Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on June 7, 2007, to clarify that the $415 million borrowed against future tobacco lawsuit settlement proceeds as part of the deal to borrow and shift funds to avoid spending cuts in the Fiscal Year 2006-2007 budget, is not to be credited to the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund, but to cover the other spending enabled by the deal. The bill was introduced because the legislative "vehicle" for the deficit financing of current year spending was a bill amending the 2006 law authorizing $400 million in borrowing for the the “21st Century Jobs Fund” business subsidy program

The vote was 78 in favor, 28 opposed and 4 not voting

(House Roll Call 203 at House Journal 61)

Click here to view bill details.

You weren't entitled to the Tobacco settlement money in the first place. The states ripped of tobacco companies. You sold off future payments for the boondoggle 21st Century Fund. If you want to remove it from there and use the money for budget items, I have no problem with that.

Senator Schauer's statement is as follows: I would ask for your support of this amendment that merely preserves and codifies the 2007 budget agreement with regard to the transfer of $30 million from the 21st Century Jobs Fund to the General Fund. While that transfer from this fund should raise some concerns because in itself it is undermining our economic development efforts in this state, certainly, the breach of an agreement that would have repaid those funds is even worse. This is bad for business in this state.It's bad economic development policy, and unfortunately, it's breaking an agreement that would have repaid $30million that is being taken from the 21st Century Jobs Fund. I would urge your support of this amendment.

Senator Cassis, under her constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against concurring in the House amendments to the Senate substitute to House Bill No.4884 and moved that her statement be printed as her reasons for voting "no." The motion prevailed. Senator Cassis' statement is as follows: I rise to express my "no" vote on House Bill No.4884. My "no" vote is consistent with my previous votes of nonsupport for the 21st century slush fund. I ask this question: "How can today's legislators make a promise that future legislators are not beholding to keep?"

what give's the goverment the write to take money that should go to the pepole with cancer from smoken like me that could use it will being off work for cancer surgery to help pay my bills till i get back to work to pay your wages we payed all those high taxes on cigs all these years yea its my falt for having cancer for smoken but what gives you the write to take the money from us all smokers and exsmoker it shoud go to help people quite and medical expens ect