Commentary

July 18, 2014, Michigan Legislature Roll Call Report

Key votes from 2013-14

While the Legislature is on a summer break from voting, the Roll Call Report is reviewing key votes of the 2013-2014 session.

House Bill 4714, Approve Medicaid expansion: Passed 76 to 31 in the House on June 13, 2013

To expand Medicaid eligibility to families and childless adults up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which implements a key component of the federal health care law.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4668, Increase hunting and fishing license fees: Passed 77 to 32 in the House

To increase hunting and fishing license fees, and revise the fee structure. The cost for a resident to hunt deer would go from $15 to $31, and the minimum fishing license cost would increase from $15 to $26. The House Fiscal Agency reports this would extract an additional $19.7 million annually from sportsmen. This was one of several fee increases enacted in connection with setting state spending levels for the next fiscal year.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4665, Increase landfill tipping fees: Passed 62 to 47 in the House on June 5, 2013

To extend until Sept. 30, 2015 a “temporary” increase from 7 cents to 12 cents on the per-cubic yard state “tipping fee” tax imposed on dumping in landfills, which was authorized by a 2011 law. This was one of several fee increases enacted in connection with setting state spending levels for the next fiscal year.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4664, Allow pension double-dipping by some “retired” prison workers: Passed 58 to 51 in the House on June 5, 2013

To repeal a Sept. 30, 2013 sunset on a 2012 law that “temporarily” allowed retired prison employees to simultaneously collect pension benefits and a regular paycheck for going back to work in a prison. Under current law, prison guards can retire and begin collecting pension checks as young as age 51 in some cases.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4813, Establish procedures for dissolving fiscally failed school districts: Passed 58 to 49 in the House on June 13, 2013

To establish criteria and procedures for dissolving a school district that has become so financially unviable that it can no longer educate students, and for attaching the failed district’s territory to one or more nearby school districts. The bill was introduced after the Buena Vista and Inkster school districts reached this state shortly before the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4529, Establish and impose minimum indigent defense standards: Passed 101 to 6 in the House on June 13, 2013

To establish statewide standards and accountability measures for court-appointed attorneys who represent indigent criminal defendants, and establish a process by which all counties in the state would be required to conform with the standards. The bill authorizes state grants to counties to cover increased costs.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4668, Increase hunting and fishing license fees: Passed 24 to 14 in the Senate on June 19, 2013

The Senate vote on the fee increase bill described above. This was signed into law on September 17, 2013.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4665, Increase landfill tipping fees: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on June 18, 2013

The Senate vote on the fee increase bill described above. This was signed into law on June 25, 2013.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4664, Allow pension double-dipping by some “retired” prison workers: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on June 18, 2013

The Senate vote on the bill described above. The Senate extended the double-dipping authorization for two years rather than making it permanent. This was signed into law on September 24, 2013.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4813, Establish procedures for dissolving fiscally failed school districts: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on June 19, 2013

The Senate vote on the bill described above. This was signed into law on July 2, 2013.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4529, Establish and impose minimum indigent defense standards: Passed 33 to 4 in the Senate on June 19, 2013

The Senate vote on the bill described above. This was signed into law on July 1, 2013.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 4714, Approve federal health care law Medicaid expansion: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on August 27, 2013

The Senate vote approving the federal health care law Medicaid expansion. This was signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder on September 16, 2013.

Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit https://www.michiganvotes.org.

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.