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• Introduced by Rep. Fred Miller (D) on April 19, 2007, to eliminate a requirement that employees affirm annually that they want paycheck deductions to go into a union or corporate PAC, and to allow the use of public money to administer those union PAC payroll deductions for government and university employees. The bill makes a number of revisions to the state campaign finance law, including transferring various enforcement duties from the "Secretary of State" to the state Director of Elections (who is under the Secretary of State); increasing some penalties; requiring certain disclosures for “robocalls;” prohibiting a candidate from taking a salary from his or her candidate committee; prohibiting honoraria for all state elected officials; raising the threshold on reporting campaign contributions from $1 to $20; establishing that a violation by a candidate who is the state Attorney General are to be investigated and prosecuted by the Ingham County prosecutor, and more.
  • Referred to the House Ethics and Elections Committee on April 19, 2007.
    • Reported in the House on May 1, 2007, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-4) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on May 2, 2007, 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 by voice vote in the House on May 2, 2007.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. Tom Pearce (R) on May 2, 2007, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that does not include the provisions transferring various enforcement duties from the "Secretary of State" to the state Director of Elections (who is under the Secretary of State); eliminating a requirement that employees affirm annually that they want paycheck deductions to go into a union corporate PAC; allowing those union PAC payroll deductions for government and university employees; and raising the threshold on reporting campaign contributions from $1 to $20; and establishing that a violation by a candidate who is the state Attorney General are to be investigated and prosecuted by the Ingham County prosecutorand more. The substitute failed 53 to 56 in the House on May 2, 2007.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Chris Ward (R) on May 2, 2007, to tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4415, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. House Bill 4415 would make impose a variety of restriction on campaign contributions and expenditures, including expenditures by third-party groups. The amendment failed 52 to 57 in the House on May 2, 2007.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Chris Ward (R) on May 2, 2007, to cap campaign contributions to an "independent committee" or a "politcal committee" (types of PACs) to an cumulative $20,000 per person per year. The amendment failed 51 to 57 in the House on May 2, 2007.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Chris Ward (R) on May 2, 2007, to require unions to get annual permission in writing from each member to use any portion of their union dues for political activity. The amendment failed 50 to 58 in the House on May 2, 2007.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Ted Hammon (D) on May 2, 2007, to revise the hour of the day on which electronic campaign are due, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on May 2, 2007.
• Passed 61 to 47 in the House on May 2, 2007, to eliminate a requirement that employees affirm annually that they want paycheck deductions to go into a union corporate PAC, and to allow the use of public money to administer those union PAC payroll deductions for government and university employees. The bill makes a number of revisions to the state campaign finance law, including transferring various enforcement duties from the "Secretary of State" to the state Director of Elections (who is under the Secretary of State); increasing some penalties; requiring certain disclosures for “robocalls;” prohibiting a candidate from taking a salary from his or her candidate committee; prohibiting honoraria for all state elected officials; raising the threshold on reporting campaign contributions from $1 to $20; establishing that a violation by a candidate who is the state Attorney General are to be investigated and prosecuted by the Ingham County prosecutor, and more.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on May 8, 2007.
  • Referred to the Senate Campaign & Election Oversight Committee on May 8, 2007.