Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on June 4, 2003, to raise a number of license fees and taxes charged to citizens. Among these are increases of $3 in annual vehicle registration fees; an increase of $13 in the fee for an original driver’s license, from $12 to $25, and from $12 to $18 for a renewal; in increase of $15 for a chauffer’s license, from $20 to $35; an increase in the annual auto dealer license fee, from $10 to $75; and an increase in the annual salvage dealer license fee, from $100 to $160. A new $10 late fee for late vehicle registrations would also be imposed. In total, citizens would pay an additional $70 million to the state under the bill. The bill would use the increased revenue to replace part of the road tax money now diverted to fund the Department of Treasury and the Secretary of State. This is one of many bills authorizing tax and fee increases proposed to close a gap between state spending and expected revenue

The vote was 36 in favor, 2 opposed and 0 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 218 at Senate Journal 58)

Click here to view bill details.

Instead of cutting spending, the proposal will cause large increases in fees that people are forced to pay just to live and hopefully work in the state. This is indirect taxation. Have you already implemented all or any of the budget cuts suggested by the Mackinac Center think tank? I think not.

All raising of taxes in the Bill SB554, noe of which are less than 50%, is Outrageous, if not Criminal.

Please, not more than a 20% increase just to create a new adminstration, which just might pay the salaries of the new bureaucrats.

Rollie B.

Stop adding more costs to the individuals of this state.
Creating additional fines and fees are not the solution.

This is longterm degradation of Michigan resident attitudes towards the governor and our economy.

With everyday necessities such as needing a vehicle................BEING INCREASED...........
HOW COME MY WAGES ARENT GOING UP TO MATCH THE INCREASE.???? Very few people get 'cost of living' increases added to their pay checks. How in Heck...do you people in your FAT CAT seats expect us to keep paying for all these increases? I am fed up with it all.

I was under the impression that Shirley Johnson was a Republican. Apparently there isn't much difference between parties.

opposed

Rep. Drolet, 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:
This bill is a $55 to $66 million tax increase on everyone who relies upon a motor vehicle for personal transportation. The driver's license fee" an unavoidable cost for most of us who must function in a modern economy' will be increased by 100% for a new license and by 50% for a renewal. An extra $3 is to be tacked onto the cost of license plates. The chauffeur license fee goes up 75%. The license to sell cars increases a whopping 750%, and the license to dispose of the old cars goes up 60%. I would love to see Michigan's economic growth rate hit 750% right now" or even 75%, 60% or 50%. I'd even take 5%. The fact is that it isn't growing very much and nowhere close to anything that would justify fee increases in the range of 50%, let alone these other absurd numbers. Michigan job providers "such as those car dealers who will pay 750% more for their licenses under this proposal "are laying people off and not selling their products for enough money to justify the cost of doing business. Economic growth, personal income and the cost of everything but government is flat right now. I am tempted to say that this proposal is a massive tax increase on anything that moves, but even that understates the case. This bill includes an unprecedented new late fee of $10 on those who do not renew their license plates in a timely fashion. Letting the registration lapse for even an extra day will cost $10 extra" whether or not the car was actually driven while the plates were expired! Just weeks ago, we added another $10 onto speeding tickets, and that was on top of the $10 we added to traffic
violations last year. If you drive a car, drive it too fast, sell cars, dispose of old cars, or even just leave a car in your garage, then the state of Michigan wants to charge you a fee increase or maybe even a brand new fee. The world's automotive capital is rapidly becoming the world capital of automotive taxes."

Every member of both houses that supported this bill should be recalled, if for no other reason than this blatant betrayal of trust.
I am embarrassed to be a democrat, after this shameful display of everything negative that republicans portray us as embodying.

It is high time for another Tea Party. I am embarassed to be a republican.

If the new driver license fees/fines/regulations, license plate fees/fines/regulations disturb you, check out the link at the bottom of this note, to Michigan Votes; print out the names of those representatives and (most) senators that supported this bill, and take it with you into the VOTING BOOTH as a guide on who NOT to vote for, next time around.

