To appropriate $1 billion for new corporate subsidies for General Motors to locate electric vehicle and battery plants in Michigan, plus additional spending on epidemic relief and other items.
The Senate vote on the bill described above.
To permit public school teachers and other staff who retire and begin collecting a pension to return to work in a school district and claim both a paycheck and a pension check if at least nine months have passed since the "retirement." Under current law, with some exceptions for hard-to-fill positions, public school retirees who "double dip" get reduced benefits. The bill would also repeal a requirement that a school district must contribute toward paying-down the unfunded state pension liabilities associated with employing a retired teacher.
To give gas station owners an income tax or business tax credit based on the amount of fuel mixed with ethanol they sell, with higher payments for higher levels of ethanol. The state would write a check to the owner for the difference if the ethanol tax credit exceeded the owner’s tax liability. Fiscal analysts estimate this will cause the state to forego $2.3 million in annual revenue.
To prescribe detailed disclosures that “high-volume third-party sellers” (more than 200 'consumer product' sales in a year) would have to make to an "online marketplace" (like eBay) to disclose the seller's full name, full physical address, a working phone number and email address, whether the seller makes, imports or resells consumer products and more. The site would then have to post a phone number on the seller's offerings for reporting "suspicious marketplace activity." The bill appears targeted at larger merchants who present themselves as individuals on sites like eBay, and is supported by broad coalition of large Michigan "brick and mortar" retailers.
To make pulling a false “active shooter alarm” in a public place a misdemeanor punishable up to a year in prison and $1,000 fine. The bill defines “active shooter alarm" as “an alarm system that is designed to alert individuals inside that place, that there is an active shooter on or near the premises, including an alarm system that when activated locks doors, informs local law enforcement of the active shooter, flashes a blue light, and broadcasts a message inside the place indicating the presence of an active shooter.”
To authorize paying individuals in a professional training program that is required to obtain a state social worker, school counselor, psychologist or mental health professional license, a stipend for serving as an intern in various capacities at a public school.
To authorize a selective state subsidy program (dubbed “Great Lakes Maritime” grants) that would give up to $2.5 million annually to developers and corporations who own a port facility, which they could spend on improvements and other things, including promoting their business.
To limit the duration of an emergency order issued by the state health department to 28 days. Note: When in Oct. 2020 the state Supreme Court invalidated a law that claimed to give governors authority to govern through emergency orders with no time limitation, the current Governor issued imposed the same open-ended orders under a provision of the state Public Health Code, which this bill would amend by adding the 28 day limit.
To require emergency orders imposed by the state health department in response to an epidemic to describe how any restrictions on gatherings or procedures will protect the public health, and disclose the information used to justify an emergency order, including data or statistics used to determine if it is necessary.
To raise from 18 to 21 the minimum age to buy tobacco in Michigan.
To raise the minimum age to enter a “cigar bar” or "tobacco specialty products" store from 18 to 21.
To repeal a 2020 law that authorized employee lawsuits against an employer who takes an “adverse employment action” or “retaliates” against an employee who is absent from work during the declared coronavirus epidemic emergency; and that prohibited employees who tested positive for COVID and had symptoms from reporting for work.
To repeal a 2020 COVID epidemic amendment to the state's occupational health and safety law that gave businesses liability exemptions for exposure of an individual to COVID-19 on the premises, unless this was caused by a reckless disregard of a substantial and unnecessary risk that an individual would be exposed, and as long as it can establish that operations were in substantial compliance with the law.
To create a new state government “blockchain and cryptocurrency commission” comprised of specified officials and political appointees including industry representatives, for the purpose of "fostering an expansion of the industry in this state." The commission would also be tasked with examining “the feasibility, validity, risks, and admissibility, including privacy risks and benefits of using blockchain technology in state and local government and Michigan-based businesses;” and identifying “best practices for enabling blockchain technology and cryptocurrency transactions."
To require municipalities with a public beach to post on a website specified information on beach safety and anti-drowning techniques, and require state natural resource regulators to create and promulgate the safety tips.
To prescribe detailed disclosures that “high-volume third-party sellers” (more than 200 'consumer product' sales in a year) would have to make to an online marketplace (like eBay), including the seller's full name, location and contact information, whether the seller makes, imports or resells consumer products, and more. The site would then have to post a phone number on the seller's offerings for reporting "suspicious marketplace activity." The bill is supported by a broad coalition of large retail chains with outlets in this state.
To give state agriculture department regulators the authority to issue “certificates of free sale” if requested by a plant grower or nursery. This would verify their products are “legally sold or distributed in this state and on the open market with the approval of the department.” The bill does not mandate producers get the certificate or ban sales by ones who have not.
To resolve that the Michigan House urges President Joe Biden "to reject radical open border policies and to enforce our nation's immigration laws."
