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By Jack McHugh
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House Bill 4738, Increase gas and diesel tax: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate
To increase the state gasoline tax from 19 cents per gallon to 26.3 cents starting in 2017, and after that index the amount to inflation. Also, to increase the state diesel tax from 15 cents to that same 26.3 cents per gallon level, plus inflationary increases.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4736, Increase vehicle registration tax: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate
To increase the annual vehicle registration (license plate) tax by 20 percent. Also, to impose a surtax on electric and alternative fuel vehicles that use the roads but don't pay gas tax.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4370, Earmark some income tax to roads; increase home property tax credit: Passed 28 to 10 in the Senate
To earmark $600 million in state income tax revenue to road repairs starting in 2020, and smaller amounts starting in 2018. Also, to expand a "homestead property tax credit" that homeowners and renters can claim on their state income tax, by raising property value and household income caps that limit eligibility, and index these dollar amounts to inflation.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 414, Authorize potential future income tax reduction: Passed 28 to 10 in the Senate
To potentially roll back future income tax rates if the amount deposited into the state "general fund" in a given year grows more than 1.425 times faster than inflation - but not until 2023. Note that the legislature ultimately controls these deposits, so any future income tax rate reductions would essentially be at the discretion of each legislature, as under current law.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 571, Repeal annual union PAC contribution “re-up” requirement: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate
To repeal a requirement that union members or employees of a corporation who wish to have contributions to a union or corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) automatically deducted from their paycheck must affirmatively give consent on an annual basis by means of signing a permission form. The bill would repeal the annual “re-up” requirement.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 510, Restrict commercial use of student data: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate
To prohibit a website, online service or app designed for K–12 school purposes to sell, share or use for targeted advertising any information in a student’s educational record, including details that would allow contact, discipline records, test results, special education data, juvenile dependency records, grades, evaluations, criminal records, medical records, health records, social security number, biometric information, disabilities, socioeconomic information, food purchases, political affiliations, religious information, text messages, documents, student identifiers, search activity, photos, voice recordings, or geolocation information.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4390, Allow financial literacy as high school economics credit: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate
To allow a financial literacy or “personal economics” course to be substituted for the one-half credit economics course required under state high school graduation standards.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4736, Increase vehicle registration tax: Passed 54 to 53 in the House
To concur with the Senate-passed version of this bill, which increases the annual vehicle registration (license plate) tax by 20 percent per vehicle, and imposes a surtax on electric and alternative fuel vehicles.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4738, Increase gas and diesel tax: Passed 55 to 52 in the House
To concur with the Senate-passed version of this bill, which increases the current 19 cent per gallon state gasoline tax and 15 cent diesel tax to 26.3 cents per gallon starting in 2017. Note: The House previously approved a $200 million fuel tax hike and a $400 million vehicle registration tax hike. The Senate "flipped" those numbers, a change the House accepted with these concurrence votes. These votes also send the final road-funding package to the Governor, who has indicated he will sign the bills.
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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