Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on January 18, 2011

Click here to view bill details.

 

 This legislation must not pass.  It is intended to allow politicians to hide their felony convictions so they can avoid being removed from office, as required by:

Michigan Felon Politician Ban Amendment appeared on the November 2, 2010 statewide ballot in Michigan as an legislatively-referred constitutional amendment where it was approved.^[1][2]

The measure barred any officeholder convicted of a felony involving deceit and fraud from holding public office for 20 years.^[3][4] The amendment extended an existing 20-year ban on election of legislative officials who had been convicted of felonies involving "breach of public trust." The proposed amendment also broadened the ban to local and state elective offices and specified "break of public trust" as including dishonesty, deceit and fraud.^[5]

 Ummm, yeah.  Right.  Instead of wanting to pass this law to help people who have one misdemeanor crime and one felony crime expunge their records, the lawmakers we elected created this law just so they can hide their own criminal past.  Nice conspiracy theory but you forgot one thing: this law, in one form or another, has been kicked around for over three years by the very legislators that passed the former felon in political office statute.  This isn't a new idea and, by the way, it has won the endorsement of the Michigan Prosecutors Association and the Michigan Defense Attorneys Association.

Also, HB 4106 is a blanket proposal that allows the expungement of most felonies (and one misdemeanor) or two misdemeanors (but not two felonies) while the former felon in political office statute only bars those ex-felons convicted of a crime that involved a felony breach of the public trust, not most felonies as HB 4106 does. Theoretically, one could run for office after being convicted of felony assault (not that one would win, really) but not after being convicted of embezzling public funds. 

By the way, I don't think that HB 4106 runs contrary to the former felon in political office statute you mentioned.  One can co-exist with the other. 

Also, a thorough reading of the proposed law would reveal that it will not allow violent felons to hide their records.  Sex offenders would also not be allowed to hide their crimes, so none of that hyperbole about how violent criminals will be allowed to hide their crimes...just isn't so, ok?

The stigma and civil consequences of a felony record (or even two misdemeanors) can be devastating to anyone.  Jobs, housing, access to credit and the fact that a felony record becomes a permanent tool to exclude even the person convicted of the smallest felony from getting and maintaining a good life, long after their sentence is served and their debt paid, is, to me, an anathema.  Permanently excluding people from being full fledged citizens does not make our state safer.  It makes it far less safe.  When criminals get out of prison, what are they to do?  How are they going to find jobs to support themselves or their families? Should they their families pay forever for a transgression long since forgotten by most anyone but a computer data base? Remember, a felony is a felony is a felony.  The guy who wrote a bad check over $1000 is the same status as the armed robber.  There is no legal distinction between the two, really.

If you can make the argument that all criminals should forever be barred from doing most things taken for granted, well, then, when they cannot survive, care for and provide for their families because of the sanctions and restrictions society has placed upon them, who is going to pick up the tab for their inability to work at a decent, maybe even professional job?  The taxpayers that's who. And when they resort to a life of crime to support themselves, who do you think os going to pay for their incarceration?  The taxpayers.  Who will likely have to pay to feed, clothe and shelter their now single parent families?  The taxpayers. 

All of this because we lump all felons, no matter their crime in together with each other.  We make no distinction, whatsoever as to time, place and circimstances, either.  A felony from 25 years ago is legally just as damaging as the one committed 5 months ago. Our society knows no Forgiveness, and it knows little compassion. 

Last, the advancement of a society can be found in how well it treats the least wanted members of that society.  I am afraid that, until we learn to be more forgiving, especially to non-violent ex-offenders who have demonstrated rehabilitation and fully reintegrate them back into citizenship, we will not be so far descended from the trees we came from as we would like to believe we are.

