No. 22
STATE OF MICHIGAN
Journal of the Senate
95th Legislature
REGULAR SESSION OF 2009
Senate Chamber, Lansing, Thursday, March 19, 2009.
10:00 a.m.
The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry, Jr.
The roll was called by the Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.
Allen—present Garcia—present Olshove—present
Anderson—present George—present Pappageorge—present
Barcia—present Gilbert—present Patterson—present
Basham—present Gleason—present Prusi—present
Birkholz—present Hardiman—present Richardville—present
Bishop—present Hunter—present Sanborn—present
Brater—present Jacobs—present Scott—present
Brown—present Jansen—present Stamas—present
Cassis—present Jelinek—present Switalski—present
Cherry—present Kahn—present Thomas—present
Clark-Coleman—present Kuipers—present Van Woerkom—present
Clarke—present McManus—present Whitmer—present
Cropsey—present
Pastor Ed Doerner of Messiah Lutheran Church of Midland offered the following invocation:
Father, we want to thank You for the privilege that we have of living in this great state of Michigan. We thank You, Lord, that we can live in the free country of America. We just want to say thank You for that privilege.
Lord, we pray for our President and national leaders as they make decisions on behalf of our country. We pray for our Governor, our Senators, our State Representatives, and all of those in leadership here in Michigan. We pray for wisdom and discernment. We pray for unity of purpose as they serve on behalf of the people of Michigan.
Father, only You know the future, so may the decisions that are made today be the best for what we face tomorrow. We pray for those who are unemployed, the hurting, sick, destitute, those facing foreclosure or divorce, bankruptcy, and those who have to make health decisions, especially those without health insurance.
Father, we just lift up to You all of those who are struggling in some way and pray that the decisions that are made will help each person here in Michigan.
Father, may You give grace sufficient for another day, and may everything that we do bring You glory, praise, and honor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The President, Lieutenant Governor Cherry, led the members of the Senate in recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Motions and Communications
Senator Bishop asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Bishop’s statement is as follows:
It is my great honor to have the opportunity to stand here today with one of our very dedicated employees who is retiring after many years of service. John Beutler is retiring after 30 years of serving the Michigan State Senate in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
John began his career in September of 1979 under the direction of the then-Secretary of the Senate William Kandler. Bill Kandler often referred to him as a Godsend, and that sentiment still rings true today. John has served in a number of capacities in his service to the Senate, including director of Physical Properties and Finance, Human Resources manager, and Special Projects manager. John has written the Senate newsletter since its inception and has provided many photos of the Capitol for publication. John logged countless hours assisting in the restoration of the Capitol Building and is an active member of the Friends of the Capitol Committee to this very day.
Today we join with John and his family and friends. I see many of the dedicated staff in the Gallery today who are here to pay tribute to John for his years of service to the Michigan Senate and to our state. We want you to know of our admiration and our respect, and we want you to know that you will be deeply missed. We ask that you make sure that you always consider us family, and come back to visit us as often as possible.
Senators Switalski, Pappageorge, Jelinek, Clarke and Jansen entered the Senate Chamber.
Senator Cropsey moved that the rules be suspended and that the following bills, now on Committee Reports, be placed on the General Orders calendar for consideration today:
Senate Bill No. 379
Senate Bill No. 380
Senate Bill No. 381
Senate Bill No. 346
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The Secretary announced that the following House bills were received in the Senate and filed on Wednesday, March 18:
House Bill Nos. 4105 4218 4327 4496 4512 4514 4521 4582
The Secretary announced that the following official bills were printed on Wednesday, March 18, and are available at the legislative website:
Senate Bill Nos. 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390
House Bill Nos. 4583 4584 4585 4586 4587 4588 4589 4590 4591 4592 4593 4594 4595 4596
4597 4598 4599 4600 4601 4602 4603 4604 4605 4606 4607
By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of
General Orders
Senator Cropsey moved that the Senate resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole for consideration of the General Orders calendar.
The motion prevailed, and the President, Lieutenant Governor Cherry, designated Senator Brater as Chairperson.
After some time spent therein, the Committee arose; and, the President, Lieutenant Governor Cherry, having resumed the Chair, the Committee reported back to the Senate, favorably and without amendment, the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 379, entitled
A bill to amend 1988 PA 161, entitled “Consumer financial services act,” by amending section 9 (MCL 487.2059), as amended by 1999 PA 275.
