Senate Bill 800, Appropriations: 2016-2017 Omnibus budget: Passed 26 to 11 in the Senate

The Senate version of the non-education portion of the state government budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2016. This would appropriate $38.673 billion, compared to $38.616 billion authorized the year before. When combined with the education budget (next bill), the Senate proposes to spend $54.779 billion on all of state government next year, vs. $54.530 billion originally approved for the current year. Of this, $22.567 billion is federal money and $32.212 billion comes from state tax and fee collections, a 2.4 percent increase in the state share.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”

Senate Bill 801, Appropriations: Omnibus education budget: Passed 23 to 13 in the Senate

The Senate version of the K-12 school aid, community college and university budgets for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2016. The bill would appropriate a total of $16.106 billion, of which $1.919 billion is federal money. Of this total, $14.107 billion would go to K-12 public education, compared to $13.896 billion the prior year. It also appropriates $1.6 billion for state universities, compared to $1.535 billion the prior year. Community colleges would get $399 million, vs. $388 million the prior year.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”

House Bill 4990, Expand local government energy efficiency financing schemes: Passed 34 to 0 in the Senate

To expand the things cities can spend money on under a scheme that lets them contract with vendors for energy-related facility improvements, and pay for these with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear). The bill would allow vendor installment contract durations of up to 20 years, expand the improvements that can be financed under the scheme, and allow the deals to include lease-purchase agreements.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”

House Bill 5078, Authorize paroling medically frail prisoners to a health care facility: Passed 95 to 13 in the House

To allow medically frail prisoners whose condition makes them “a minimal threat to society” to be paroled to a hospital, hospice, nursing home or other suitable accommodation for the balance of their term.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”

House Bill 5387, Give force to illegal teacher strike sanctions: Passed 59 to 49 in the House

To include more rigorous sanctions and more certain procedures for Detroit school teachers who participate in an illegal strike. The bill is part of a House proposal to overhaul the Detroit school district and would essentially cancel the current collective bargaining between unions and the Detroit district as part of the governance changes in House Bill 5384.

Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”

House Bill 5384, Pay Detroit school debt, require reforms: Passed 57 to 51 in the House

To end the state's emergency management of the insolvent Detroit school district, and give an elected school board control of the district's schools. Among many other changes and reforms, the bill requires a meaningful merit pay system for Detroit teachers, and caps central office overhead costs. The bill does not contain a Senate-passed provision creating a new "Detroit Education Commission" appointed by the Detroit mayor and having the authority to block new charter schools from opening in the city, or an additional $200 million the Senate added for "transition costs." This is part of $500 million Detroit Public Schools bailout and governance package.

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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