 

 Yeah ok I understand what you are saying (post that says legislation should not pass due to politicians hiding convictions) but what about the people who this bill would help?  There are many people who committed senseless non-violent crimes within their youth, who right now under the law cannot expunge their records in order to obtain better employment.  How long should a mistake haunt an individual? Under the law right now, if you have such a felony and have a traffic misdeamnor like driving on suspended license you are denied from moving forward based on the technicality of having a misdeamnor due to lacking the funds to pay a traffic ticket! I don't think that is fair, should a politician be held to a higher standard yes! But they should also be able to disclose and move on in my opinion. People make mistakes, especially when they are young! Whatever happened to paying debt to society?  Once one is convicted of a felony there is some kind of punishment that comes next be it a slap on the wrist or serious consequences.  Some people can change and we shouldn't hold them back because of a select few.  When it is all said and done, it doesn't matter what the law says it is still up to the judge to make the decision which is given on a case by case situation.  So even if the law changes, that does not mean right off the bat they will get a reprieve, the judge has the final say in the matter.  Thanks for listening.

 If you have two misdemeanors in Michigan - they are on your record for life and must be disclosed on applications for employment.  Misdemeanors can be for theft, prostitution, or a minor peace disturbance.  Employers do not see anything but the charge - no details of the offense. 

 When I first saw mention of this bill, I was rather excited, until I realized it would not apply to me.

I was convicted of 3 felonies in 1994 at the age of 18 (larceny - receiving stolen property - attempted breaking an entering - all from a single incident, 2 of which would not be felonies today, because the law has since changed to require the stolen merchandise be worth more than $1000). I served a 7-year prison term and was released in 2001 at the age of 25. Yes, I spent 7 years in prison for stealing less than $1000 dollars worth of things (how long were the sentences for the executives of Enron???). I paid my debt to society and then some, right?

After being released from prison, I found it was nearly impossible to get a job due to criminal background checks and employers' use of blanket rejections for the various jobs I applied for. After several months searching and living off of my mother's generosity, I was able to secure employment as a roofer, which I did sporadically over the next 3 years, while simultaneously attending Mott Community College through the Pell Grant (remarkably, the Federal Government is not so draconian in its treatment of ex-convicts with respect to education as potential employers are with respect to their menial jobs).

After graduating from MCC with an associates degree and a 4.0 gpa, I went on to Michigan State University. I graduated from MSU with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy with a 3.7 GPA. What was I to do with such a degree??? My experience through those years with the job market taught me that my criminal record would stand in the way of my ever having a decent career, much less a decent job, unless...I made education my career. After all, it was and is the only professional pursuit that seems to be accepting of "my kind".

So, I just kept going. I applied to several graduate schools across the country and was eventually accepted into the University of South Florida's graduate school in Philosophy. Please permit me a brief ironic aside - I was denied an apartment here in Tampa because of my record - My father had to get it in his name, in order for me to live here and attend graduate school here (Apparently, I was trustworthy enough to study and teach here, but I wasn't trustworthy enough to live here!)

Now, 4 years later, I have a Master's degree and I am currently working on my dissertation. I teach Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Sport, Introduction to Philosophy, and Critical Thinking at USF and several other community colleges in the area as an adjunct professor. The ironic thing is that during the summers, I cannot adjunct (because there are far fewer summer courses available to students), so I am forced to look for a regular job - unfortunately, it is STILL nearly impossible for me to secure a regular job, because of my criminal record. 17 years has passed and I am fit to teach students Philosophy at the 8th largest University in the country, but I am not fit to hand money to customers at a bank???

Needless to say, I have not committed any crimes since I was 18. I am very close to obtaining the highest possible professional degree one can achieve in this country. I TEACH ethics, for crying out loud, and yet...

Michigan still brands me an ex-convict, and this bill does nothing for me. While I salute the attempt to get rid of a draconian policy (why is it that only 1 felony can be expunged, and why is it that it seems so important to Michigan lawmakers to maintain that even in this new bill??) and replace it with a slightly less draconian policy, it will do little to help anyone like me, who has spent his entire life trying to outrun mistakes made when he was an 18-year old kid.

The possibility for expungment should be open to anyone with a criminal record, since having a criminal record is the modern version of "the mark of the beast" in the eyes of potential employers. If you want more crime in Michigan, then you are certainly doing the right thing in helping push ex-convicts back to crime by making it impossible for them to get work and provide for themselves or their family.

I am an exception - how many ex-convicts end up getting a PhD in anything? 1 in a million? Has it ever been done in this country? My guess is that it has, but my worry is that I will be the last one to do it.

