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By Jack McHugh
The Legislature did not meet this week, so the Roll Call Report continues its review of key votes from the 2015-2016 session.
House Bill 4713, Require “culpable mental state” for criminal conviction: Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 1, 2015
To establish a presumption that if a law does not indicate whether a culpable mental state (“mens rea”) is required to establish guilt for a crime, then this is required (subject to various specified exceptions). This means prosecutors must show that a defendant violated the law “purposely, knowingly or recklessly.” Currently, many complex administrative offenses authorize criminal penalties for actions that a regular person would not know are illegal.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4713, Require “culpable mental state” for criminal conviction: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4095, Authorize more college & university building debt: Passed 103 to 1 in the House on December 3, 2015
To authorize $51.3 million in new government spending for several state college and university construction projects. The bill would cause the state to increase its own debt burden by $33.1 million.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4095, Authorize more college & university building debt: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4738, Increase gas and diesel tax: Passed 55 to 52 in the House on November 3, 2015
To increase the 19 cent per gallon state gasoline tax and 15 cent diesel tax to 26.3 cents per gallon starting in 2017.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4738, Increase gas and diesel tax: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on November 3, 2015
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4736, Increase vehicle registration tax: Passed 54 to 53 in the House on November 3, 2015
To increase the annual vehicle registration (license plate) tax by 20 percent per vehicle, and impose a surtax on electric and alternative fuel vehicles whose owners don't pay gas tax.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4736, Increase vehicle registration tax: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on November 3, 2015
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4321, Restrict warrantless residence searches: Passed 83 to 22 in the House on October 28, 2015.
To establish that a law enforcement officer may not search a residence without a search warrant if a resident expressly objects, even if another resident consents after the objector is no longer physically present. This would not apply if one resident is the victim of a crime committed by another resident, or if there is imminent danger to people, a suspect may escape or evidence may be destroyed. The Senate has not voted on this bill.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 5023, Establish more “dark sky preserves”: Passed 88 to 18 in the House on November 10, 2015
To designate the Rockport State Recreation Area, Negwegon State Park and Thompson's Harbor State Park as “dark sky preserves,” which means state authorities must restrict outdoor lighting to only that needed for safety, security or reasonable use and enjoyment.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 5023, Establish more “dark sky preserves”: Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on February 3, 2016
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4581, Increase state payments to liquor distribution oligopoly: Passed 102 to 4 in the House on October 8, 2015
To increase from $7.50 to $8.25 the per-case fee that the private company or companies granted a state monopoly to warehouse and distribute liquor to retailers can collect from the state as a "reimbursement" for its distribution costs. This will increase annual payments to these private companies by some $10 million annually.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4581, Increase state payments to liquor distribution oligopoly: Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on December 15, 2015
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4598, Impose licensure on midwives: Passed 79 to 25 in the House on December 3, 2015
To impose a state licensure mandate on midwives, including regulations and a $200 annual license fee. The Senate has not voted on this bill.
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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