Senate Bill 46, Revise emergency vehicle flashing lights requirement: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate
To eliminate a requirement that flashing lights be mounted on the roof of an authorized emergency vehicle. These vehicles would still have to have flashing emergency lights; they just wouldn’t have to be on the roof.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4013, Allow electronic vehicle registration in car (versus paper): Passed 108 to 0 in the House
To allow the vehicle registration document motorists are required to have when driving to be an electronic picture of the document on their smartphone or other device.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4080, Authorize new energy-related purchase/debt scheme for schools: Passed 106 to 2 in the House
To allow schools to contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects, and pay for these with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear).
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4063, Ban aiming a “directed energy device” at an aircraft: Passed 107 to 1 in the House
To make it a crime to intentionally aim a beam of directed energy from a directed energy device at or into path of an aircraft, with violators subject to a $10,000 fine and five years in prison. This includes lasers and any other "highly focused energy" that could damage or interfere with an aircraft.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4150, Expand open records law to legislature: Passed 108 to 0 in the House
To extend the Freedom of Information Act to legislators, whose offices are currently exempt, subject to a broad range of exceptions and exemptions. The House also passed House Bill 4148, which extends the disclosure requirements to certain kinds of documents held by the governor's office.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4154, Create process for appealing denial of legislature records request: Passed 108 to 0 in the House
To establish procedures for appealing the denial of a Freedom of Information Act request, or the fees demanded to fulfill it, by the House or Senate open records law coordinator. Appeals would go not to the courts but to an existing Legislative Council appointed by legislature itself, and in cases of improper denial this body would be limited to recommending the House or Senate discipline the House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
House Bill 4155, Exceptions to applying open records law to legislature: Passed 108 to 0 in the House
To define the records that would be exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests to the state legislature under House Bill 5469. These include standard provisions on records dealing with security matters, active contract bidding, information of a personal nature or business proprietary records, records that violate attorney-client privilege or involve ongoing litigation, etc. The bill would also exempt records of exchanges between a lawmaker and a constituent. Notably, records held by the Republican and Democratic caucus staffs would also be exempt, including their communications and public relations operations.
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.
Get insightful commentary and the most reliable research on Michigan issues sent straight to your inbox.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.