 

 dave thanks for your inspirational story.   Its absolutely detestable that you had and have to go through such oppressive felonious treatment from the state, the people are the kool-aid kids to the philosophical prosyletizing and persuasive political jargon spewed out from the state governments felonious acts and self righteous indignant spiritual vexation.

 Hi Dave.  I feel your pain and I totally understand where you are coming from.  It seems to me, that even though there are at least 4 bills within the Senate and House that have to do with revising expungement law, none of them are what we need to move forward.  I understand that all of them still allow for only one felony, which is absurd, where in your case all 3 of yours stem from one bad error in judgement, the new laws they are passing, or trying to I should say, should take this into account or make allowances for such things.  In my case, I have 5 misdemeanors all from having my drivers license suspended between 1998-2001 from failure to pay a traffic ticket of all things.  Now because I pled guilty and ended up not only paying the ticket but 5 different sets of fines from 5 different jurisdictions now this prevents me from having my one felony charge expunged.  I have a Bachelors in Health Administration that I cannot use because no one seems to look at life as it is, most are hypocritical in their beliefs and sometimes don't even realize how they judge others.  No one makes it through life without mistakes, some of us, have to pay deeply where others get off easy.  I truly don't believe its fair to hold one mistake or even 5 against a person, because the longer we live I like to think we also evolve and people can change, I think that comes from maturity in most cases, of course there are exceptions to the rule.  I just enrolled in a Grad Program, Public Administration, and learning of all the things that go on in GOVERNMENT the things that most of the public  have no idea about makes me wonder big time, if the foot was on the other foot how would our bureaucrats relate then.  A lot of em are only one good investigative reporter away for being in our shoes anyway!  lol But I am not giving up and I encourage you to do the same.  I think its time we organized and fought for our rights to get our lives back.  I totally believe we deserve it we  have worked damn hard to prove this now we have to continue to fight, we werent meant to stay where we are. I have faith and hope in that, so I continue to keep praying and keep pushing forward because they will not stop my shine whether they pass the bills or not, there is always next term I suppose.  What strikes me as interesting is that there are 4 other bills (SB 0159; SB 0244; HB 4106; HB 4502) to me the best out of them is HB 4106, but unfortunately, that does not apply to you directly.   SB 159 has already passed the Senate it needs to go to House but it does not stipulate that traffic offenses are not considered misdemeanors like HB 4106.  It seems ridiculous to me to have 4 different bills almost saying the same thing, how much money are we wasting entertaining 4 different bills?  But it gives me hope that they recognize that there needs to be some revision pertaining to our expungement laws and I totally believe that God has been working behind the scenes on our behalf, and just learning that there are 3 other bills in addition to HB 4106 (I just found this out this past Weds) I am even more committed and motivated to this worthy cause.  Sorry to ramble on, but I have been looking for an outlet to rally for this, being a part-time employee at my job (didn't have to undergo background check) I have no benefits, the pay sucks but its all that I was able to obtain giving the situation at hand.  I have an 8 yr old to support and working part time is not getting it, and the older I get I keep having issues with maintaining my health.  DHS says I make too much for health care (only grossed 17,9 last year so I find that amusing) so I went back to school to supplement my income with hopes that by the time I have completed my Grad degree maybe some movement will have happened on our behalf so I can apply for a real job without fear of being fired or found out.  Because that is certainly the case, I whole heartedly believe that if my job new the truth (because now they require ALL potential employees to undergo background checks, part/full time or casual) that I would be fired on the spot, they would not take into consideration that the past 8 yrs I have done nothing but soar above expectations in regards to my job and education, people are so prejudice once they learn something like that, they treat you differently.  Anywho, sorry to have rambled so, but good luck to you Dave and keep the faith!

FaithHopeLove...

 I know this is quite the longshot, but if I were you, I would apply for a pardon.  I think that, based upon what you have said, the average age of a crime(s) being pardoned now, and some sincere and strong letters from friends, families and yes, even your employer, you might be one of those select few that could get one.

 

Who knows?  Worth a shot.

