Replies

Senate Bill 325: Establish a “uniform child abduction prevention act”
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 11, 2013, to create a “uniform child abduction prevention act” that would allow a court to order abduction prevention measures in a child-custody proceeding if evidence established a credible risk of the child being taken or retained in violation of custody or visitation rights. A court could also take physical custody of a child to prevent imminent abduction.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672246

House Bill 4732: Exempt roadside farm stands from building permit mandates
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 11, 2013, to exempt roadside farm stands from building code regulations and permit requirements. Specifically, to establish that they need not have plumbing and electricity.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672247

Senate Bill 237: Revise school vaccination age
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on September 12, 2013, to change from 6th grade to 7th grade the year in which public school students are required to have been given certain vaccinations (with specified exceptions).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672322

Senate Bill 238: Revise school vaccination age
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on September 12, 2013, to change from 6th grade to 7th grade the year in which public school students are required to have been given certain vaccinations (with specified exceptions).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672323

Senate Bill 239: Revise school vaccination age
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on September 12, 2013, to change from 6th grade to 7th grade the year in which public school students are required to have been given certain vaccinations (with specified exceptions).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672324

Senate Bill 257: Expand “Business Improvement Zone” tax-and-spend entities
Passed 77 to 31 in the House on September 12, 2013, to expand the items that a “Business Improvement Zone” can spend money on, increase from seven years to 10 years the time one of these zones can operate without reauthorization, revise voting rules in a way that (potentially) reduces the proportion of property owners in the district needed to impose a zone’s tax-and-spending powers, increase the proportion of owners needed to dissolve one, reduce notice and public meeting requirements required to establish a zone, allow the “zone” to sell services to particular property owners, increase penalties for not paying the “special assessments” these entities impose, and make other changes. These zones may be created by owners of a majority of the property in a certain area (not the same as the majority of owners), and have the power to impose property taxes (special assessments) to pay for the debt they incur to pay for projects that are supposed to benefit the property owners. Reportedly the city of Detroit is the main focus of the bill, but the “zones” are not limited to Detroit.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672295

Senate Bill 332: Exempt “natural fertilizer” from phosphate content restrictions
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 12, 2013, to exempt “natural fertilizer” from restrictions imposed by a 2010 law restricting spreading a fertilizer containing more than 0.5 percent of the plant nutrient “available phosphate” (p2o5) on a lawn, golf course or other grass.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672254

Senate Bill 347: Expand MSHDA developer subsidies
Passed 88 to 20 in the House on September 12, 2013, to empower the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to use money in reserve funds to “invest” (buy ownership interest) in companies or nonprofits whose “primary purpose is to acquire ownership interests in multifamily housing projects” (and not necessarily build new ones).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672297

Senate Bill 351: Clarify fertilizer use restrictions
Passed 27 to 10 in the Senate on September 12, 2013, to clarify that use of fertilizers and other soil conditioners which follows “generally accepted” agricultural and management practices at the time of use does not constitute a “release” of hazardous substances in violation of state regulations.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672255

Senate Bill 354: Revise dog and cat euthanasia regulations
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 12, 2013, to require an animal control or protection shelter to use only injections of a commercially prepared solution for euthanizing a dog or cat.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672256

Senate Bill 373: Require pharmacy best practices pilot programs
Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on September 12, 2013, to allow the Michigan Board of Pharmacy to establish a process for the approval of up to 25 pilot projects designed to provide better pharmacy products or more efficient pharmacy services.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672258

House Bill 4094: Prohibit penalty for hunts and game legally taken in another state
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on September 12, 2013, to explicitly establish in statute that “an individual shall not be prosecuted, punished, or penalized” by Michigan authorities for lawfully taking or possessing game animals taken in another state.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672253

House Bill 4786: Increase vital records fees
Passed 58 to 50 in the House on September 12, 2013, to increase the fees for obtaining copies of vital records such as birth and death certificates. The fee increases range from $4 to $15 per record, and the bill also authorizes an extra $25 fee for “expedited” service.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672298

House Bill 4787: Increase CON health facility rationing fees
Passed 82 to 26 in the House on September 12, 2013, to increase from $1,500 to $3,000 the “base” fee for a hospital or other health care providers seeking government permission to open or expand a health care facility, or add certain capital-intensive equipment (like MRIs), under an existing state “Certificate of Need” rationing regime. The bill would also authorize additional fee increases of $5,000 for large projects, $3,000 for “complex” projects, $500 for “letter of intent” reviews, and more. These fees would then be indexed to inflation so that legislative authorization would not be required for future fee hikes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672299

House Bill 4961: Increase state share of foster care rate increase cost
Passed 108 to 0 in the House on September 12, 2013, to require the Department of Human Services to pay all of a $3 administrative rate increase for private providers of foster care services as provided in the 2013-14 state budget, rather than half the amount (with counties responsible for the rest which is what current law requires).
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672328