Commentary

September 25, 2015 MichiganVotes Weekly Roll Call Report

Food carts, nursing home over-regulation, voter approval for tax

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House Bill 4166, Require voter approval of county promotions tax: 35 to 2 in the Senate

To revise a law that allows counties to impose a 0.5 mill property tax without a vote of the people, for trade expositions, tourism promotion or to advertise the county’s “agricultural advantages.” The bill would change the law to require voter approval for such taxes, with a renewal vote required every five years.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”


Senate Bill 65, Repeal ban on for-profit nursing home hiring doctors: Passed 69 to 35 in the House

To allow for-profit nursing homes to employ a physician, dentist or other member of a medical "learned profession." Under current law only nonprofit nursing homes may have a doctor on staff, while for-profits are restricted to engaging doctors on a contract basis.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”


Senate Bill 64, Replace detailed nursing home regulations with "best practices" guidelines: Passed 67 to 37 in the House

To repeal sections of the extensive regulatory regime imposed on nursing homes, and instead establish that patient care policies, compliance procedures, outcome measures and more should be based on nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines or best-practices (rather than detailed regulations promulgated by government agencies).

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”


Senate Bill 144, Repeal inspection requirement for stands selling “low risk foods”: Passed 89 to 16 in the House

To give local health departments the option of requiring an "in-office consultation" rather than a facility inspection of a “temporary food service establishment” that serves only “low risk foods” as defined in the bill (examples include precooked hotdogs, popcorn, or ice cream).

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.