Feb. 10, 2012 MichiganVotes.org Weekly Roll Call

MichiganVotes.org sends a weekly report to newspapers and TV stations around the state showing how state legislators in their service area voted on the most important or interesting bills of the past week.

Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting

House Bill 5075, Court consolidation package: Passed 34 to 4 in the Senate
To consolidate and reduce the number of judges in Michigan courts, as recommended by the State Court Administrative Office. This is one of several dozen bills reducing the number of Michigan judges in particular district, circuit and probate courts. Of little import to regular citizens, this is a matter of intense interest to county political establishments, which for more than a decade have succeeded in obstructing the reform despite widespread recognition the state has too many judgeships (and the costs associated with them). The bills are passing now with unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Who Voted "Yes and Who Voted "No"

House Bill 5125, Allow elimination of road commissions: Passed 63 to 41 in the House
To establish that a county road commission can be eliminated by a county board if the road commission's members are appointed, and eliminated by a vote of the people if they are elected. If either happens, the county board would assume the duty of managing the county's road system. Reportedly, Democratic opposition was (mostly) reversed when the Republican House Speaker made a deal to increase spending on government "early child education" programs by $12.5 million. 

House Bill 5142, Expand “corridor improvement” borrow/spend/tax authorities: Passed 100 to 6 in the House
To expand a 2005 law authorizing local “corridor improvement authorities” that can borrow for various government spending projects (generally but not necessarily related to mass transit), and then repay the loans with money levied in "special assessments" (property taxes), or with tax revenue "captured" from other local government taxing units by means of “tax increment financing" schemes. The bill would authorize multi-government versions of these authorities.

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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