The bill was placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.
The Committee of the Whole reported back to the Senate, favorably and with a substitute therefor, the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 346, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” (MCL 206.1 to 206.532) by adding section 254.
Substitute (S-1).
The Senate agreed to the substitute recommended by the Committee of the Whole, and the bill as substituted was placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.
The Committee of the Whole reported back to the Senate, favorably and with a substitute therefor, the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 380, entitled
A bill to amend 1987 PA 173, entitled “Mortgage brokers, lenders, and servicers licensing act,” by amending section 1a (MCL 445.1651a), as amended by 2008 PA 66.
Substitute (S-2).
The Senate agreed to the substitute recommended by the Committee of the Whole, and the bill as substituted was placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.
The Committee of the Whole reported back to the Senate, favorably and with a substitute therefor, the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 381, entitled
A bill to amend 1981 PA 125, entitled “The secondary mortgage loan act,” by amending section 1 (MCL 493.51), as amended by 2008 PA 325.
Substitute (S-1).
The Senate agreed to the substitute recommended by the Committee of the Whole, and the bill as substituted was placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.
By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of
Third Reading of Bills
Senator Cropsey moved that the rules be suspended and that the following bills, now on the order of Third Reading of Bills, be placed on their immediate passage:
Senate Bill No. 379
Senate Bill No. 380
Senate Bill No. 381
Senate Bill No. 346
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
Senator Cropsey moved that the following bills be placed at the head of the Third Reading of Bills calendar:
Senate Bill No. 346
Senate Bill No. 222
Senate Bill No. 108
Senate Bill No. 323
Senate Bill No. 257
Senate Bill No. 258
Senate Bill No. 259
Senate Bill No. 260
Senate Bill No. 261
Senate Bill No. 379
Senate Bill No. 380
Senate Bill No. 381
The motion prevailed.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 346, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” (MCL 206.1 to 206.532) by adding section 254.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Whitmer moved that further consideration of the bill be postponed temporarily.
The motion did not prevail.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Cropsey moved that further consideration of the bill be postponed temporarily.
The motion prevailed.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 222, entitled
A bill to amend 2000 PA 321, entitled “Recreational authorities act,” by amending section 3 (MCL 123.1133), as amended by 2003 PA 135.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 61 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 108, entitled
A bill to amend 1972 PA 382, entitled “Traxler-McCauley-Law-Bowman bingo act,” by amending section 3 (MCL 432.103), as amended by 2008 PA 401.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 62 Yeas—35
Allen Cherry Jacobs Richardville
Anderson Clark-Coleman Jelinek Sanborn
Barcia Clarke Kahn Scott
Basham Cropsey Kuipers Stamas
Birkholz Garcia McManus Switalski
Bishop George Olshove Thomas
Brater Gilbert Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Brown Gleason Patterson Whitmer
Cassis Hunter Prusi
Nays—2
Hardiman Jansen
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 323, entitled
A bill to amend 1996 PA 381, entitled “Brownfield redevelopment financing act,” by amending section 2 (MCL 125.2652), as amended by 2007 PA 204.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 63 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 257, entitled
A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled “Child protection law,” by amending section 7b (MCL 722.627b), as added by 1997 PA 167.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 64 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 258, entitled
A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled “Child protection law,” (MCL 722.621 to 722.638) by adding section 7k.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senators Hardiman and Jacobs offered the following amendments:
1. Amend page 1, line 1, after “7K.” by inserting “(1)”.
2. Amend page 1, following line 9, by inserting:
“(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOTIFY THE CHILDREN’S OMBUDSMAN WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY WHEN A CHILD DIES AND ANY OF THE FOLLOWING APPLY:
(A) THE CHILD DIED DURING AN ACTIVE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES INVESTIGATION OR AN OPEN CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES CASE.
(B) THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A PRIOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMPLAINT CONCERNING THE CHILD’S CARETAKER.
(C) THE CHILD’S DEATH MAY HAVE RESULTED FROM CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT.”.
The amendments were adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 65 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 259, entitled
A bill to create the office of the legislative child fatality examiner; and to prescribe the powers and duties of the legislative child fatality examiner, the legislative council, certain state departments and officers, and certain county and private agencies serving children.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 66 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Senators Richardville and Brater asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Richardville’s statement is as follows:
I do respect the previous speaker’s comments. I don’t believe that in the case of a child’s death we can err in the way of not having enough people looking at it. Senate Bill No. 259 allows for independent review and analysis of child death data. Today, there are multiple entities, this is true, that annually review the death of children.
