Commentary
September 13, 2013, MichiganVotes Weekly Vote Report
Senate Bill 351, Clarify fertilizer use restrictions: Passed 27 to 10 in the Senate
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.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 354, Revise dog and cat euthanasia regulations: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate
To require an animal control or protection shelter to use only injections of a commercially prepared solution for euthanizing a dog or cat. This would prohibit using gas.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 325, Establish a “uniform child abduction prevention act”: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate
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.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 50, Limit DNR restriction of ORV events: Passed 80 to 28 in the House
To prohibit the Department of Natural Resources from requiring a permit merely for organized group recreational off-road vehicle riding on state land, or for an ORV event on frozen lakes. Also, to require the DNR to designate at least two days each year as free ORV-riding days, when no ORV license is required.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4787, Increase CON health facility rationing fees: Passed 82 to 26 in the House
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 fees of $12,000 for large projects, $3,000 for “complex” projects, $500 for “letter of intent” reviews, and more.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4786, Increase vital records fees: Passed 58 to 50 in the House
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.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 347: Expand MSHDA developer subsidies: Passed 88 to 20 in the House
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.”
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 257, Facilitate expansion of “Business Improvement Zone” tax-and-spend entities: Passed 77 to 31 in the House
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.
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.
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September 13, 2013, MichiganVotes Weekly Vote Report
Senate Bill 351, Clarify fertilizer use restrictions: Passed 27 to 10 in the Senate
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.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 354, Revise dog and cat euthanasia regulations: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate
To require an animal control or protection shelter to use only injections of a commercially prepared solution for euthanizing a dog or cat. This would prohibit using gas.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 325, Establish a “uniform child abduction prevention act”: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate
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.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 50, Limit DNR restriction of ORV events: Passed 80 to 28 in the House
To prohibit the Department of Natural Resources from requiring a permit merely for organized group recreational off-road vehicle riding on state land, or for an ORV event on frozen lakes. Also, to require the DNR to designate at least two days each year as free ORV-riding days, when no ORV license is required.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4787, Increase CON health facility rationing fees: Passed 82 to 26 in the House
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 fees of $12,000 for large projects, $3,000 for “complex” projects, $500 for “letter of intent” reviews, and more.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4786, Increase vital records fees: Passed 58 to 50 in the House
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.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 347: Expand MSHDA developer subsidies: Passed 88 to 20 in the House
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.”
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
Senate Bill 257, Facilitate expansion of “Business Improvement Zone” tax-and-spend entities: Passed 77 to 31 in the House
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.
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.
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