Senate Bill 6: Revise disabled veterans tax exemption detail
Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to establish that a homestead property tax exemption for a disabled veteran or his or her unremarried surviving spouse would apply to the residential and agricultural property they inhabit, and extend the exemption to the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died from service-connected causes while on active duty.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719721
Senate Bill 51: Rename a road
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to designate a portion of I-75 in Genesee County as the “John Wayne ‘Dusty’ Marcum Memorial Highway”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719727
Senate Bill 216: Revise GED high school equivalency test nomenclature
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to replace references in the school aid act to the “General Educational Development†test (GED) in the school aid act with the term “high school equivalency test”.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719723
Senate Bill 418: Revise taxation of airplane fuel
Passed 106 to 0 in the House on December 15, 2015, to earmark a portion of various taxes paid on aviation fuel to a state fund used to pay for airport improvement projects. See also Senate Bill 425 and 613.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719779
Senate Bill 425: Revise aviation fuel tax allocation
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on December 15, 2015, to require revenue from the state aviation fuel tax to be spent on improvements to airports in proportion to the tax revenue collected at those airports. See also Senate Bill 418 and 613.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719780
Senate Bill 426: Revise aviation fuel tax allocation
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on December 15, 2015, to specify details of how revenue from the state aviation fuel tax can be spent. See Senate Bill 425.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719781
Senate Bill 490: Revise library and video rental confidentiality
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise a law that restricts disclosing information about videos, books or recordings borrowed or rented by an individual without notifying the individual. The bill would allow the notification to be a written notice included with the material at the time it is rented or borrowed.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719733
Senate Bill 523: Create a government “Native American historical recognition programâ€
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to create a government “Native American historical recognition program†to disseminate information on Indian history and relevant places. Among other things it would be required to help other entities get government and private grants for this purpose.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719738
Senate Bill 531: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 34 to 1 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719744
Senate Bill 531: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 100 to 6 in the House on December 15, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719777
Senate Bill 532: Authorize electronic court records system
Passed 97 to 9 in the House on December 15, 2015, to create a state fund to hold the court case filing fee money authorized by Senate Bill 531.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719776
Senate Bill 533: Authorize electronic court records system
Passed 98 to 8 in the House on December 15, 2015, to prohibit a court or court funding unit from charging a fee to retrieve and inspect a case document including those kept in the electronic filing system proposed by Senate Bill 531, but allow fees to copy a document.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719778
Senate Bill 551: Allow enforceable funeral arrangements in wills
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to allow an individual to designate in a will or other advance directive a person to serve as a “funeral representative†to execute the decedent’s funeral arrangement directions, including the disposition of his or her remains.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719730
Senate Bill 582: Revise county delinquent tax revolving fund details
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise regulations on county borrowing related to the delinquent tax revolving funds they are allowed to maintain, which allow the county to used borrowed money to pay local governments the amount of unpaid taxes they are due, with the county assuming the responsibility for collecting the unpaid taxes and the proceeds when the taxes are collected (for example, when the property is foreclosed and sold at a tax auction).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719734
Senate Bill 583: Revise county delinquent tax revolving fund details
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise regulations on county borrowing related to the delinquent tax revolving funds they are allowed to maintain. See Senate Bill 582 for more details. This bill revises procedures for county’s borrowing against the eventual collection of delinquent tax revenues.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719735
Senate Bill 588: Increase authority of Indian tribe conservation officers
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to give uniformed Indian tribe conservation officers the same authority as state conservation officers, police or a land owner to require an individual who possesses hunting, fishing or trapping apparatus to show his or license.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719739
Senate Bill 591: Regulate small native copper mines separately
Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to establish a separate regulatory regime over small native copper mining operations (meaning ones that generate less than 75,000 tons of waste rock a year to extract copper “in its elemental formâ€).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719726
Senate Bill 612: Revise aviation fuel tax allocation
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on December 15, 2015, to revise definitions in a related law that apply to how and where revenue from the state aviation fuel tax can be spent. See Senate Bill 425.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719782
Senate Bill 613: Revise aviation fuel tax allocation
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on December 15, 2015, to revise sales tax collection reporting requirements for sellers of aviation fuel to accommodate proposed changes in how this product is taxed and where the money from the tax may be spent. See also Senate Bill 425.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719783
Senate Bill 614: Revise aviation fuel tax allocation
Passed 105 to 1 in the House on December 15, 2015, to revise use tax collection reporting requirements for sellers of aviation fuel to accommodate proposed changes in how this product is taxed and where the money from the tax may be spent. See also Senate Bill 425.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719786
Senate Bill 616: Exempt developers of “Pyramid†building from sales tax
