Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on February 11, 2004, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2004-2005 Family Independence Agency budget. This appropriates $4.306 billion in adjusted gross spending (funded from all sources, including special state restricted fund and federal pass-through dollars, minus interdepartmental transfers), compared to $3.950 billion, which was the FY 2003-2004 amount enrolled in 2003. Of this, $1.138 billion will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2003-2004 amount of $1.133 million. The House version authorizes approximately $32 million less in gross spending than the governor recommended

The vote was 95 in favor, 11 opposed and 3 not voting

(House Roll Call 195 at House Journal 28)

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Senators Birkholz and Cropsey, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the adoption of the amendment offered by Senator Schauer to House Bill No. 5516. Senator Birkholz moved that the statement she made during the discussion of the amendment be printed as her reasons for voting "no." The motion prevailed. Senator Birkholz's statement, in which Senator Cropsey concurred, is as follows: Domestic violence is horrible. It's a scourge on our society. It's a sin against women and children. All I'm asking for is the money that's allocated to my county and is not being received by my county's residents. I'm not asking for more or less. I'm just asking for the money that is due them to be able to get to them to give them the service that they need. I urge you to defeat this amendment.

Senator Scott, under her constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of House Bill No. 5516 and moved that the statement she made during the discussion of the bill be printed as her reasons for voting "no." The motion prevailed. Senator Scott's statement is as follows: Earlier I was going to support this, and I told the chair of that committee that I would. But there have been amendments put on since then that I cannot live with. I cannot pit one person against another. As I indicated earlier, we're all God's children. Those are our most vulnerable people, especially our children, where we're not willing to put the money where we ought to put it. Yes, I understand that we do have a lot of violence in this state, in more ways than one, but I cannot in good conscience vote for this because of what we have debated here today. Normally, when I give my word, it's my bond, but there were changes here that I can't live with. So I'll be voting "no" on this and would encourage my colleagues to do so.

Martha Scott,is suppose to be a Highland Parker, and Thank God this bill was thrown in the trast bin.Martha Scott,the people here in Highland Park,elected you to represent us.Where is a bill in the senate that was created to solve our water issue?