In its present form, the SB 159 may be unconstitutional because it might violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14^th Amendment of the United States Constitution.  Please understand, I am not stating for a fact that it is, but, surely, it could appear that way.  It is my belief that a law, such as this, cannot benefit one class of people to the detriment of another when the only basis for that bias is the age of the former felon when he committed his misdemeanor crimes.   Age, like the color of a person’s skin, cannot be changed. It would be highly offensive to anyone if the standard used for SB 159 stated that only a specific race, gender or religion could avail themselves of it.  In reality, how is age any different than any of those things?

Even if it isn’t unconstitutional, again, I believe that it does endorse one part of our population to the detriment of the other. 

Also, I think it makes a non-sensical definition of what constitutes a "minor crime" by limiting that to a crime where the perpetrator was no more then 21 years old when that minor crime occurred.  Okay, so, let me get this straight: if the SAME minor crime were committed by someone who was 23 years old, he/she can't avail themselves of this law?  How does the misdemeanor get LESS serious because of the age of the perpetrator when it was committed? 

Alternatively, does this mean that all misdemeanors committed by anyone over 21 years of age suddenly become "serious misdemeanors?"

Gentlemen-

I read your thoughts and I wanted to let it be known using this platform that I too live with the issue of having a felony conviction that I got at the age of 19 and I have a misdemeanor that I got at the age of 22. According to senate bill 0159 I would be ineligible for an expungement due to the fact that I was over the age of 21 when I was convicted of my misdemeanor. What puzzles me is that when the senate (Rick Jones) decided to bring fourth a bill considering giving relief to those who are living with convictions on their criminal record, why didn’t they think about those who got a felony conviction before the age of 21 and a misdemeanor after age 21. It's just not right. I applaud you guys for making a change for the better and not falling into the traps of crime and illegal activity that so many people in our situation fall into as a result of not being able to find a job to support their families or just themselves alone. I myself have a wife and three kids and NO ONE will hire me. I have a bachelors degree in finance, an MBA and like yourself Yellis I am working on a Masters degree in Public Administration only four classes away. I am always upfront when I apply for a position by telling the potential employer that I do have this conviction and I never get a call back. All I want to do is contribute to my household, community and the national debt by paying taxes. I have been out of work for years now and I feel as if I am not being patriotic by not contributing nor competing to keep jobs and revenue within our borders. Baby boomers are retiring at a rapid rate and as a result of that social security is taking a huge hit because there are not enough people working to support those who are not. Well, I am healthy willing and able not to mention QUALIFIED and here I am still unemployed. I could help in a lot of ways. I currently live in the south and it is no secret that the economy is better where I live now than in Michigan, with that being said there are so many people there that could be paying taxes by working a job but can't because no one will hire them and If they do it is under the table which means that a state that is cash strapped is missing out revenue that could be acquired from income taxes. At this point I am ready to make my voice heard so that something can be done to give those who are not trying but who are living their lives right can get some kind of relief. I am willing to travel there to Michigan to get more people involved to do something about this. Anyone, just reply and we can get started right away.

 

I am trying to figure out what the Senate and House Leadership think of this bill.  As you know, just because it makes its way out of committee that doesn't mean it will make it to the floor.

I have been trying to get a hold of Mr. Scott Starr, who is the Floor Manager for the House Majority leader bit so far no joy.

I have no idea if there is any real support for this bill in either chamber, but the fact that it has been put to committee and referred to a second reading is encouraging.

The earliest this can come to vote now is within the next two weeks, but it will probably take longer.  The thing I like is that the bill, if passed, should take immediate effect.

 

Let me know if you need anything.

 I too would like to see a change to expungement rules.  I was convicted of 2 misdemeanors 20 yrs ago.  Because of them I may not be able to obtain my insurance license.  I have worked in the insurance field since 1985 and now because I can't get just 1 misdeamor expunged I will never be able to work in this field again. 