And don't forget the Governor who signed the bottom line..........

If you care, link to your Senator's and Representative's email address, and voice your opinion.

Is this why YOU voted for them? Are they looking out for YOUR best interest? In their campaign, did they promise they would do THIS to YOU?

I think not.

Be forewarned. If you are a law abiding citizen who insures your vehicle, you will be fined $300 if you forgot to have that current little piece of paper in your glovebox. Doesn't matter if you can provide proof afterwards.

If you are a law abiding citizen who renews your license plates before the expiration date, be aware that they changed your current registration to expire on the first day of the month, that your current registration states expires on your birthday, or February 16 for truck plates.

If, for example, your birthday is on Feb. 12, your current registration states it is valid until Feb. 12, but if you go to the Secretary of State office on Feb. 3, you will be fined $10 per registration as a late fee, because you did not re-register by Feb. 1.

Did your Senator or Representative inform you of these changes that they voted for "on your behalf"?

If you are a law abiding citizen, makes a mistake as we all do, and admits guilt to a variety of traffic offenses, whether by good conscience or perhaps because you can't afford a good lawyer, be ready to suffer the consequences your Senator or Representative voted for in YOUR(?) behalf.

To the best of my knowledge, Michigan has 38 Senators and 110 Representatives, "representing" 6,800,000 VOTERS. Has this bill, #554, been passed by a majority of the 148 elected officials representing the best interest of 6,800,000 constituents?

I think not.

If you agree with this legislative decision, be thankful that democracy works for you.

If you disagree, voice your displeasure at this outrageous piece of legislation intended to be a "moneymaker" for the State of Michigan, at your expense.

This is the link to a lot of the current changes, however, there are more, buried in the bureaucracy that we mistakenly think is government for the people.

http://www.michiganvotes.org/bill.asp?SessionBillTypeID=32&Number=554

Dave

The following was stated in a previous post:

"If you are a law abiding citizen who renews your license plates before the expiration date, be aware that they changed your current registration to expire on the first day of the month, that your current registration states expires on your birthday, or February 16 for truck plates.

If, for example, your birthday is on Feb. 12, your current registration states it is valid until Feb. 12, but if you go to the Secretary of State office on Feb. 3, you will be fined $10 per registration as a late fee, because you did not re-register by Feb. 1."

My local SOS office told me that the due date is my birthdate. What are the facts?

Why is it since more people are out of work and no one is getting raises that now we must pay more for everything, not only do we pay for the car (expensive) we pay for the insurance, the oil changes (getting higher) any damages caused by an accident (no help here, we are a "NO FAULT" state) and because we are in Michigan we have to replace tires and rims and sometimes more due to the large amounts of pot holes. So let me ask you this, why should we have to pay more for licence plates? I guess we should have expected this from the government, any way to get another buck! Thank you state representitives for voting on my behalf, only one thing is wrong thats not how I would have voted, hope the guilt rots your sole.

We are getting so raped!, sodomized, and molested! We have no money, the government gave away billions again to foreign nations! Insurance companies are scamming the dickens out of us! The Schools are crying no money! but have you looked at the new building they are in lately!!! the outrages administrator salaries!!VOTE THEM OUT!!---ALL OF THEM!!!

In response to an earlier question, P.A. 165 of 2003 (SB 554) did not change the expiration date of your license plates. Most common classes of plates still expire on your birthday, just as before. See MCL 257.226(1). What changed is that now the state has a way to compel you to renew on time. Renewals postmarked after your birthday must be accompanied by a $10/vehicle late fee. Plates transferred with vehicle sales expire on the previous owner's birthday.

P.A. 165 also raised most classes of plate fees by $3, for all payments made after Oct. 1, 2003, regardless of expiration date.

The $10 late fee is credited to the state General Fund. $2.25 of the basic fee increase is credited to the Michigan State Police. Probably neither of these appropriations is constitutional under Article IX, Sec. 9 of the Consitution, which requires specific vehicle taxes to be used only for road construction and transit. However, these new laws have not been challenged by local officials yet.