This bill will allow for all the information collected to be sent to a central location and reviewed by an independent source at the request of both the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. As indicated in the substitute that we adopted yesterday, this is not a mandate, and any cost would be controlled by the two chambers’ leaders and the Legislative Council.
So I don’t think that this is a redundant operation. I think instead what it does is consolidate a lot of information, allowing us to take a look at it in a combined way, and hopefully, get to the root cause of any deaths of children.
Senator Brater’s statement is as follows:
There is some concern about the fate of children in this state and protecting them from death. I think that is a laudable goal. I am concerned about duplication of efforts, especially since our money for juvenile services in this state is spread very thin already.
If you are concerned about children who experience fatalities, I hope that you are also concerned about children who are alive but living in a living hell. Right this minute in our corrections system there are children who are mentally ill in our prisons for no other reason than that their parents could not get them access to mental health care. They are being preyed upon. Whether they are in youth facilities separated from adults or in adult facilities, they are being preyed upon and victimized right this minute by others in the system who are not ill. Not only that, but they are also at risk of death because some of them commit suicide.
So I hope that you will think very carefully about having a bill before us that deals with an issue that is very easily understood and is a very urgent problem to address. We have had legislation pending on this floor for years now that was meant to take care of children in this state that you have ignored. So I will vote for this legislation, even though it is redundant, with the hope that the House will fix it and the hope that you will pay attention when I ask for you to think about these children who are in our juvenile justice system not getting the proper care.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 260, entitled
A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled “Child protection law,” by amending section 7 (MCL 722.627), as amended by 2008 PA 300.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 67 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Senator Kahn asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Kahn’s statement is as follows:
Senate Bill No. 260 would specify that the Department of Human Services allow a court with jurisdiction of a child who has died access to all information pertaining to that child. I spoke about this yesterday. The notion here is that we as a people, as a government, need to understand why children in foster care or involved with Child Protective Services die or are dying and what we can do about this, of course. It is important for state and local agencies to work together and identify patterns or trends that can be used to avoid these tragedies.
This bill would permit the court to have this information even after a child has died. It is currently in law that upon the death of a child, the court’s jurisdiction expires. So by allowing courts to access information related to this child’s fate, it is our hope that we will construct rules or perhaps new laws to avoid these tragedies in the future.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 261, entitled
A bill to amend 1975 PA 238, entitled “Child protection law,” by amending section 7b (MCL 722.627b), as added by 1997 PA 167.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 68 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 379, entitled
A bill to amend 1988 PA 161, entitled “Consumer financial services act,” by amending section 9 (MCL 487.2059), as amended by 1999 PA 275.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 69 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 380, entitled
A bill to amend 1987 PA 173, entitled “Mortgage brokers, lenders, and servicers licensing act,” by amending section 1a (MCL 445.1651a), as amended by 2008 PA 66.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 70 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Senator Richardville asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Richardville’s statement is as follows:
I will be speaking about all three bills: the one we just passed, Senate Bill No.379; the current one, Senate Bill No. 380; and the next bill, Senate Bill No. 381. These are bipartisan bills that will continue the process of registering loan officers in Michigan. They require registration for loan officers who are regulated under the Consumer Financial Services Act. The requirements in these bills are the same as the ones we passed unanimously last session for loan officers who are regulated under both the Mortgage Brokers, Lenders, and Servicers Licensing Act and the Secondary Mortgage Loan Act.
With the passage of these bills, as of April 1, 2009, all loan officers who do business in Michigan will have to be registered. The registration process is a consumer protection measure in that it ensures anyone buying a home knows the person they are working with has met all of the requirements set forth in this legislation. That would include pre-registration education, an exam, and a background check.
Colleagues, I ask for your support of these bills.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 381, entitled
A bill to amend 1981 PA 125, entitled “The secondary mortgage loan act,” by amending section 1 (MCL 493.51), as amended by 2008 PA 325.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 71 Yeas—37
Allen Clark-Coleman Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clarke Jansen Richardville
Barcia Cropsey Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Garcia Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Cherry
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of
Resolutions
Senator Pappageorge offered the following concurrent resolution:
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6.
