The House and Senate are on a summer and primary election season break. Therefore, this report again explores methods lawmakers use to associate their names with certain interests or causes: bills to grant select nonprofits privileges including state income tax fundraising privileges and property tax breaks.

House Bill 5225: Authorize income tax checkoff for prostate awareness group
Introduced by Rep. Paul Muxlow (R), to allow an individual to choose to automatically contribute $5 or more from his or her state income tax refund, which the state would give to a particular foundation named in the bill that does various things related to prostate cancer (PCUPS Foundation). Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4817: Authorize income tax checkoff for Junior Achievement organization
Introduced by Rep. Brandt Iden (R), to allow an individual to choose to automatically contribute $5 or more from his or her state income tax refund to provide grants to local Junior Achievement organizations. Signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder on June 15.

House Bill 4647: Authorize income tax checkoff for Boy Scouts
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R), to allow an individual to choose to automatically contribute $5 or more from his or her state income tax refund to a state Scouts Fund. House Bill 4648 would convert an existing state Girl Scouts Fund into a Scouts Fund to benefit both organizations. Advanced from committee, pending before the full House.

House Bill 4892: Authorize Lions Club income tax checkoff
Introduced by Rep. Wendell Byrd (D), to allow an individual to choose to automatically contribute $5 or more from his or her state income tax refund to provide grants to the Lions Club organizations. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 428: Authorize Red Cross income tax checkoff
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R), to allow an individual to choose to automatically contribute $5 or more from his or her state income tax refund to provide grants to the mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross. Signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder on June 15, 2016.

Senate Bill 570 and House Bill 5109: Give tax break to some conservation clubs
Introduced by Sen. Peter MacGregor (R) and Rep. Jim Tedder (R), to exempt from property taxes conservation clubs that allow their facilities to be used for charitable purposes at least 55 days a year. SB 570 has been advanced from committee and is pending before the full Senate.

Senate Bill 732: Exempt Masons lodges from property tax
Introduced by Sen. Rick Jones (R), to allow local governments to exempt property owned by Masons' lodges from most property tax levies if the property is used for charitable purposes. Advanced from committee, pending before the full Senate.

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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