To require the governor to announce the election dates to fill a vacancy in the legislature within 30 days of the seat becoming open.
To add a selective state subsidy program that would give private developers and corporations $2.5 million in “Great Lakes Maritime” grants for a variety of improvements and uses related to port facilities, including pursuing more business.
To revise provisions of the state school code that prescribe a process for a governor exercising the authority granted by the state constitution to remove a local public official from office, in cases when that official is school board member or intermediate school board member. House Bill 4883 would amend the process for removing other local officials, which is authorized for neglect, corruption or malfeasance.
To make it unlawful to record in the county deeds office a property owners’ or condominium association’s governing documents that contain a “restrictive covenant” that violates the federal Civil Rights Act, and establish that existing ones are void and unenforceable. The bill would also require associations that receive a member request to delete the restrictive covenants to act on it, and empower courts to enforce this.
To establish that a police officer or a prosecuting attorney may provide a domestic or sexual violence service agency with the name and pertinent information of a victim of domestic violence for the purpose of offering supportive services.
To give $1,000 annual stipends to public school “mentor teachers” as defined in the bill, and also give $90 daily stipends to prospective teachers who are filling the teacher licensure requirement to obtain a prescribed number "apprenticeship and internship" hours.
To raise the minimum age to buy tobacco in Michigan, from 18 to 21.
To authorize grants up to $1,500 to parents whose children experienced “learning loss” due to school closures during the COVID epidemic, with 40% of the amount based on household income and the rest based on how many days a child’s classrooms were closed.
To make permanent the permission granted to local government employee retirement boards to hold their meetings remotely, which was was granted temporarily by state epidemic response laws enacted in 2020. This is one of a growing number of proposals to
grant this privilege to various public and quasi-public bodies (like agricultural commodity "marketing boards").
To authorize paying individuals in a professional training program that is required to obtain a state social worker, school counselor, psychologist or mental health professional license, a stipend for serving as an intern in various capacities at a public school.
To place in statute authorization for “robo-bartender” alcoholic dispensing machines in restaurants, bars and other establishments with a liquor license. The machines could dispense up to 96 ounces of beer, wine, or mixed spirit drink in a single order, and staff would be required to monitor their use. Rules adopted under an existing law permit a much more limited version of this, which the industry has sought to expand.
To permit establishments with an “on-premises” liquor license that also have a “public swimming pool” and pay an additional $350 license fee, to sell drinks at the pool subject to a broad range of additional regulations and requirements.
To suspend collection of the state’s 27.2 cent-per-gallon "motor fuel tax" on gasoline and diesel fuel sales from June 15 to Sept. 15, 2022. The Senate Fiscal Agency reports this would reduce the amount available for future road and bridge repairs by around $360 million.
To suspend collection of the state’s 6% sales tax on purchases of gasoline and diesel fuel from June 15 to Sept. 15, 2022. The Senate Fiscal Agency reports that suspending sales and use taxes on fuel would reduce state and school revenue around $680 million in the current fiscal year.
To authorize state grants of up to $2.5 million each to developers and owners of shipping ports and related facilities. The bill creates a new state agency to manage the subsidies, and to pursue more projects eligible for them.
To authorize civil fines of $2,500 per day for carnival ride safety violations. The bill would also revise procedures on permit revocations, appeals, reporting and disclosure mandates and more.
To revise state high school graduation requirements by adding a new one, that schools offer and students take a one-semester “personal finance” course, which would also substitute for a portion of the math credits that are currently required. The Michigan Department of Education would be required to develop the personal finance course.
To authorize adoption leave business tax credits for employers, which would be equal to half the annual wages of the employee for up to 12 weeks of adoption leave, up to a maximum of $4,000.
to reduce from a year to four months the time period a former public school employee must be retired to be eligible to collect a paycheck as a substitute teacher while also collecting pension checks
To cut the state income tax rate from 4.25% to 4.0%; authorize a $500 nonrefundable child tax credit; increase the amount the state adds on to a federal earned income tax credit for low-income households that owe no taxes, from 6% to 20% of the federal amount; increase the income tax exemption for individuals age 67 and above from $20,000 to $21,800; authorize tax credits for disabled veterans, and more. The Senate Fiscal Agency estimates the bill would save taxpayers around $2.5 billion annually.
To change a law that prohibits a person younger than age 18 from selling or serving alcoholic drinks. The bill would lower the minimum age to 17.
Showing 40 Results Show Entire Session
Contact my lawmakers
Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, District 68. (517) 373-0826. sarahanthony@house.mi.gov
Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr., D-East Lansing, District 23. 517-373-1734. senchertel@senate.michigan.gov
SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit www.MichiganVotes.org.
Permission to reprint this legislative summary in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that www.MichiganVotes.org is properly cited.