A concurrent resolution to urge the government of Turkey to cease all discrimination against the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Whereas, The Ecumenical Patriarchate, located in Istanbul, Turkey, is the sacred See that presides in a spirit of brotherhood over a communion of the self-governing churches of the Orthodox Christian world. The See is led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is the 269th in direct succession to the Apostle Andrew and holds titular primacy as “primus inter pares,” meaning “first among equals” in the community of Orthodox churches worldwide; and
Whereas, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has a long record of bringing Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders together to denounce terrorism and promote peace, dialogue, and tolerance, including after the 9/11 attacks. For his leadership, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997; and
Whereas, The Orthodox Christian Church, in existence for nearly 2,000 years, numbers approximately 300 million members worldwide with more than 2 million members in the United States. Since 1453, the continuing presence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey has been a living testament to the religious coexistence of Christians and Muslims. This religious coexistence is in jeopardy because the government of Turkey refuses to recognize the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is considered a minority religion by the Turkish government; and
Whereas, The government of Turkey has limited the candidates available to hold the office of Ecumenical Patriarch to only Turkish nationals. While there were once millions of Orthodox Christians living in Turkey at the turn of the 20th century, due to the continued policies of minority discrimination during this period by the Turkish government, there remain fewer than 3,000 of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s flock left in Turkey today; and
Whereas, The government of Turkey has impeded training for Orthodox Christian clergy, confiscated nearly all of the properties of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and has placed taxes on a charity hospital run by the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and
Whereas, The European Union began accession negotiations with Turkey on October 3, 2005. The European Union defined membership criteria for accession at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, obligating candidate countries to achieve certain levels of reform, including stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for and protection of minorities and human rights. The Turkish government’s current treatment of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is inconsistent with the membership in the European Union; and
Whereas, Orthodox Christians in Michigan and throughout the United States stand to lose their spiritual leader because of the continued actions of the Turkish government; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we urge the government of Turkey to uphold and safeguard religious and human rights without compromise; cease its discrimination of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; grant the Ecumenical Patriarch appropriate international recognition, ecclesiastic succession, and the right to train clergy of all nationalities; and respect the property rights and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the United States, and the Michigan congressional delegation.
Pending the order that, under rule 3.204, the concurrent resolution be referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Reform,
Senator Cropsey moved that the rule be suspended.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefore.
The concurrent resolution was adopted.
Senators Gleason and Kahn were named co‑sponsors of the concurrent resolution.
Senators Richardville and Gilbert offered the following resolution:
Senate Resolution No. 23.
A resolution to urge the Governor’s Transportation Funding Task Force to recommend immediately changing the county distribution formula by substituting annual vehicle miles traveled for route miles.
Whereas, Michigan’s highway transportation needs and resources have undergone significant changes in the more than 50 years since the state’s basic funding allocation structures were established. While certain modifications have been made to the formulas in place over this span of time, the changes in transportation needs have resulted in growing inequities across the state; and
Whereas, The Governor’s Transportation Funding Task Force, created to seek solutions to the serious challenges facing our highway infrastructure amid difficult economic circumstances, must address the unequal distribution of resources, in addition to considering alternatives for increasing revenues for the roads. Every avenue to achieve greater efficiency and fairness must be examined. Among the task force’s recommendations was a proposal to revamp the formula to incorporate annual vehicle miles traveled. The task force’s accompanying comments that sufficient data does not exist, however, do not take into effect the fact that there is indeed ample valid and suitable information that can readily be used until more detailed information is compiled; and
Whereas, Current practices of using route mileage within a county to distribute road funding, for example, do not account for the usage rate. A more accurate and meaningful measure and a far more reflective indicator of highway utilization would be to use annual vehicle miles traveled. The current distribution formula lacks this critical factor. The current system also fails to take into account the condition and the capacity of the roads, which results in a less efficient use of limited state resources. A transition to the more appropriate gauge of annual vehicle miles traveled is long overdue; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the Governor’s Transportation Funding Task Force to recommend immediately changing the county distribution formula by substituting annual vehicle miles traveled for route miles; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor’s Transportation Funding Task Force.
Pending the order that, under rule 3.204, the resolution be referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Reform,
Senator Cropsey moved that the rule be suspended.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The question being on the adoption of the resolution,
Senator Cropsey moved that the resolution be referred to the Committee on Transportation.
The motion prevailed.
By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of
Third Reading of Bills
By unanimous consent the Senate returned to consideration of the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 346, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” (MCL 206.1 to 206.532) by adding section 254.
