Legislative Initiative Petition 2, Repeal prevailing wage law: Passed 23 to 14 in the Senate

To repeal the state prevailing wage law, which prohibits awarding government contracts to contractors who submit the lowest bid unless the contractor pays wages based on union pay scales that local union officials represent as prevalent in a particular area. The voter-initiated legislation was placed before the legislature by petition, and does not require the Governor's approval to become law.

Legislative Initiative Petition 2, Repeal prevailing wage law: Passed 56 to 53 in the House

The House vote on the prevailing wage law repeal described above.

Senate Bill 787, Allow lower cost auto insurance option for seniors: Passed 23 to 13 in the Senate

To exempt a person age 65 or above from having to buy the unlimited personal injury protection (PIP) coverage mandated by the state’s no fault auto insurance law. Specifically, these individuals could buy either unlimited coverage or a policy that caps medical coverage at $50,000, with injury expenses above that amount covered by the individual's Medicare and related coverage. By the same margin the Senate also passed Senate Bill 1014, which restricts charges for long term attendant care provided by family members to crash victims under the standard unlimited medical benefit coverage.

House Bill 5391, Impose regulations on electric skateboards: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate

To prohibit riding an electric skateboard at a speed greater than 25 mph, and ban riding one on a street with a speed limit greater than 25 mph. The bill defines electric skateboard as one that is “no more than 60 inches long and 18 inches wide, is designed to transport only 1 person at a time, has an electrical propulsion system with power of no more than 2,500 watts, and has a maximum speed on a paved level surface of not more than 25 miles per hour.” Riders could go on streets subject to the same rules as bicycles.

House Bill 4115, Increase nonprofit sales tax exemption: Passed 27 to 9 in the Senate

To exempt from sales tax the first $10,000 in retail sales by a nonprofit organization that has less than $25,000 in sales during a year, rather than $5,000 under current law.

Senate Bill 897, Impose work requirement on able-bodied Medicaid recipients: Passed 62 to 47 in the House

To require state welfare officials to seek federal permission to allow requiring able-bodied individuals enrolled in the Medicaid expansion authorized by the federal health care law to work at least 80 hours a month for at least nine months a year, or be in school, job-training or volunteer work. The bill authorizes exceptions for a parent with children under age six, individuals getting disability benefits or above age 62, a disabled person's caretaker and more.

Senate Bill 897, Impose work requirement on able-bodied Medicaid recipients: Passed 25 to 11 in the Senate

The Senate vote to concur with the House-passed version of the bill described above.

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 www.MichiganVotes.org.

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