 After months of inaction on this bill, there is movement.  However, it appears to be in the WRONG direction.  I don't understand why Rep. Stamas is able, all on his own, to Motion to send this back to the Committee that unanimously passed it just a few months ago. That is the thing here, no context.  You can see what was done, but they never, ever tell you WHY it was done.  My calls and emails to Rep. Stamas' office have been met with the equivalent of "we will get back to you, but call YOUR representative in your district" as if she would know (through osmosis, I'd guess) WHY the House Majority Leader would do what he just did; or even tell ME why if she did know.  No one really talks to you and lets you in on the process.  To a man, NONE of them knew why this move was made...and that bothers me to no end.

If this is an attempt to kill the bill, why not just let it languish until it died on the floor?  Why do this instead?  If this is an attempt to improve the law, what improvements does the leadership think need to be made here?  How many more endorsements do they think need to be given before they know this is a right and good thing to do here?

Now that it is headed back to committee, how long will the process take?  How many more months will I have to spend unable to find work because I have a record?  Few are hiring in Muskegon to begin with and NONE are hiring former felons. 

All the while me and my family suffer so politicians seemingly continue to try and score political points.  My future, and by extension, my children's futures could be so vastly improved with just one new law....this one. 

So, write your representatives, people, and get on board with me!!!

 

(b) "Minor offense" means a misdemeanor or ordinance violation for which the maximum permissible imprisonment does not exceed 90 days, for which the maximum permissible fine does not exceed $1,000.00, and that is committed by a person who is not more than 21 years of age. There should be no age limit this does not really help

(b) "Minor offense" means a misdemeanor or ordinance violation for which the maximum permissible imprisonment does not exceed 90 days, for which the maximum permissible fine does not exceed $1,000.00, and that is committed by a person who is not more than 21 years of age. Why have an age limit I'm 38 years old one felonly conviction over 15 yrs ago & one ordinance volation for driving with out license on person i was over 21yrs old on both the age limit does not help us at all

Does anyone know haw many people have 1 felony or 2 misdemeanors in Michigan? That could help organize the cause. If we get organized say with a facebook or some other way like twitter and the politicians see that by passing this good law they would also get votes and by not passing it they would loose votes (and we can make sure of that by talking to our families and friends about this) they they would pass it in no-time. So please get organized lets make a twitter or/and a facebook page at least or perhaps something more and lets get people to "like", "follow",or whatever. See where this takes us.

by the way, I do think that making a misdemeanor or misdemeanors or even a non-violent felony publicly searchable after a person has served their sentence and after 5 years of the completion of the sentence have passed is a violation of the 8th amendment of the US constitution regarding cruel and unusual punishments. Cruel and unusual punishment describes criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person. If you did a misdemeanor 20 years ago, you paid for your crime, and now you cannot find a job because of it, THAT IS CRUEL AND USUAL PUNISHMENT. So I wish some lawyer with courage and a sense of what is right would take this all the way to the supreme court. I am not talking about repeat offenders of violent crimes or rapes etc here. Also the fact the police can charge you for the same alleged crime with several different charges is cruel and unusual.

" If you did a misdemeanor 20 years ago, you paid for your crime, and now you cannot find a job because of it, THAT IS CRUEL AND USUAL PUNISHMENT. So I wish some lawyer with courage and a sense of what is right would take this all the way to the supreme court. " Let's simplify it by asking it become a law to allow" Expungement" from the record.

"Roughly 1.8 million people in Michigan have crim­inal records, nearly one in four adults. Almost 1.3 million of them, or one in six adults, carry felonies, Michigan State Po­lice data show. Whether or not they include pri­son or jail time, such convictions can carry lifetime penal­ties. They re­strict where people live or go to school, what pro­fes­sions they can enter and, most pointedly, whether an employer will hire them. These barri­ers actually encour­age crim­inal activ­ity by pre­vent­ing ex-offend­ers from en­tering the eco­nom­ic mainstream." (JEFF GERRITT Detroit Free Press May 17, 2011) There are 9,876,187 people in Michigan according to the census 23.7% are under18 years of age (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26000.html). Therefore there are 753,531 adults. Thus 24% have some sort of a criminal charge and 17.25% have felonies. If you include those peoples' families then almost all families in Michigan have a relative that has either a felony or misdemeanor. First these numbers tell us that people with criminal records have enormous power to elect those that will help them re-enter society after they have paid for their crime. Secondly, this tells us that unfortunately we live in a police state. No free society would convict almost 20% of its population for crimes. There is either something seriously wrong with the people of Michigan or with the system. Since the people of Michigan are the same as any other people, it seems to me that the system here is problematic. Perhaps there is an entire industry around the criminal justice system which needs fresh flesh to sustain itself.

