HB 6213 Return to Federal Overtime Regulations
This bill will amend Michigan's minimum wage law to allow the federal standard for overtime to continue after October 1, 2006 when the state's minimum wage is increased higher than the federal minimum wage. Under the revised bill, home healthcare workers and domestic service providers will be eligible for overtime pay benefits. (Under current federal standards, they are not eligible for overtime pay.) All other employees will follow the federal guidelines for overtime. The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bills 453 and 1364. Senate Bill 453 would establish a state earned income tax credit (EITC), which would provide a refundable credit equal to 10 percent of the federal EITC in 2008 and 20 percent in 2009. The federal EITC is a refundable credit designed to provide assistance to low income workers. Senate Bill 1364 would establish a youth employment wage of eighty-five percent of the minimum wage. The bill passed 103-0.
HB 5217 Protect Privacy of Concealed Weapons Permit Holders
This bill would amend the Concealed Weapons Act to exempt personal information on a permit application from the Freedom of Information Act. Bill passed 103-0.
HB 5800 Allow Michigan Youth Correctional Facility
This bill provides that if the privately-run Michigan Youth Correctional Facility located in Lake County is not used by the Department of Corrections to house prisoners, the private company may use the facility to house prisoners from local, state or federal agencies. Representatives Angerer and McDowell offered an amendment to the bill which would have prohibited the facility from accepting prisoners from outside the state who had been convicted of violent crimes. The Angerer/McDowell amendment failed 52-50. The bill passed 72-31.
HR 55 Allow Speaker of the House to Represent the Entire House
This Republican resolution is meant to give the Speaker of the House the authority to represent the "position and interests of the House of Representatives" in matters before the Supreme Court concerning the constitutionality of requiring voters to show a government-issued, picture identification card in order to vote. The resolution also ratified the Speaker's past actions in this Supreme Court case; namely giving him belated authority to file a brief on behalf of the entire House after he had already done so. The resolution passed 56-46.
SB 1047 Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Expansion
The bill amends the "Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Act" to allow a NEZ certificate to be filed after a building permit is issued for the construction of a facility. The bill will benefit a particular development in the City of Ecorse. Properties that receive NEZ certificates are subject to lower property taxes. Bill passed 103-0.
HB 6098 Allow Insurance Agents to Charge Administrative Fees
This bill would allow an insurance agent to charge an administrative fee that is reasonably related to recouping the administrative overhead associated with providing services associated with a policy. Bill passed 66-37.
HB 5221 Allow Local Governments to File More Small Claims
The bill increases the number of small claims court cases that can be filed by local units of government in a single week from five cases to ten. Bill passed 103-0.
HB 6248 Clarify "Waiver of Customer Liability Agreements"
The bill specifies that "waiver of customer liability agreements" are not considered insurance for purposes of the Insurance Code. "Waiver of customer liability agreements" are agreements between a customer and a service provider, where the provider agrees to waive all or a portion of what the customer owes during a defined time period after the occurrence of certain events in the customer's life, including: being called to active military service; involuntary unemployment; death; disability; hospitalization; marriage; divorce; evacuation; displacement due to natural disaster or other cause; qualification for family leave; or similar qualifying event or condition. Bill passed 102-1.
SB 1362 Lower Tax for Biodiesel Fuel
This bill allows commercial vehicles to pay a tax of twelve cents per gallon for biodiesel fuel instead of the current rate of fifteen cents a gallon. Bill passed 103-0.
HB 5033 Tax Exemption for Methane Digesters
This bill exempts methane digester electric generating systems used in agricultural operations from personal property tax. Methane digesters are used to generate electricity or heat from biogas (a byproduct of animal waste), or to store biogas for the future generation of electricity or heat. Bill passed 83-20.
HB 4072 Expand Definition of Agricultural Real Property
The bill would classify game bird hunting preserves, cervidae (deer, elk, etc.) farms, and horse stables as agricultural real property so they could receive an 18 mill property tax break. Bill passed 80-23.
HB 4264 Allow Single-sex Schools
This bill would allow single-sex schools. SB 1296 would allow Detroit Public Schools to establish and maintain single-sex schools, classes or programs if a substantially equal school, class or program is made available to pupils of each gender. The language states that the school district can NOT require participation by any pupil in the single sex school. Bill passed 82-21.
HB 6186 Designate Carl Oleson, Jr. Bridge
This bill would designate the bridge on Highway M-22 in Leelanau County between Big Glen Lake and Little Glen Lake as the Carl Oleson, Jr. Bridge. Bill passed 102-0.
Elimination of the Single Business Tax
The House voted on a petition initiative that would repeal the Single Business Tax (SBT), effective December 31, 2007. The SBT is Michigan's primary tax on businesses, and it collects between $1.8 and $2 billion per year. The initiative does not provide for a replacement for this revenue. It passed the House 64-36. Because the initiative also passed the Senate, it becomes law without going to the Governor or being placed on the ballot.