House Concurrent Resolution 11: Authorize adoption of “Common Core” school standards
Passed by voice vote in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to authorize the State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education to spend money to implement “Common Core” curriculum promoted by an entity associated with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, subject to various restrictions and conditions specified in the resolution. The authorization does not apply to an associated student testing regime, and directs the state board and the department to make implementation of the standards contingent on local districts retaining the ability to adopt a different curriculum.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160886
Senate Bill 146: Extend enterprise zone tax breaks to a particular development
Passed 32 to 4 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to revise a law that authorizes tax breaks for property owners in a “neighborhood enterprise zone” in a way that will allow granting these tax breaks to a particular developer’s project.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674141
Senate Bill 318: Repeal mandatory life sentences for minors
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to repeal Michigan’s mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for certain very serious crimes committed by minors, and replace it with a system in which prosecutors could request a genuine lifetime sentence. If this request was not made or denied, a judge would have to impose a minimum sentence of between 25 and 40 years, and a maximum of at least 60 years. These provisions would only apply prospectively, to cases still open as of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miller v Alabama decision in June, 2012.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674133
Senate Bill 319: Repeal mandatory life sentences for minors
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to repeal Michigan’s mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for certain very serious crimes committed by minors, and replace it with a system in which prosecutors could request a genuine lifetime sentence. If this request was not made or denied, a judge would have to impose a minimum sentence of between 25 and 40 years, and a maximum of at least 60 years. These provisions would only apply prospectively, to cases still open as of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miller v Alabama decision in June, 2012.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674135
Senate Bill 352: Exempt disabled veteran’s home from property tax
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on October 22, 2013, to also grant the exemption to veterans deemed by the federal government to be “individually unemployable”.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=159142
Senate Bill 352: Exempt disabled veteran’s home from property tax
Passed 107 to 0 in the House on October 23, 2013, to exempt the principal residence of a totally disabled veteran from property tax. This expands a current exemption.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674068
Senate Bill 547: Revise consumer loan law details
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to revise details of a law that governs consumer loans and related transactions. The changes involve enforcement of payment provisions under various circumstances.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674136
Senate Bill 548: Revise consumer loan law details
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to revise details of a law that governs consumer loans and related transactions. The changes involve enforcement of payment provisions under various circumstances.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674137
Senate Bill 549: Revise financial institutions check processing rule detail
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to revise and update details of the law that governs how financial institutions process checks.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674138
Senate Bill 550: Revise financial institutions electronic fund transfer detail
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to revise and update details of the law that governs how financial institutions process electronic fund transfers.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674139
Senate Bill 551: Revise secured loan default details
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 24, 2013, to revise details of a law that governs secured loan defaults to specify limitations on the recovery available for loss to a debtor, and extend these rules to consumer transactions.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674140
Senate Bill 89: Vehicle trade-in “sales tax on the difference” only
Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on October 23, 2013, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill, which would phase the tax break in over 24 years, but suspend that this if the federal health care law’s (”Obamacare”) Medicaid expansion (authorized by House Bill 4714) is rescinded.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674026
Senate Bill 533: Revise “brownfield” reporting detail
Passed 35 to 1 in the Senate on October 29, 2013, to delay a 2013 deadline for a brownfield redevelopment authority to apply to receive revenue from the state school property tax, which is intended to replace property tax revenue the authority would have “captured” but for certain personal property tax exemptions enacted in 2007.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674195
Senate Bill 581: Correct citation reference in jail law
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 29, 2013, to correct a citation reference in a statute requiring verification of school enrollment or employment of an individual released from jail for either of these.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674192
Senate Bill 582: Authorize enhanced penalties for drive-by shooting
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 29, 2013, to authorize up to life in prison for intentionally discharging a firearm from a vehicle or at a dwelling when this causes death (as in a “drive-by” shooting), and 15 to 20 years if someone is injured. These penalties would be on top of any imposed for assault, attempted murder, etc. The bill also increases the maximum penalty if no one is hurt from four years to 10 years.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674193
Senate Bill 583: Authorize enhanced penalties for drive-by shooting
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 29, 2013, to establish sentencing guidelines for the enhanced “drive-by” shooting penalties proposed by Senate Bill 5832.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674194
Senate Bill 606: Repeal ocularist registration
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 29, 2013, to repeal a law that imposes a registration mandate on ocularists and ocularist apprentices, who design, fabricate, and fit “ocular prosthetic appliances,” or artificial eyes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674196
Senate Bill 607: Repeal ocularist registration
Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on October 29, 2013, to repeal a law that imposes a registration mandate on ocularists and ocularist apprentices, who design, fabricate, and fit “ocular prosthetic appliances,” or artificial eyes. Senate bill 606 repeals the registration and this bill repeals the associated fee.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674197
House Bill 4958: Prohibit unemployment benefits for legal aliens on work visa
Passed 105 to 3 in the House on October 29, 2013, to establish that legal aliens with a work visa are not eligible for Michigan unemployment benefits. Under current law this ineligibility applies to agricultural work, and the bill would expand it to include non-agricultural work. This would mean that their employers wouldn’t have to pay the state unemployment tax (”assessment”) imposed on these workers’ wages.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=674227