I assume this revision is meant as a cautionary measure to all deeds that can appear as infractions and threats to common or private goods. To my knowledge, more and more companies adhere to contracting data center security specialized services in order to protect their informational property as much as they can. In a world of ultimate evolutionary breakthroughs, there can be blessing in disguise at every step you take. Cautionary measures are required so as to get better protection.

The House and the Senate recently passed companion bills that would enable more convicted criminals to get their records sealed through the process knows as expungement. Expungement allows convicted criminals to legally state that they have never been convicted of a crime.

I think the revisions that they offer here is so good. I hope this is being pushed so much. The changes will benefit so many. Great job idea to push. credit card BVI

I honestly would pay $ to have mine removed, and I know there are more individuals who would do the same. I really hope something is done and soon. To be convicted and only receive probation and as soon as I was done paying my fines I was released. I graduated and still have difficult finding a job 7 years later. I had to move from Michigan just to try to find something a place that would give me somewhat of a chance. I have no problem being punished for my drug crime, it was a bad stretch and I still cant believe it happened to me. Only because I have a prior DUI makes this impossible to remove, I believe 7 years of not being able to put an apartment in my name, getting rejected by the corporate world, embarrassing myself and family and getting stripped of certain rights is punishment enough. I have held my head high for so long but time is slowly making me realize the magnitude of my future. I have read this bill numerous times and I think it would be a perfect fit to a lot of individuals in my same situation. Its a vicious cycle that repeats itself in a negative manner and if the word REHABILITATION is truly what we are after then, the ending of this cycle would be just that.

Oh and if Michigan is so cashed strapped then after 5 years no criminal activity and a degree or any type of certification that you received in order to better yourself then I would be more than happy to pay what ever they wish to erase my non violent and victim less crimes. I and a million others would as well and you can receive your $ cause one way or another its what its all about Unfortunately. AMEN

What can we do to help pass this house bill 4106

please email me @ gcshowcase69@gmail**.*com im willing to do what ever i takes to pass this bill

During my grad career at U of M, I have applied quite a few of our assignments to do real things to advocate for this bill. During this fall semester, I have to take 2 grant writing classes, and an Econ class that I will write my thesis substitution for which will focus on Michigan's economy and how it relates to the ex-offender. Previously, I designed two research designs that focuses on answering questions about the offender demographic make-up, basically, I was thinking if we could prove what constitutes a felon and how broad that term is, maybe our legislators would become more aggressive with the handling of this bill. There are a lot of questions that I have that need answering. I know that there are over 300,000 people that have criminal records in Michigan but only an average of 3,000 actually apply for expunction. What I don't know is how many of the 3,000 get approved? The courts have not been helpful, I know somewhere someone has the answer but getting to the right person to access it has not happened yet. I don't know how many more could benefit from expunging their record as the law stands right now, or how many need this law to pass. Are folks not applying because they don't know that they can or are they just not eligibile? How many people need more aggressive bills that allow for multiple felonies resulting from one situation? These are the main questions I need answering and I am thinking a research study would help to get the data needed. As for these grant classes, we have to develop something tangible not just an assignment, so I was thinking of writing a research grant and possibly one for a campaign to spread awareness about this legislation. Let's get real, after November it's dead. It's up to us to be ready next session when it gets re-introduced so that we can get it passed. I am trying to get all my ducks lined up and would appreciate any help or suggestions that any of you may have with going forward in a campaign that would advocate for this bill or I should say the next one they will introduce after this one fails. Keep in mind that the SB 0159 bill that passed, I found out around spring time that this passed because it directly affected someone important son ( I don't remember if it was a senator or representative). They pushed this bill through in like 5 months! 5 months of it being introduced but added the age requirement so it would not have any opposition, not that it would seeing how it was designed to pass for the sake of this young man. I guess it really comes down to who you know! Well I don't know anyone who can do that for me, and I can only assume none of you do either or else it would have happened already so I am saying to you all that the only way to get it done is to do it ourselves.

