2009 Senate Bill 253 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 State Police )

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Public Act 133 of 2009

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Introduced by Sen. Valde Garcia (R) on February 18, 2009, to provide a “template” or “place holder” for the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 State Police budget. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them.
- Referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on February 18, 2009.
  - Reported in the Senate on April 1, 2009, with the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
- Substitute offered in the Senate on June 18, 2009, to adopt a version that contains actual appropriations. For details see analysis from the non-partisan Senate Fiscal Agency. This was amended to prohibit money being used to pay a $3.7 million annual lease on a controversial new State Police headquarters building developed by Democratic political activist Joel Ferguson, which is supposed to replace a building the State Police gets for $1 per year from Michigan State University. The substitute passed in the Senate by voice vote on June 18, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Sen. Michael Prusi (D) on June 18, 2009, to add money for a State Police crime lab in Marquette. The amendment failed in the Senate (16 to 20) on June 18, 2009. [Vote Details and Comments]
- Amendment offered by Sen. Ray Basham (D) on June 18, 2009, to require the State Police to provide "last resort" law enforcement services to communities that don't provide for their own policing, and to report to the legislature on how much this costs. The amendment failed in the Senate (16 to 20) on June 18, 2009. [Vote Details and Comments]
- Amendment offered by Sen. Michael Prusi (D) on June 18, 2009, to strip out a provision prohibiting money from being used to pay a $3.7 million annual lease on a controversial new State Police headquarters building developed by Democratic political activist Joel Ferguson, which is supposed to replace a building the State Police gets for $1 per year from Michigan State University. The amendment failed in the Senate (16 to 20) on June 18, 2009. [Vote Details and Comments]
- Amendment offered by Sen. Ray Basham (D) on June 18, 2009, to require the State Police to provide "last resort" law enforcement services to communities that don't provide for their own policing. The amendment passed in the Senate by voice vote on June 18, 2009.
Passed in the Senate (26 to 9) on June 18, 2009, the Senate verion of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 State Police budget. This would appropriate $540.7 million in gross spending, compared to $530.2 million, which was the FY 2008-2009 amount enrolled in 2008. Of this, $267.2 million will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2008-2009 amount of $284.9 million, and $130.6 million will come from state restricted funds, or earmarked tax and fee revenue, compared to $113.6 million the previous year. $101.8 million is from federal revenue. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the House on June 23, 2009.
- Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on June 23, 2009.
- Substitute offered by Rep. Richard LeBlanc (D) on September 17, 2009, to adopt a version of this budget that expresses the fiscal and policy preferences of the Democratic-majority in the House on various spending items and programs. For details see analysis from the non-partisan House Fiscal Agency. The substitute passed in the House by voice vote on September 17, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Chuck Moss (R) on September 17, 2009, to require the department to post on on the internet a listing of all expenditures, including federal "stimulus" money, with the purpose of each (a "check register"). The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on September 17, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Robert Genetski (R) on September 17, 2009, to establish as the "intent of the legislature" that federal "stimulus" money not be incorporated in the funding "base" on which future appropriations for various programs are based, and also that "stimulus" money be allocated in separate line items. The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on September 17, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Rep. David Agema (R) on September 17, 2009, to prohibit using State Police budget money to pay the Governor's travel expenses, except for emergencies. The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on September 17, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Vincent Gregory (D) on September 17, 2009, to add a $100 "point of difference" between the Senate-passed version in the line item for secondary road patrol grants to counties, which leaves this item open to further negotiation in a House-Senate conference committee. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on September 17, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Barb Byrum (D) on September 17, 2009, to remove a provision requiring the administrative functions and duties of the executive director of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) to be transferred to the department's training division. The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on September 17, 2009.
Passed in the House (68 to 39) on September 17, 2009, the House verion of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 State Police budget. This would appropriate $540.7 million in gross spending, compared to $530.2 million, which was the FY 2008-2009 amount enrolled in 2008. Of this, $267.2 million will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2008-2009 amount of $284.9 million, and $129.2 million will come from state restricted funds, or earmarked tax and fee revenue, compared to $113.6 million the previous year. $96.5 million is from federal revenue. The House does not include Senate language prohibiting transfer of the MSP headquarters to the downtown Lansing "Triangle Project" building owned by Joel Ferguson and associates. The House also prohibits closing any State Police posts or reducing the number of troopers. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the Senate on September 21, 2009.
Failed in the Senate (0 to 36) on September 21, 2009, to concur with a House-passed version of the bill. The vote sends the bill to a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the Senate on September 30, 2009, the House-Senate conference report for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 State Police budget. The report was not accepted on this vote because some senators object to the provision authorizing the purchase for around $70 million of a controversial new State Police headquarters in downtown Lansing owned by prominent Democratic Party contributor Joel Ferguson and Republican contributor Gary Granger. Failed in the Senate (17 to 17) on September 30, 2009. [Vote Details and Comments]
Moved to reconsider in the Senate on September 30, 2009, to reconsider the vote by which the conference report was not adopted. Failed in the Senate (17 to 10) on September 30, 2009. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the House on October 1, 2009.
Passed in the House (64 to 44) on October 1, 2009, the House-Senate conference report for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 State Police budget. This appropriates $527.3 million in gross spending, compared to $530.2 million enrolled the previous year. $101.8 million is from federal revenue. The bill only appropriates one month of rent for a controversial new State Police headquarters in downtown Lansing owned by prominent Democratic Party contributor Joel Ferguson and Republican contributor Gary Granger, and authorizes its purchase for around $70 million. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the Senate on October 1, 2009, the House-Senate conference report for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 State Police budget. This appropriates $527.3 million in gross spending, compared to $530.2 million enrolled the previous year. $101.8 million is from federal revenue. The bill only appropriates one month of rent for a controversial new State Police headquarters in downtown Lansing owned by prominent Democratic Party contributor Joel Ferguson and Republican contributor Gary Granger, and authorizes its purchase for around $70 million. Passed in the Senate (27 to 10) on October 1, 2009. [Vote Details and Comments]
Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on October 29, 2009.

