THE LATEST IN
LANSING . . .
GREAT! EXTRA MONEY FROM
WHERE?
Senate Bill 166 (Authorize extra money to cover 2006
over-spending by departments ):
Introduced by Sen. Ron Jelinek on February 6,
2007, to provide supplemental funding in the current fiscal year (FY 2006-2007)
to cover overspending in the previous fiscal year by the Departments of
Corrections, Human Services (Welfare), and State Police. The three departments
overspent the amount appropriated for them by the legislature by approximately
$19.6 million, $42.9 million and $6.6 million, respectively. As introduced the
bill does not contain the final dollar amount, which will be determined in
committee. Note: The Constitution prohibits state departments from spending in
excess of their appropriated amount, but the legislature has never passed a
specific law establishing penalties. The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 184,
meaning it cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 184 would require the
executive branch to report potential overspending by departments. Reportedly,
the legislature had not been informed of the overspending in 2006 until after
the gubernatorial election.
Details and Comments:
http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=51258
FOR THE FARMERS
. . .
House Bill 4209
(Tax break for agricultural property ):
Introduced by Rep. David Robertson on
February 7, 2007, to provide for an alternative agricultural production tax on
agricultural property that meets certain standards making it eligible for a
proposed property tax exemption certificate. The alternative tax would be levied
at the same rate as the current property tax, but would be assessed solely on
the property’s agricultural value, not on the “highest and best use” value which
is the basis of assessments on other types of property. This means that tax rates on qualifying agricultural
property would not rise faster than inflation, even if the development value of
the property increased.
Details and Comments: http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=51370
FOR ALL MICHIGAN . . . HEALTHCARE YOU CAN
TRUST?
House Bill 4202
(Create “single payer” government health insurance system ):
Introduced by
Rep. George Cushingberry on February 7, 2007, to establish a “universal” state
health insurance system. The government would
eventually essentially take over all health insurance in the state and ration
health care services for Michigan residents. The bill
establishes a variety of government boards and commission that would make
decisions regarding which treatments and services would be covered, and decide
most other aspects of health care delivery in the state. The bill does not
specify how this would be paid for.
Details and Comments: http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=51363
MORE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL MEANS
FOR MONEY FOR THE SCHOOLS. . . AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THEY NEED IT! LET'S GET
'EM IN THERE EARLY . . .
Senate Bill 162
(Mandate full day kindergarten for all
five-year-olds ):
Introduced by Sen. Irma
Clark-Coleman on February 6, 2007, to mandate that all children who turn five
years old before December 1 must be enrolled in full-day kindergarten beginning
in September, and require school districts to provide full-day kindergarten.
Details and Comments: http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=51254
SO THEY CAN GET BEAT UP AT
SCHOOL AT 5 YEARS OLD . . .
House Bill 4201
(Require school bullying
policies ):
Introduced by Rep. Lorence Wenke on February 1,
2007, to require schools to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation,
or bullying; require teachers to acquire training in this area as part of their
paid “professional development” days; and require new teachers to have received
training in this as part of the classes they must complete to get a teachers
certificate.
Details and Comments: http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=50823
AND SO THE STATE CAN DO
BODILY HARM AND/ OR STERILIZE YOUR DAUGHTER.
Senate Bill 132
(Mandate HPV vaccine for sixth grade
girls ):
Introduced by Sen. Deborah Cherry on January 31,
2007, to require the parents or guardian of every female child entering sixth
grade in a public or nonpublic school to either have the child vaccinated with
the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, or sign a statement to the effect that
he or she had received information schools would be required to distribute on
the connection between HPV and cervical cancer, and had elected for the child
not to receive the vaccine.
Details and Comments: http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=50700
AND IF YOU
DON'T . . .
NEW DEFINITION OF CHILD
ABUSE . . . NOT HARMING A CHILD.
Senate Bill 158 (Revise child abuse definitions
):
Introduced by Sen. Ron Jelinek on February 6, 2007, to revise the
definition of third degree child abuse to include knowingly and intentionally
doing something LIKELY to cause harm to a child, even if no harm is caused.
Under current law, actual harm must be caused to constitute a violation.
Details and Comments: http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=51250
DOES THE STATE HAVE TO RUN
EVERYTHING? HOW ABOUT ALLOWING SOME PRIVATE COMPANIES SO MICHIGAN CAN HAVE
AN ECONOMY!
House Bill 4210 (Mandate state event recycling containers ):
Introduced
by Rep. Fred Miller on February 7, 2007, to require all state-sponsored events
to provide recycling containers for beverage containers.
Details and
Comments:
http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=51371
OH YEAH, JUST IN CASE YOU ARE
THINKING ABOUT REPLACING AN ELECTED OFFICAL THAT IS NOT DOING HIS/HER JOB . . .
Senate Bill 139 (
Restrict elected
official recalls ):
Introduced by Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom on
January 31, 2007, to prohibit the recall of an elected official, even if a
majority of those voting in the recall election approve it, unless the number of
votes in favor is greater than the votes received by the official when he or she
was elected. The bill applies to elected local government and school officials
only, not to state offices.
Details and Comments:
http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=50707
THERE ARE MANY MORE. IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECIEVE A LIST OF WHAT BILLS ARE BEING INTRODUCED AND PASSED
IN MICHIGAN GO TO WWW.MICHIGANVOTES.COM