please give me a call i dont mine giving my num to anyone that would like to help pass this bill 734 9727284

do you have  a email add so we can keep intouch with one another i have ur back all the way on this one

Hello everyone. I would really like to keep in touch with those of you who are serious about making something happen. I don't know how long they will keep this site up seeing how the legislation session is passed for this bill, but I still want to stay in contact with those of you who expressed an interest in doing something more. Please send me your email addresses at ysellis01@gmail**.*com

I would love to talk to you about this bill. Why is it at a standstill????

Yes, Peppie, I would love to talk with you. My e-mail is tmwturtles@yahoo**.*com. I'm very concerned about why this is not going anywhere.

The bill did not go anywhere and died after it was returned to the House Judiciary Committee. If I were a betting man, I would say it was returned to the committee because it was the same day those two yahoos robbed a bank in Ravenna, MI and a Walker, MI police officer, Trevor Slot, was killed when they ran him over near Grand Rapids, MI. After that, not one person in the Legislature was going to touch that bill because it had the "appearance" of being soft on crime. No politician, with a police officer newly deceased, was going to touch this "toxic" proposal with a 10 foot battle lance. Now that HB 4106 is dead, there will be a need for a new proposal using the same arguments as before. This will need to be proposed by more than one representative or senator to gain traction, but, only one will do in a pinch. Write your local senator and representative about this topic and REMIND THEM THAT AL THAT IS NEEDED NOW IS TO REMOVE THE AGE RESTRICTION FROM THE CURRENT LAW. There doesn't need to be an entirely new bill, really, just an amendment that is sorely needed at this time. My email is samurai351@yahoo**.*com if anyone cares to send me something about this...but please, I ask you, don't SPAM me, ok?

Hey All. I just contacted Rep Oakes office and was informed that they will be re-introducing this bill possibly as soon as next week, it will be HB 4186. I suggest we all take an active role in this legislation session, first by writing your congresspersons from your individual areas to let them know this issue is important to you so it should be to them as well, second by following its progression and attending any hearings regarding this bill. I have done this before myself and it truly helps when they can see whom the legislation affects and why it is important to act on it. Third, I also suggest that we start stalking the speaker of the house also, as he is the decision maker as to which bills go before the house to be voted on, if enough of us make a stink, possibly he will be motivated to call on this bill instead of passing it by! I firmly believe the only way to get what we want is to fight for it, this time I think if we can come together and start getting the word out about this legislation as much as we can it might make a difference, we may finally be heard! I was thinking about making a facebook page, I don't think it can hurt right? During my masters program, I was working on a research design proposal for a case study to learn why so few of Michigan residents with criminal records don't apply for expungement. Do any of you think this would help? All we have is speculation as to why an estimated average of 3,000 folks apply annually, this number does not reflect how many people were approved, just the application totals. I read an article last year that stated over 700,000 people had criminal records in Michigan, this was gleaned from census data. I also learned from someone that the $50 app fee also plays a part, I know some of us would gladly pay $50 or more to clear our records, I was operating under the impression that this possibly could be useful for the bureaucrats to see this kind of data (from the proposed research study) but then again, I also read the analysis that they have done for these bills and it clearly states in black and white that this is good legislation (4106) and the arguments against it are outweighed by the arguments for it. I know this may seem like a slap in the face but the analysis done for SB 0159 that passed in 2011 stated that they did not recommend that this bill be passed, that instead they should pass the broader bill HB4106, so I guess that shows how effective these analysis are in helping the bureaucrats make a decision. Again, I think it goes back to taking an active role in our legislative sessions to get the bills we want passed. If none of us is making it an issue or taking it seriously or supporting this bill outside of this little forum then how can we expect anyone else to care or act on our behalf, we have to do the work and it starts today with you, me, and whoever else this may affect.

 what do yall think the chance of the bill passing this year now that they have a criminal justice committee that help them focus on the bill more