Passed 61 to 45 in the House on December 15, 2015, to exempt business equipment purchases made by an internet data center from the state sales tax. The bill originally applied only to the developers of proposed data center in the vacant “Pyramid†building near Grand Rapids, but was expanded to all companies in this particular business. The House did not adopt the proposal in Senate Bill 618 to also exempt these firms from property taxes levied on business tools and equipment (the so-called “personal property tax”).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719793
Senate Bill 617: Exempt developers of Steelcase “Pyramid†building from use tax
Passed 61 to 45 in the House on December 15, 2015, to exempt business equipment purchases made by an internet data center from the state use tax. The bill originally applied only to the developers of proposed data center in the vacant “Pyramid†building near Grand Rapids, but was expanded to all companies in this particular business. The House did not adopt the proposal in Senate Bill 618 to also exempt these firms from property taxes levied on business tools and equipment (the so-called “personal property tax”).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719794
Senate Bill 629: Expand law barring parental rights to rapist
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise a law that prohibits granting custody of a child to a person convicted of rape, by expanding the criteria to include men convicted of criminal sexual conduct that resulted in a child being conceived.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719731
House Bill 4095: Authorize $51 million in new debt for college & university building projects
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to authorize $51.3 million in new government spending for several state college and university construction projects. The bill would cause the state to increase its own debt burden by $33.1 million.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719718
House Bill 4314: Expand scope of reckless driving penalties
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to extend the same penalties for committing a traffic violation that causes death or serious injury to another person while driving on public roads to when this involves someone driving on private property open to public, or on frozen lakes and rivers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719722
House Bill 4462: Authorize income tax refund interest payments
Passed 21 to 17 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise details of the calculation of interest payments on overdue city income tax refunds.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719740
House Bill 4581: Increase state payments to liquor distribution oligopolists
Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to increase from $7.50 to $8.25 the per-case fee that the private company or companies granted a state monopoly to warehouse and distribute liquor to retailers can collect from the state as a “reimbursement” for its distribution costs. According to the Senate Fiscal Agency the bill would have the effect of transferring an additional $5.8 million annually from taxpayers to these private companies.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719706
House Bill 4658: Revise claims against the state procedures
Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to prohibit the Department of Treasury from authorizing payment of an individual’s successful claim against the state if the individual owes money for back-taxes, child support, or other unpaid levies. Only the amount of the successful claim that exceeds what the person owes could be paid. The bill revises administrative procedures to facilitate this.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719728
House Bill 4685: Revise sales tax on motor fuel detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise details of the sales tax “prepayments†made by gasoline and diesel fuel refiners, wholesalers, distributors, etc., when these involve “bulk transfers†between such entities. Under current law most sales tax on fuel is not paid by consumers and collected by retailers “at the pump,†but is collected when the fuel is transferred to a distributor.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719705
House Bill 4713: Require “culpable mental state†for criminal conviction
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to establish that if a law does not indicate whether a “culpable mental state†(“mens reaâ€) 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.†This would not be the case if a law explicitly imposes a “strict liability†standard. Under current law, many complex “administrative†offenses authorize criminal penalties for actions that a regular person would not know are illegal. However, the bill would not apply to illegal drug laws or offenses listed in the state penal code, which cover actions that reasonable people already recognize as wrongful or know are illegal.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719732
House Bill 4742: Revise interstate child support collection details
Passed 34 to 4 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to repeal a Uniform Interstate Family Support Act that facilitates collection of court-ordered child support payments across state lines, and replace it with an updated version.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719713
House Bill 4744: Revise interstate child support collection details
Passed 35 to 3 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to revise references in the state parenting time law to reflect changes to a uniform interstate child support enforcement code proposed by House Bill 4742.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719714
House Bill 4930: Exempt family’s life estate property from assessment “bump upâ€
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to exempt from the taxable value “pop up,†the transfer of a “life estate†interest in a principle residence from the owner to family members. This is the provision of the 1994 Proposal A tax limitation initiative that makes a property’s new basis for tax assessments the state equalized value (market value), rather than the (lower) “taxable value†of the previous owner, growth of which is restricted by law.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719737
House Bill 5028: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it. This bill lays out the schedule of electronic filing fees for various actions in various courts, and is part of a package consisting of House Bill 5027 to 5030 and Senate Bills 531 to 533.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719701
House Bill 5029: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it. This bill adds relevant definitions to state statutes, and is part of a package consisting of House Bill 5027 to 5030 and Senate Bills 531 to 533.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719703
House Bill 5030: Authorize electronic court records system and fees
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015, to authorize an electronic system for filing documents in civil cases in state courts, and fees to use and pay for it. This bill adds new fees for civil actions whether filed electronically or not, and is part of a package consisting of House Bill 5027 to 5030 and Senate Bills 531 to 533.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719704
Senate Bill 446: Extend authority to ban deer feeding
Passed 105 to 0 in the House on December 16, 2015, to repeal the 2016 sunset on Department of Natural Resources authority to prohibit feeding deer and elk.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719922
Senate Bill 492: “Push back” against Obama NLRB franchise unionization rule
