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From MichiganVotes.org
How your Representatives and Senators in Lansing recently voted. Contact information is included at the end.
MichiganVotes Weekly Report: July 8, 2022
This week's Roll Call Report includes notable votes from an "all-nighter" legislative session a week earlier, for which vote tallies were not published until after the holiday weekend. The House and Senate are adjourned until July 20.
House Bill 4375: Revise school pension “double dipping” for retired teachers Passed 37 to 1 in the Senate on June 30, 2022
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.
Yes: Hertel (D), Irwin (D), Theis (R)
Senate Bill 814: Give gas station owners ethanol fuel sales tax-subsidy Passed 24 to 14 in the Senate on June 30, 2022
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.
Yes: Theis (R)
No: Hertel (D), Irwin (D)
House Bill 5487: Mandate certain merchant disclosures on eBay type sites Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on June 30, 2022
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.
Yes: Hertel (D), Irwin (D), Theis (R)
House Bill 4698: Criminalize false “active shooter alarm” Passed 31 to 7 in the Senate on June 30, 2022
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.”
Yes: Hertel (D), Theis (R)
No: Irwin (D)
Senate Bill 1012: Subsidize student social worker and psychologist interns in public schools Passed 95 to 11 in the House on July 1, 2022
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.
Yes: Brabec (D), Bollin (R), Hope (D), Lasinski (D), Rahbi (D)
Senate Bill 744: Give state subsidies to shipping and port interests Passed 94 to 12 in the House on July 1, 2022
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.
Yes: Brabec (D), Hope (D), Lasinski (D)
No: Bollin (R), Rahbi (D)
House Bill 6194: COVID "lessons learned" bills - emergency order time limits Passed 56 to 48 in the House on July 1, 2022
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.
Yes: Bollin (R)
No: Brabec (D), Hope (D), Lasinski (D), Rahbi (D)
House Bill 6184: Limit state health department's "emergency orders" powerPassed 56 to 49 in the House on July 1, 2022
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.
Yes: Bollin (R)
No: Brabec (D), Hope (D), Lasinski (D), Rahbi (D)
About: Michigan Votes is a free public service of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational institution. Its purpose is to inform citizens, community leaders, business people, media, and public officials about legislation that affects their families, schools, jobs and communities. The site empowers citizens to take a more active part in the democratic process, and hold their elected representatives accountable.
State Representatives
Donna Lasinski (D) District 52 (Dexter, Chelsea, Saline, Scio, Manchester) 517 373 0828 donnalasinski@house.mi.gov
Yousef Rabhi (D) District 53 (Ann Arbor) 517 373 2577 yousefrabhi@house.mi.gov
Felicia Brabec (D) District 55 (Pittsfield, York, Barton Hills) 517 373 1792 FeliciaBrabec@house.mi.gov
Kara Hope (D) District 67 (Stockbridge) 517 373 0587 KaraHope@house.mi.gov
Ann Bollin (R) District 42 (Pinckney, Hamburg) 517 373 1784 AnnBollin@house.mi.gov
State Senators
Lana Theis (R) District 22 (Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Hamburg) 517 373 2420 SenLTheis@senate.michigan.gov
Jeff Irwin (D) District 18 (Ann Arbor, Saline, Pittsfield, York) 517 373 2406 senjirwin@senate.michigan.gov
Curtis Hertel Jr. (D) District 23 (Stockbridge) 517 373 1734 senchertel@senate.michigan.gov