(This bill was read a third time earlier today and consideration postponed. See p. 368.)
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Whitmer offered the following substitute:
Substitute (S-3).
The substitute was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Brown moved that Senator Garcia be excused from the balance of today’s session.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Thomas requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The substitute was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 72 Yeas—16
Anderson Cherry Hunter Scott
Barcia Clark-Coleman Jacobs Switalski
Basham Clarke Olshove Thomas
Brater Gleason Prusi Whitmer
Nays—20
Allen Cropsey Jelinek Patterson
Birkholz George Kahn Richardville
Bishop Gilbert Kuipers Sanborn
Brown Hardiman McManus Stamas
Cassis Jansen Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Excused—1
Garcia
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
Senator Jansen offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 1, line 2, after “AFTER” by striking out the balance of the subsection and inserting “THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AMENDATORY ACT THAT ADDED THIS SECTION AND BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2011 THAT THE TAXPAYER WILL USE AS HIS OR HER PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE AND CLAIM AN EXEMPTION FOR THAT PROPERTY UNDER SECTION 7CC OF THE GENERAL PROPERTY TAX ACT, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7CC, AS A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE MAY CLAIM A CREDIT AGAINST THE TAX IMPOSED UNDER THIS ACT EQUAL TO 10% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE OR $10,000.00, WHICHEVER IS LESS.”.
The question being on the adoption of the amendment,
Senator Cropsey requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 73 Yeas—36
Allen Cherry Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clark-Coleman Jansen Richardville
Barcia Clarke Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Cropsey Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Nays—0
Excused—1
Garcia
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 74 Yeas—36
Allen Cherry Jacobs Prusi
Anderson Clark-Coleman Jansen Richardville
Barcia Clarke Jelinek Sanborn
Basham Cropsey Kahn Scott
Birkholz George Kuipers Stamas
Bishop Gilbert McManus Switalski
Brater Gleason Olshove Thomas
Brown Hardiman Pappageorge Van Woerkom
Cassis Hunter Patterson Whitmer
Nays—0
Excused—1
Garcia
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Senators Whitmer and Switalski asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Whitmer’s statement is as follows:
Because I don’t want to perplex, surprise, or confuse anyone, I am going to try to explain this as simply as I can. I want to reiterate that these are comments that I made yesterday in committee, so no one should be surprised, perplexed, or confused.
The goal of this reported legislation is to stimulate home sales. That is a laudable goal. I concur with that goal, and I let the chair know that in committee. The problem is that there is a random nature of this bill that makes it inequitable. We are here to protect all of the consumers in this state; not just some over others, but every single one of them. The random nature of this bill is because the tax credit is very different depending on how long the seller has lived in the house. Let me repeat that, depending on how long the seller lives in the house. That is the only thing that determines the size of this credit. That is pretty random.
Further complicating this bill in a negative manner is the fact that this credit applies in perpetuity. Perpetuity means forever. So if you buy a house from a longtime seller and you live in that house for the rest of your life, you get the bigger credit for the rest of your life. This just doesn’t seem equitable to me. It seems like we are protecting some consumers more than others. That is a fundamental problem, in my humble estimation.
Therefore, I have drafted and introduced a substitute and told the whole committee yesterday the lines along which I was thinking and what my rationale was. This, I think, reflects real stimulus. This is an equitable, real stimulus for everyone who will purchase a home in the next two years. Just like the auto credit that many of you voted on last week that was extended to boats, trailers, and heavy equipment, this is a credit for everyone who buys a home. It is a one-time credit equal for everyone in the amount of $8,000. Maybe we should do $10,000, but with the amount of $8,000—and I didn’t pick that number randomly—it reflects federal law. It treats everyone fairly and reflects federal law to stimulate purchases of homes and lasts for two years. It not only treats all sellers equally, but all purchasers and gives relief to people on the bubble—the people who need the relief the most.
So I appreciate my colleagues’ attention and your patience as we had this drafted, and I strongly encourage your support. I think that this is a step in the right direction as we talk about stimulating home purchases and protecting every consumer equally in the state of Michigan.
Senator Switalski’s statement is as follows:
You know, Mr. President, it is a beautiful thing when the Legislature comes together in a spirit of compromise and cooperation and finds a way to resolve differences and put good policy forward. Maybe that has happened here. I would say that there are a couple of things that are better about this approach than the original, which is that this is of a temporary duration, and it maintains the integrity of the tax system—the 50 percent principle of everyone paying 50 percent. This just provides a temporary tax credit.