Passed 59 to 46 in the House on December 16, 2015, to establish that the owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers for whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or where prohibited by law. The bill was introduced after President Obama’s appointees on the National Labor Relations Board issued a ruling that all franchise employees are actually employed by the franchiser for purposes of union organizing. Among other things, if sustained this policy would mean that employees at local restaurants franchised by a national chain like McDonalds could be unionized on a nationwide basis.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719926
Senate Bill 493: “Push back” against Obama NLRB franchise unionization rule
Passed 60 to 45 in the House on December 16, 2015, to establish that for purposes of workers compensation insurance coverage, the owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers for whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or as prohibited by law. See also Senate Bill 492.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719927
Senate Bill 518: Revise child support collection details
Passed 99 to 6 in the House on December 16, 2015, to revise references in the state friend of the court law to reflect changes to a uniform interstate child support enforcement code proposed by Senate Bill 517.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719923
Senate Bill 519: Revise child support collection details
Passed 100 to 5 in the House on December 16, 2015, to revise references in the state child support law to reflect changes to a uniform interstate child support enforcement code proposed by Senate Bill 517.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719924
Senate Bill 571: Repeal annual union PAC contribution “re-up†requirement
Passed 25 to 12 in the Senate on December 16, 2015, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill, which added provisions revising a number of campaign finance law details, and prohibiting schools and local governments from sending any communication to residents that mentions an upcoming property tax millage election within 60 days of the vote.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719913
Senate Bill 571: Repeal annual union PAC contribution “re-up†requirement
The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on December 16, 2015, to add provisions revising a number of campaign finance law details, and prohibiting school districts and local governments from sending any communications to residents that mention an upcoming property tax millage or other local ballot measure within 60 days of the vote.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=170466
Senate Bill 571: Repeal annual union PAC contribution “re-up†requirement
Passed 58 to 48 in the House on December 16, 2015, to repeal a requirement that union members or employees of a corporation who wish to have contributions to a union or corporate PAC automatically deducted from their paycheck must affirmatively give consent on an annual basis by means of signing a permission form. The bill would repeal the annual “re-up†requirement. Also, to add provisions revising a number of campaign finance law details, and prohibit schools and local governments from sending any communication to residents that mentions an upcoming property tax millage election within 60 days of the vote.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719971
House Bill 4563: Authorize townships contracting for domestic violence victim services
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 16, 2015, to authorize townships to issue contracts to nonprofit entities to deliver specified services to victims of domestic violence.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719881
House Bill 4596: Revise incumbent judge reelection filing detail
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on December 16, 2015, to revise the candidate committee “statement of organization†form filed by incumbent judges running for reelection, so that it presumes the committee will not spend more than $1,000, which exempts the campaign from state campaign finance disclosure mandates. Under current law, a committee that plans to raise and spend less than $1,000 must file a separate form to get this exemption.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719876
House Bill 4604: Authorize government erosion control permit exemptions
Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate on December 16, 2015, to exempt certain routine agricultural practices from the mandate to obtain a government erosion control permit, if the activity would not cause soil to erode into lakes and streams. The exemption would apply to fenceline work, removing trees, shrubs and roots, and installing drainage tiles, irrigation or electric lines.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719879
House Bill 4680: Extend prison industry law
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 16, 2015, to extend for five years a law that allows a private business to market textiles produced cut and sewn by state prisoners if this does not compete with any other products made in Michigan.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719878
House Bill 4983: Refine “free fishing day†detail
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 16, 2015, to establish that on one of the four free fishing days each year when no license is required, a person would not need a vehicle registration “recreation passport†to use a state boat launch facility.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719880
House Bill 5070: Clarify franchised business employee status
Passed 59 to 47 in the House on December 16, 2015, to establish that for purposes of enforcing state occupational safety and health regulations, the actual owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers to whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or as prohibited by law. See also House Bill 4901 and Senate Bill 492.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719934
House Bill 5071: Clarify franchised business employee status
Passed 59 to 47 in the House on December 16, 2015, to establish that for purposes of enforcing state wage and hour regulations, the actual owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers to whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or as prohibited by law. See also House Bill 4901 and Senate Bill 492.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719962
House Bill 5072: Clarify franchised business employee status
Passed 60 to 46 in the House on December 16, 2015, to establish that for purposes of enforcing state minimum wage mandates, the actual owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers to whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or as prohibited by law. See also House Bill 4901 and Senate Bill 492.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719963
House Bill 5073: Clarify franchised business employee status
Passed 60 to 46 in the House on December 16, 2015, to establish that for purposes of the state unemployment insurance program, the actual owner of a business franchise rather than the franchisor is considered the sole employer of the workers to whom he or she provides a benefit plan or pays wages, except as otherwise specified in the franchise agreement, or as prohibited by law. See also House Bill 4901 and Senate Bill 492.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=719964