Among the 126 bills Gov. Rick SNYDER signed the Friday before he left office was HB 4991, which locks $69 million in income tax revenue that would have gone to schools to environmental cleanup and $114 million to $143 million for the roads.
In exchange, the schools will be more than reimbursed from the larger-than-expected sales tax revenue coming through the Wayfair court decision.
The legislation is a result of Snyder’s Renew Michigan’s Environment proposal to clean up hazardous waste sites after the Clean Michigan bonds expired a couple years ago. Snyder originally wanted to raise landfill tipping fees, but the Senate said “no” to the tax increase. The funding shift was offered up as a compromise.
“It’s critical that we invest in improvements to our environment and infrastructure,” Snyder said today, highlighting the bill. “This legislation allows for upgrades to our road and water infrastructure while investing in environmental cleanup.”
But the bill drew heavy objection when it came up for a House concurrence vote Dec. 21 on the basis that the School Aid Fund would receive more money if HB 4991 didn’t pass.
Initially sponsored by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R-Troy), the bill would allow those wrongfully imprisoned to avoid paying state taxes on the compensation they receive from the state. After it was substituted with the revenue shift language, Howrylak and seven other House members asked their names be removed as sponsor or co-sponsors. It’s now officially sponsored by Rep. Ed Canfield (R-Sewbaing).
Another controversial bill signed today was Rep. Triston Cole‘s (R-Mancelona) HB 4205, a diluted version of previous legislation that prohibits state agency rules from being more stringent than federal regulations.
The Governor said his administration has eliminated more than 3,000 unnecessary rules and it is appropriate for state agencies to take extra care in justifying regulatory decisions when adding rules. These rules and regulations are still allowed to be more stringent than federal law when accompanied by the appropriate explanation and support, he noted. This bill replaced a previous version that Snyder vetoed. The Governor said the concerns that led to his prior veto were addressed in HB 4205.
Yet another controversial bill signed today was Rep. James Lower’s (R-Cedar Lake) HB 6595, which requires a petition circulator for constitutional amendments, initiatives, or referendums to indicate if he or she is paid or a volunteer and provides limitations on certain petition signatures.
Signatures for ballot proposals would be capped for each congressional district at 15 percent of the total number of signatures submitted — and anything beyond that would be thrown out.
The Governor said this law will promote geographic diversity in support of ballot proposals similar to the way gubernatorial candidates are required to have geographic support when they file for election.
Snyder also signed 153 other bills today. The most noteworthy included:
– HB 4505, sponsored by state Rep. Diana Farrington (R-Utica), modifies reimbursement for medical procedures and services related to sexual assault medical forensic examinations.
– HB 4506, sponsored by state Rep. Sue Allor (R-Wolverine), modifies use of expenditures from the sexual assault victims’ medical forensic intervention and treatment fund.
– HB 4067, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Tedder (R-Clarkston), creates the interstate medical licensure compact and modifies the licensing process to incorporate the compact.
– HB 4608, sponsored by state Rep. Jeff Noble (R-Plymouth), excludes painters and decorators from the licensing requirement for residential maintenance and alteration contractors.
– HB 5018, sponsored by state Rep. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.), enacts sentencing guidelines for cyberbullying in Michigan.
– HB 5025, sponsored by state Rep. Wendell Byrd (D-Detroit), provides for administrative procedures for withholding tax refunds for unpaid city income taxes.
– HB 5152 and HB 5153, sponsored by state Rep. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and Rep. Edward Canfield (R-Sebewaing), respectively, create a form to opt out of being prescribed or administered an opioid and allows guardians to fill it out for minors.
– HB 5505 and HB 5506, sponsored by state Rep. Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park) and Rep. Daire Rendon (R-Lake City), respectively, modify the licensing of adult foster care facilities.
– HB 5542, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), eliminates requirements that police officers take security from nonresident motorists for civil infractions in Motor Carrier Safety Act.
– HB 5854 and HB 5855, sponsored by state Rep. Gary Howell (R-North Branch) and Rep. Joseph Bellino (R-Monroe), respectively, create a voluntary wetland restoration permit.
– HB 5866, also by Bellino, moves certain authority from the Department of Natural Resources to the Natural Resources Commission.
– HB 5913, sponsored by state Rep. John Bizon (R-Battle Creek), provides for tax-exempt status for 501(c)(19) organizations.
– HB 5926, sponsored by state Rep. Steve Marino (R-Mt. Clemens), removes the term of validity for certificates of employability for parolees.
– HB 5942 sponsored by state Rep. Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain), provides penalties for threatening a school with a firearm or other deadly or dangerous weapon.
– HB 5609, sponsored by state Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit), allows gifts of up to $100 to insured from property-casualty insurer.
– HB 5647, sponsored by state Rep. Ben Frederick (R-Owosso), allows for use of handheld dental X-ray systems under certain circumstances.
