Michigan Votes

2004 Senate Bill 955 (Tax break for methane digester generators)

[Comments on this legislation] [Text and Analysis] [Add to Watch List]
[Previous] [Next]

  • Introduced by Sen. Cameron Brown on February 4, 2004, to exempt methane digester electric generating systems from personal property tax. These systems are equipment used to generate electricity or heat from biogas, or to store biogas for the future generation of electricity or heat.
    • Referred to the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism Committee on February 4, 2004.
      • Reported in the Senate on June 1, 2004, with the recommendation that the substitute (S-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
    • Substitute offered in the Senate on June 2, 2004, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the bill as previously described. The substitute passed in the Senate by voice vote on June 2, 2004.
  • Passed in the Senate (30 to 5) on June 3, 2004. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Received in the House on June 3, 2004.
    • Referred in the House on June 3, 2004.
      • Reported in the House on September 8, 2004, without amendment and with the recommendation that the bill pass.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Tom Meyer on September 29, 2004, to ease a restriction on offering the subsidy to an individual who has found guilty of criminal environmental law violations. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on September 29, 2004.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Chris Kolb on September 29, 2004, to make more stringent a restriction on offering the subsidy to an individual who has found guilty of criminal environmental law violations. The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on September 29, 2004.
  • Passed in the House (76 to 27) on September 29, 2004, to exempt methane digester electric generating systems from personal property tax. These systems are equipment used to generate electricity or heat from biogas, or to store biogas for the future generation of electricity or heat. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Received in the Senate on September 30, 2004.
    • Amendment offered by Sen. Cameron Brown on November 4, 2004, to make more stringent a restriction on offering the subsidy to an individual who has found guilty of criminal environmental law violations. The amendment passed in the Senate by voice vote on November 4, 2004.
  • Passed in the Senate (27 to 10) on November 4, 2004, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill, after adding the Brown amendment. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Received in the House on November 4, 2004.
  • Passed in the House (66 to 38) on November 9, 2004, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Vetoed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on November 19, 2004.

Line

Comments

Introduced by Sen. Cameron Brown on February 4, 2004. Passed in the Senate (30 to 5) on June 3, 2004. New Comment

No comments have been posted yet.


Received in the House on June 3, 2004. Passed in the House (76 to 27) on September 29, 2004. New Comment

1) "no vote explanation" [by Admin003 on October 1, 2004]
Reps. Law and Hopgood, having reserved the right to explain their protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:

"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:

I voted no on SB 953 and SB 955 because: The state does not have funds available at this time to finance such a program, especially one that would basically benefit operations large enough to use a methane digester, usually multimillion-dollar CAFOs. The bill would amount to a $1.6 million tax payer subsidy for factory farms that in general have a history of environmental violations. Additionally, studies show that methane digesters have a failure rate near 50 percent.

Tax breaks and financing incentives for large farms and CAFOs may encourage the development of these large facilities to the detriment of small and medium size family farms. CAFOs or 'factory farms' which may have thousands of animals have been responsible for numerous violations of state and federal environmental laws and regulations in Michigan. Those who argue for a free market system believe that the construction and operation of methane digesters and other alternative technology should be a cost of doing business and not subsidized by the taxpayer dollars."

Reply New Comment

Line


Copyright © 2008 USA Votes, Inc.  Patent Pending.  All rights reserved.  Terms of use

A free public service of Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Capitol Building

Search legislation: