News

Rename County Drain Commissioners

HB 4641 (Accavitti), Passed 73-31

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

This bill would allow a county board of commissioners the option to change the name of the Office of County Drain Commissioner to the Office of the "Water Resources Commissioner" when the Drain Commissioner performs duties beyond that of his/her position of managing drain operations. Some of these duties might include but are not limited to: operating and maintaining sewers, lake levels and soil erosion enforcement, and facilitating compliance of the federal Clean Water Act mandates.

Define Drains That Are "Visibly in Existence"

HB 4642 (Mayes), Passed 72-33

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

This bill defines in statute the term "visibly in existence." Drains that are "visibly in existence" would include open or closed drains that can be visibly identified by banks, slopes, manhole covers, or other structures that would identify the existence of a drain.

Payment of Legal Expenses for Drainage Districts

HB 4643 (Donigan), Passed 70-33

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

This bill clarifies what may be considered legal expenses of a Drain District and that these legal expenses shall be paid out of a particular drainage district fund or the revolving drain fund. Under this bill legal expenses include litigation and witness fee expenses, judgments or orders, and the costs of any judgments or orders and attorney fees.

Allowing Drain Commissioners to Charge for Removing Obstructions in CountyDrains

HB 4644 (Accavitti), Passed 73-31

This bill would allow a Drain Commissioner to remove an obstruction in a county drain and charge the expense to a person who caused or permitted the obstruction,by placing a lien on their property.

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

Increase County Drain Assessment Fees

HB 4688 (Nitz), Passed 56- 48

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

This bill increases the amount that a county drain commissioner can assess district property owners for the maintenance of county drainage ditch systems, from $1,250 per mile to $2,500 per mile, or more than that with the approval of the county board.

GunLake Tribal Gaming Compact

HR 158 (Farrrah), Passed 63-41

HCR 39 (Farrah), Passed 60-43

Next: Vote for HCR 39 reconsidered and postponed for a day; Copies of HR 158 are transmitted to the Governor, the Gun Lake Tribe and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

These two resolutions have identical language that would approve the compact negotiated by Governor Granholm and the Match-EBe-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan (the Gun Lake Band).The resolutions state that the Gun Lake Compact contains conditions that are more beneficial to the State of Michigan than the previous 11 compacts that the State has entered. The resolutions also state that the compact should be concurred in because it:Prohibits the sale of tobacco to minors at the facility; Prevents the sale of alcohol to people under 21 years of age; Provides safeguards to revenue payments and has the potential for increased revenue Sharing and; There is a minimum of a 50 percent increase over the other compacts for reimbursing the state's regulatory costs.

• Representative Sheen offered an amendment to HR 158 that would place toll booths on state and local roads leading to Indian tribal lands containing casinos that do not have an agreement and share gambling revenue with the state, and charge $10 to pass. The amendment failed by a vote of 21-82.

Neighborhood Improvement Authority

SB 69 (Hunter), Passed 104-0

Next: Bill is returned for concurrence with new substitute

This bill would allow cities and villages to create one or more neighborhood improvement authorities for defined geographical areas within the municipality. An authority would undertake activities to increase property values and promote residential and economic growth. An authority would be authorized to finance operations using a variety of methods including revenue bonds and tax increment finance plans.

Change Closing Procedures of Secretary of State Branch Offices

HB 4492 (Cushingberry),Passed 56-48

Next: Bill held in the House for an immediate effect vote

As amended this bill would require that if the Secretary of State closes any branch offices, the money appropriated for the closed branch offices is returned to the state's general fund instead of lapsing into the Secretary of State's budget. The bill also contains a provision requiring the Secretary of State to maintain a branch office in every city with a population greater than 60,000.

Move Date of Presidential Primary to January 15

SB 624 (McManus), Passed 67-34

Next: Returned to the Senate

This bill establishes January 15, 2008 as the date for the Michigan presidential primary election. Current law requires the presidential primary to be held on the fourth Tuesday in February in each presidential year. The bill also establishes the presidential primary as a "closed" primary, meaning that voters would be required to declare, in writing, which party's ballot he or she wishes to vote upon. (There will be separate ballots for each political party that received at least 20% of the vote in the last presidential election.)

Three amendments were voted upon:

• Rep. Hammon offered a substitute version of the bill that moves the primary date to January 15, 2008, but that does not require voters to declare a political party, making the election an "open" primary. The substitute was adopted 92-11, but final passage of the bill was on a substitute that made the primary a "closed" election.
• Rep. Miller offered an amendment that would allow voters to have a different address on their driver's license than the address at which they vote. The amendment failed 53-50.
• Rep. Miller offered an amendment that would allow voters to use an absentee ballot without providing a reason for needing one. The amendment failed 52-48.

Protect Register of Deed Documents from Identity Theft

SB 298 (Jansen), Passed 108-0

SB 299 (Van Woerkom), Passed 109-0

SB 301 (Pappageorge), Passed 109-0

SB 303 (Birkholz), Passed 109-0

Next: The bills are returned to the Senate for concurrence

This package of bills is designed to prevent identity theft by allowing a Register of Deeds to obscure or remove social security numbers on copies of documents provided by the office, and prohibiting documents filed with a countyRegister of Deeds office from containing complete social security numbers, with certain exceptions.

School Aid Fund Budget

HB 4359 (Gillard), Passed 62-48

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

The School Aid budget makes appropriations to the state's 552 local school districts, 229 public school academies, and 57 intermediate school districts (ISDs) for operations and certain categorical programs. It also appropriates funds to the Center for Education Performance and Information, Department of Labor and Economic Growth, and other entities to implement certain grants and other programs related to K-12 education. This bill appropriates $13.311 billion, includes a $100 per pupil foundation grant increase to school districts, and an additional $100 per pupil equity payment for districts with an FY 2007-08 foundation of $7,669 or less. One highlight of the bill is that it creates a new full-day preschool program for at-risk children. It provides for up to 11,000 children at a cost of $43.7 million (assumes programs will not start until the second half of the year). There were a number of Republican amendments:

• Rep. Amos offered an amendment that would tie-bar the budget to HB 4980 which would prohibit school districts and Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) from hiring a lobbyist. The amendment failed 48-61.
• Rep. Meltzer offered an amendment which would require school districts to post comprehensive data about their spending on their website. The amendment failed 52-58.
• Rep. Ward offered an amendment which would increase equity payments to school districts by eliminating all new programs and all other funding increases. The amendment failed 46-64.
• Rep. Moolenaar offered an amendment that would prohibit cuts to the school aid budget during the fiscal year by requiring shortfalls in the school aid fund to be covered by the general fund. The amendment passed 98-12.
• Rep. Caswell offered an amendment that to add $125 to the foundation allowance and an $80 equity payment to the same districts that received it in the current year, keeping all other services the same. The increase is entirely from the general fund. The amendment failed 50-58.

Higher Education Budget

HB 4350 (Byrnes), Passed 59-50

Next: Bill sent to Senate for consideration

This budget includes operational support for twelve of the state's public universities, as well as funding for financial aid awarded to students attending both public and independent higher education institutions and several other higher education-related programs. The twelve universities covered by this budget are: CentralMichiganUniversity, EasternMichiganUniversity, FerrisStateUniversity, GrandValleyStateUniversity, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Tech University, NorthernMichiganUniversity, OaklandUniversity, SaginawValleyStateUniversity, University of Michigan –Flint and Dearborn and WesternMichiganUniversity. The bill includes a 2.9% average increase for the above mentioned twelve public universities. An additional 2.5% totaling $36.6 million will be distributed through the new university research funding formula. The formula disburses 25% of the money based on the number of Pell Grants awarded at each university; 25% based on federal research dollars expended at each university; and 50% based on weighted degree completion, with four-times weight given to degrees awarded in math, science, engineering and health-related degree programs.

