Bill 4389: Redesignate a road
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 7, 2015, to designate a segment of US 12 in Berrien County as the “ Trooper Steven B. Devries Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713328
House Bill 4432: Ban “two for one” or “all you can drink” sales at bars
Passed 106 to 4 in the House on May 7, 2015, to prohibit bars and restaurants from offering “all you can drink” for a fixed price or “two for the price of one” promotions and sales. This would not be prohibited at a private function.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713294
House Bill 4467: Allow more dangerous prisoners at Baldwin private prison
Passed 57 to 53 in the House on May 7, 2015, to allow more dangerous adult prisoners to be held at a privately owned and managed prison whose previous contract with the state to house juvenile prisoners was revoked by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2005. Since then the prison has contracted with other states to house their prisoners, although it is closed now.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713322
House Bill 4468: Authorize regional airport authorities
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 7, 2015, to authorize the establishment of regional airport authorities to manage the business operations of local airports. This is primarily directed at creating an authority for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Kent County, but it would apply statewide.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713295
House Bill 4482: Restrict child custody changes for active military member
Passed 110 to 0 in the House on May 7, 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.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=713331