Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on September 19, 2007, to repeal the bad debt deduction that tobacco wholesalers may deduct from the state tobacco tax for sales to dealers whose debt has become worthless or uncollectible

The vote was 58 in favor, 50 opposed and 2 not voting

(House Roll Call 396 at House Journal 95)

Click here to view bill details.

Rep. Moore, 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: Yet another bill discharged from committee where we have had no chance to read the bill, no public input during the committee process, and no chance to speak to it on the house floor. I will not vote for a bill that I can't read, ask questions, and assure that it is good for the 97th district."

Rep. Sheen, 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: HB 5252 - This bill was discharged on to the floor, we had no opportunity to read it and the Democratic Majority would not even allow us to ask any questions on this bill. This bill did not go through the committee process as has so many of the bills over the last few weeks. This is no way to run an elected legislature. The majority has the power to out vote the opposing party on every vote, they can at least afford us the ability to ask questions and speak to a bill. The people are being short changed and their voice is being silenced by the refusal of the Democratic majority to allow the duly elected representatives of the minority no chance to speak or scrutinize legislation."