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1) Re: 2009 Senate Bill 253 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 State Police ) [by espillers on November 16, 2009]

I support everything accept the new building. At this point in our State's history, we must side on sensibility and not with the next biggest think that catches our fancy. I vote yes on this bill with the ammendment to exclude language of the 100 million dollar new MSP Headquarters. We can use that extra money to further equip of men and women who go to work to protect Michigan everyday.

Ed Spillers

Clawson, MI

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2) Re: 2009 Senate Bill 253 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 State Police ) [by amdnarg7 on September 20, 2009]

I wholeheartedly agree with all of Rep. Agema's reasons for non-support. The construction of this building was an insane project. If the developer has any conscience at all, he should sell this building to someone else, and have some pride in his state and it's economy. What does it take for people to do the RIGHT thing? I do not understand the sense of stripping funds for law enforcement and paying millions for a building that is not needed and was constructed with many faults.

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3) Re: 2009 Senate Bill 253 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 State Police ) [by Admin003 on September 17, 2009]

Rep. Agema, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:

“Mr. Speaker and members of the House:

Although I support many programs in this budget, I voted against it because it includes funding for a new $100 million headquarters. I cannot justify spending this amount of money at a time when the state $1.7 billion budget shortfall and the governor recently laid off 100 state troopers to save money.

In my view, it is extremely irresponsible to spend taxpayer dollars on a new state police headquarters when the governor is letting out prisoners early and just fired 100 state troopers to save money.

Leasing the new headquarters will cost the state more than $100 million over the next 25 years. The lease on the current MSP headquarters only costs $1 per year and doesn’t expire until 2030.

The current headquarters, while in need of repair, is fully functional and structurally sound. Michigan State University has even considered moving its own police force into the building if the state decides to vacate.

In addition to cost concerns, the site of the new headquarters has also been criticized for being too small. The site does not have room for an emergency operations center, garage space to warehouse vehicles, or a helipad. It is also partially located in a floodplain.

Michigan’s attorney general recently ruled that the contract as written allows the state to get out of the lease if the Legislature does not appropriate funding for it.

My goal is to balance the state budget without raising taxes while still providing enough funds to protect essential services. Nowhere in that equation is there room for a new $100 million building that we do not need and cannot afford.

For these reasons, I cannot support this bill at this time.”

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