October 26, 2012, MichiganVotes.org Weekly Roll Call

The House and Senate did not meet this week, so rather than votes, this report instead contains several newly introduced bills of interest.

Note: There will be no roll call report next week. The next report will be Nov. 9.

Senate Bill 1290: Authorize refillable beer container sales
Introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R), to allow merchants licensed to sell beer and wine for consumption off-premises, and bars or restaurants licensed to sell all legal forms of alcohol, to refill clearly labeled “growlers” (sealable containers of up to one gallon) with beer for consumption off-premises. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1299: Let counties keep deed tax money for unpaid survey expenses
Introduced by Sen. Arlan Meekhof (R) on September 20, 2012, to allow a county that has unreimbursed expenses for land boundary line survey and remonumentation work, which is supposed to be reimbursed by the state from a $4 deed and recorded document tax, to retain all of the revenue it collects from this tax until the unreimbursed balance is paid off. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1301: Let “port authorities” give corporate subsidies
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R), to revise the mission of “port authorities” that local governments may establish, so as to specifically include “economic development” activities such as providing direct or indirect subsidies to particular corporations or developers selected by the political appointees on the authority’s board. The bill would also revise many other details and powers of these entities, which under current law have the power to incur debt and spend the borrowed money for a broad range of purposes. It is cosponsored by Republicans Casperson, Nofs, Colbeck and Green, and Democrat Virgil Smith. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1315: Make warrantless searches a condition of criminal parole
Introduced by Sen. John Proos, IV (R), to make warrantless searches by police or parole officers of a criminal parolee’s person and property a condition of parole. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1325: Impose licensure on interior designers
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R) on September 25, 2012, to impose licensure and regulation on interior designers, with annual license fees, a six-year apprenticeship mandate, testing requirements to standards established by a board of incumbent designers, and more. The bill is part of a legislative package comprised of Senate Bills 1325 to 1327. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1333: Create government brain injury council

Introduced by Sen. Jim Marleau (R) on September 27, 2012, to create a state brain injury council with representatives from various interest groups and government agencies to make recommendations and “collaborate” with the Department of Community Health to develop a comprehensive statewide plan to “address the needs” of individuals who are victims of brain injury. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5811: Raise burden of proof to impose new government regulations
Introduced by Rep. Ken Goike (R), to require government agencies to demonstrate that a rule they want to impose is “necessary and suitable to achieve its purpose in proportion to the burdens it places on individuals.” Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5815: Increase mobile home tax
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Farrington (R), to increase the monthly tax on mobile homes in a trailer court from $3 per month to $24 per month, adjusted for inflation on an annual basis. Current owners or occupants would be “grandfathered” at the $3 rate. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5832: Ban schools banning student sunscreen use
Introduced by Rep. Paul Opsommer (R), to prohibit public schools from banning the use of sunscreen by students at school or school events. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5848: Allow two-wheeler to disregard malfunctioning automated traffic signalt
Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R), to allow motorcycle, bicycle, moped or three-wheeler vehicles to proceed through a red light at an automated traffic signal if the device does not detect them within one full cycle, or 60 seconds if it is not working at all. If the person gets a ticket anyway there would be a legal presumption that the automated signal was not working, rebuttable only by testimony that a law enforcement official witnessed the person proceeding before the specified time limits. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5876: Allow pension double dipping by certain “retired” state employees
Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (D), to exempt “retired” state employees from a law that restricts their going back to work for the state and simultaneously collecting a pension. The exemption would apply if the person is age 60 or more, is engaged by the state as an independent contractor (rather than as an employee), and receives compensation less than 50 percent of the pension benefit amount. Also, to repeal the double-dipping restriction if the “retiree” has different duties with a different state department than the person’s previous state job. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5879: Cap FOIA charges and increase government FOIA scofflaw penalties
Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R), to cap at 10-cents per copy charge imposed by a government entity for documents provided under a state Freedom of Information Act request, and require that they permit and not charge a fee for a FOIA requestor’s making copies with his or her own equipment during an on-site records inspection authorized by this law. Also, to reduce the amount charged by a government entity for FOIA-related administrative and copying costs by 20 percent for each day its response exceeds the five-day statutory deadline (plus specified extensions), and increase the punitive awards to a person who successfully challenges an improper FOIA denial from $500 to $5,000, plus actual or compensatory damages. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

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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