Now I must admit that I have heard some kind of speculation that this might have a cost to it, and I haven’t seen any figures, so I am voting on something that I haven’t seen the numbers to yet. But I reserve the right, if the numbers are really big, we might want to revisit this because we actually do have to balance our budgets. I would say that it is good that this is a legislative process because this is an idea that sounds good. As we move through the process and become aware of what could be a significant cost, we would be able to reassess that as we move through the process.
The President pro tempore, Senator Richardville, assumed the Chair.
By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of
Messages from the House
Senate Bill No. 190, entitled
A bill to amend 2006 PA 480, entitled “Uniform video services local franchise act,” by amending section 10 (MCL 484.3310).
The House of Representatives has substituted (H-1) the bill.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill as substituted (H-1), ordered that it be given immediate effect and pursuant to Joint Rule 20, inserted the full title.
Pending the order that, under rule 3.202, the bill be laid over one day,
Senator Cropsey moved that the rule be suspended.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The question being on concurring in the substitute made to the bill by the House,
The substitute was concurred in, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 75 Yeas—30
Allen Cropsey Jelinek Prusi
Barcia George Kahn Richardville
Basham Gilbert Kuipers Sanborn
Birkholz Gleason McManus Stamas
Bishop Hardiman Olshove Switalski
Brown Hunter Pappageorge Thomas
Cherry Jacobs Patterson Whitmer
Clarke Jansen
Nays—6
Anderson Cassis Scott Van Woerkom
Brater Clark-Coleman
Excused—1
Garcia
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Richardville
The question being on concurring in the committee recommendation to give the bill immediate effect,
The recommendation was concurred in, 2/3 of the members serving voting therefor.
The Senate agreed to the full title.
The bill was referred to the Secretary for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor.
By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of
Introduction and Referral of Bills
Senators Switalski, Birkholz and Gilbert introduced
Senate Bill No. 394, entitled
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled “Michigan election law,” by amending sections 952 and 968 (MCL 168.952 and 168.968), section 952 as amended by 1993 PA 137 and section 968 as amended by 1989 PA 26.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Campaign and Election Oversight.
Senators Kahn, Richardville, Bishop, Kuipers, Gilbert, Jansen, Garcia, Stamas, Van Woerkom, Pappageorge, Jelinek, George, Cassis, Allen, Cropsey, Gleason, Barcia, Clarke, Switalski and Brown introduced
Senate Bill No. 395, entitled
A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled “The general property tax act,” by amending section 24c (MCL 211.24c), as amended by 2003 PA 247.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Senators McManus, Brown, Kahn and Garcia introduced
Senate Bill No. 396, entitled
A bill to amend 2004 PA 46, entitled “Public safety officers benefit act,” (MCL 28.631 to 28.638) by amending the title and by adding section 4a.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Senators Thomas, Hunter, Cherry, Olshove, Clark-Coleman, Scott, Jacobs, Gleason, Basham, Switalski and Barcia introduced
Senate Bill No. 397, entitled
A bill to amend 2006 PA 480, entitled “Uniform video services local franchise act,” by amending section 6 (MCL 484.3306).
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Energy Policy and Public Utilities.
Senator Allen introduced
Senate Bill No. 398, entitled
A bill to amend 1984 PA 431, entitled “The management and budget act,” by amending sections 131 and 264 (MCL 18.1131 and 18.1264), section 131 as amended by 1999 PA 8 and section 264 as added by 1988 PA 504.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
Senator Allen introduced
Senate Bill No. 399, entitled
A bill to amend 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1, entitled “Michigan employment security act,” by amending section 64 (MCL 421.64), as amended by 2003 PA 174.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
Senator Stamas introduced
Senate Bill No. 400, entitled
A bill to amend 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1, entitled “Michigan employment security act,” by amending section 20 (MCL 421.20), as amended by 2008 PA 479.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
Senator Hunter introduced
Senate Bill No. 401, entitled
A bill to amend 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1, entitled “Michigan employment security act,” by amending section 17 (MCL 421.17), as amended by 2003 PA 174.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
House Bill No. 4105, entitled
A bill to amend 1933 PA 167, entitled “General sales tax act,” by amending section 6 (MCL 205.56), as amended by 2004 PA 173.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill No. 4218, entitled
A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled “The general property tax act,” by amending section 51 (MCL 211.51), as amended by 2005 PA 114.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill No. 4327, entitled
A bill to amend 1976 PA 453, entitled “Elliott-Larsen civil rights act,” by amending section 202 (MCL 37.2202), as amended by 1991 PA 11.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
House Bill No. 4496, entitled
A bill to amend 2007 PA 36, entitled “Michigan business tax act,” by amending section 501 (MCL 208.1501).