There were several amendments offered:

• Rep. Caul offered an amendment to include all fifteen public universities into a single bill. The amendment failed 51-59.
• Rep. Opsommer offered an amendment that would have required universities to include, in its submitted HEIDI information, a record of all spending of state dollars as well as a list of salaries by job classification. The amendment passed 63-47.
• Rep. Meltzer offered an amendment that would require universities to provide a sample tuition bill on their websites with explanations for each line item. The amendment was adopted 100-9.
• Rep. Meltzer offered an amendment that would require universities to publish their transfer policies on their websites. The amendment passed 100-10.
• Rep. DeRoche offered an amendment to suggest that a workgroup be formed to evaluate, discuss, and make recommendations for future action to move from current university operations funding to a per-pupil university funding model. The amendment failed 55-55.
• Rep. A. Smith offered an amendment that would require public universities to admit a student who graduates with a G.P.A. in the top 10% of there high school class, applies for admission to the university, and meets the admissions requirements of the university. If any university fails to admit qualifying students, their appropriation will be reduced by 15%. The amendment was adopted 63-46.
• Rep. DeRoche offered an amendment that included: 1) Universities will not offer individuals illegally residing in the United States tuition lower then standard nonresident tuition rates. (2) States that the state Treasurer is to withhold, from the university, the amount of money they spent on unmarried partner benefits. (3) Prohibits universities from using state funds to promote new or expand activities related to embryonic stem cell research. (4) Would withhold appropriations to universities that raised their tuition by more than 3%. The amendment was not supported 54-55. (The amendment was offered on 3^rd reading, and amendments require support before being considered for adoption on 3^rd reading.)

Research Universities Budget

HB 4351 (Byrnes), RC 323, 8/23/2007, Passed 57-52

Next: Bill sent to Senate for consideration

This bill includes appropriations for three public universities: MichiganStateUniversity, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and WayneStateUniversity. These universities see an average 2.6% increase under this budget. An additional 2.5% totaling $36.6 million will be distributed through the new university research funding formula. The formula disburses 25% of the money based on the number of Pell Grants awarded at each university; 25% based on federal research dollars expended at each university; and 50% based on weighted degree completion, with four-times weight given to degrees awarded in math, science, engineering and health-related degree programs. Rep. Agema offered an amendment that would have required universities to include, in its submitted HEIDI information, a record of all spending of state dollars as well as a list of salaries by job classification. The amendment passed 63-47.

Community Colleges Budget

HB 4360 (Sak), Passed 57-47 and 58-51 (the vote was reconsidered)

Next: Bill sent to Senate for consideration

The Community College budget provides operational funding for Michigan's 28 community colleges, the At-Risk Student Success Program, renaissance zone tax reimbursement, and this year includes $7 million for Nursing Program Grants. This budget appropriates $333.8 million in gross spending. When delays in previous year disbursements are considered that pushed some of those appropriations into this budget, the net operational increase in community college funding is $11 million which is a 3.9% increase over last year's enacted budget.

Department Of Education Budget

HB 4346 (Gillard), Passed 59-50

Next: Bill goes to Senate for consideration

This budget funds the administration costs within the Department of Education. Additionally, the budget funds some of the Department's major responsibilities, which include developing and overseeing the K-12 system, certifying teachers, disbursing funds to educational organizations, and providing technical assistance to school districts. The bill appropriates $97.794 million in gross spending.  Approximately $8.187 million will come from the General Fund, an increase that is largely due to the transfer of career and technical education operations from the Department of Labor and Economic Development. Representative Amos offered an amendment that would increase bureaucracy by requiring the Department of Education to post details of all their expenditures on a website. The amendment failed 52-58.

Renaming of County Drain Commissioner and Allow for Temporary Appointments

HB 4641 (Accavitti), Passed 85-25

Next: Bill ordered enrolled for presentation to the Governor

This bill would allow a county board of commissioners the option to change the name of the Office of County Drain Commissioner to the Office of the "Water Resources Commissioner" when the Drain Commissioner performs duties beyond that of his/her position of managing drain operations. Some of these duties might include but are not limited to: operating and maintaining sewers, lake levels and soil erosion enforcement, and facilitating compliance of the federal Clean Water Act mandates. The Senate-passed version of the bill also contains language that allows for the appointment of a temporary drain commissioner in the event that a drain commissioner is incapacitated and unable to fulfill his or her duties.