– HB 5718, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Lilly (R-Holland), provides for disposal of certain stolen or abandoned property by donation in certain circumstances.
– HB 5828 and HB 5829, sponsored by state Rep. Jason Wentworth (R-Farwell) and Rep. Pamela Hornberger (R-Chesterfield Twp.), provide for a comprehensive school safety plan and fund as well as requiring public schools, public school academies and nonpublic schools to designate school safety liaisons and submit to inspections by state police.
– HB 5850, sponsored by state Rep. Brandt IDEN (R-Kalamazoo), eliminates the sunset in the student safety act.
– HB 5851, sponsored by LaFave, requires reporting of attempted acts of school violence.
– HB 5852, sponsored by Bellino, adds active shooter training in the Michigan commission on law enforcement standards.
-A six-bill package which updates HIV testing and reporting procedures. The package includes HB 6016, sponsored by Canfield; HB 6018, by Rep. Hank Vaupel (R-Fowlerville); HB 6019, by Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn); HB 6020, by Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo); HB 6022, by Bizon; HB 6023, Rep. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores).
– HB 6052, sponsored by state Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell), creates the economic development incentive act.
– HB 6053 and HB 6054, also sponsored by Albert, modify the penalties for filing essential services assessment late.
– HB 6063, sponsored by Wentworth, prevents local ordinances from prohibiting signage for veterans or first responders who die in the line of duty.
– HB 6087 and HB 6088, sponsored by state Frederick and Howell, respectively, to allow municipalities to borrow money from the state infrastructure bank and exempts loans from the state infrastructure bank from the definition of municipal security under the Revised Municipal Finance Act.
– HB 6123, sponsored by state Rep. Scott Vansingel (R-Grant), creates the Water Use Advisory Council.
– HB 6360, sponsored by Canfield, removes the sunset on requirement for auto insurers to provide policy information to Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
– HB 6361, sponsored by Canfield, expands the requirement to notify DHHS of legal action in which Medicaid may have a right to recover.
– HB 6378, sponsored by VanSingel, creates a procedure for granting service credit to certain employees of a tax-supported community or junior college and revises method to calculate unfunded actuarial accrued liability.
– HB 6400, sponsored by Noble, exempts certain adult care facilities from special or conditional use permits.
– HB 6403, sponsored by Wentworth, modifies county veteran service fund distribution.
– HB 6428, HB 6429 and HB 6430, sponsored by Lower, LaFave, and Rep. Aaron Miller (R-Sturgis), respectively, modify provisions on delivery of electric service outside of corporate limits of a city.
– HB 6472, sponsored by Cole, modifies issuance of floodplain permits for minor and general projects.
– HB 6487, sponsored by state Rep. Curt Vanderwall (R-Ludington), allows electronic title for vehicles with a lienholder for off-road vehicles.
– HB 6520, sponsored by state Rep. Lana Theis (R-Brighton), enacts corporate governance annual disclosure model act.
– HB 6573, sponsored by Runestad, modifies law enforcement separation from service record act and allows Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards to obtain records.
– HB 6572, also by Runestad, modifies the employment record information employers can release for a law enforcement employee.
– HB 6582, sponsored by Lilly, requires the requester to provide certain identifying information when making Freedom of Information Act requests.
– HB 4522, sponsored by state Rep. Mary Whiteford (R-Lansing), provides an additional personal exemption for stillborn birth.
– HB 4700, sponsored by Lilly, eliminates provisions related to allowing precinct delegates to file as a write-in candidate on election day and modifies references to board of primary election inspectors.
– HB 6050, sponsored by state Rep. Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway), allows for the breeding of black bears under certain conditions.
– HB 5778, sponsored by Albert, would allow zoos to breed large carnivores like tigers in certain situations.
– SB 1038, sponsored by state Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland), modifies and creates deadlines for completion of audit of Medicaid cost reports.
– HB 4602, sponsored by state Rep. Laura Cox (R-Livonia), provides for technical amendments to the Budget Stabilization Fund.
– HB 4734, sponsored by state Rep. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), modifies provisions regarding boards of county election commissioners and boards of county canvassers.
– HB 6348, sponsored by state Rep. Rob VerHeulen (R-Walker), modifies the distribution of local community stabilization act share revenues.
– HB 5813, sponsored by Runestad, requires the use of a standard investigation form involving the physical or financial abuse of a vulnerable adult or elder adult.
– HB 5526, sponsored by state Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw), establishes an A-F letter grade system for ranking public schools in Michigan.
– SB 0331, sponsored by state Sen. Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan), requires licensing of genetic counselors.
– SB 0706, sponsored by state Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City), makes changes to the Convention and Tourism Marketing Act.
– SB 0707, also by Schmidt, makes changes to the Community Convention or Tourism Marketing Act.