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill No. 4512, entitled
A bill to amend 1984 PA 431, entitled “The management and budget act,” by amending section 241 (MCL 18.1241), as amended by 1999 PA 8.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs.
House Bill No. 4514, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” by amending section 272 (MCL 206.272), as added by 2006 PA 372.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill No. 4521, entitled
A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled “The general property tax act,” by amending section 8 (MCL 211.8), as amended by 2006 PA 633.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill No. 4582, entitled
A bill to make, supplement, and adjust appropriations for various state departments and agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009; and to provide for the expenditure of the appropriations.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Statements
Senators Whitmer, Scott, Pappageorge and Cropsey asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Whitmer’s statement is as follows:
Fact or fiction? First, big mortgage company takes advantage of the little guy. Then, big corporation refuses to work with little guy and forecloses. Then, Attorney General reportedly on behalf of the little guy joins a lawsuit against big corporation. Then, the little guy wins only to have the Attorney General treat a portion of the settlement as his own political slush fund. Then, the Attorney General gets $500,000 for a park not currently being used by the public at the advice of a big GOP player. Unbelievably, this appears to be fact. Now don’t get me wrong, I love parks. But I can’t help but conclude that at $1,800 per victim that that $500,000 should have helped another 278 consumers rather than pad the AG’s campaign for higher office.
Solution: Maybe Attorney General settlements should automatically go to the General Fund. If not that, then a grant-type process should be implemented to guard against political kickbacks with settlement funds earned on behalf of our consumers. Maybe the Attorney General should send a quarterly accounting of all settlement monies to the General Government budget committees in the House and the Senate. If monies are distributed to parks, for example, the Attorney General should send a report on the selection process and protocol used in determining which parks received that money.
I think that the facts I listed at the onset of my statement establish conduct that is unbecoming of an Attorney General, especially someone who likes to talk about transparency.
Senator Scott’s statement is as follows:
The great writer James Baldwin wrote: “We made the world we’re living in and we have to make it over.” We require drivers to carry auto insurance. Because we require this, we have a duty to make sure that people can afford what we are telling them they must buy.
People say if something isn’t broken, then don’t fix it. But auto insurance in Michigan is broken, and it is up to us to fix it. We cannot turn a blind eye to the hardship these high rates cause for so many Michigan citizens.
It simply isn’t right for one community to pay more while another community just a little way down the road enjoys reasonable rates. We have to remake auto insurance and make it affordable to everyone in Michigan no matter where they live. We created mandatory auto insurance, and we owe it to our constituents to make it affordable.
Senator Pappageorge’s statement is as follows:
Like me, many of you are getting letters on how devastating the MBT surcharge has been on our small businesses. Wade Mezey of Professional Development Associates in Bloomfield Hills writes: “Our corporate structure is an S Corporation which passes all tax liabilities of the company to the owners.”—i.e., individual tax returns. “Although 2008 saw a modest increase in revenue and profitability, our new Michigan Business Tax increased to $66,710, an almost 300% increase! I still am unclear why I am paying a 22% surcharge on the MBT which almost equals my entire 2007 Single Business Tax. Not only does the Michigan Business Tax discourage businesses from settling here, it also opens the door for companies to relocate out of the state. Our plan to hire an additional sales associate has been put on hold as a direct result of the tax burden of the MBT on our business.”
Now we have business owners who look like they are living in Michigan and growing their businesses but not in Michigan. They also have a house in Florida, Arizona, or Nevada, and my fear is that we are going to hit a tipping point with the poor way we treat small businesses, and they are all going to get up and leave on the same day. That is why it is so important that we do something about his surcharge, and I am so glad we passed that thing over to the House.
Senator Cropsey’s statement is as follows:
Yesterday, there was a very curious statement made by one of the Democrat Senators from the other side. She started off saying that she rose to applaud President Obama’s stance on AIG. It was part of her quote right at the very beginning. Then she went on for a few seconds on how out of touch the executives at AIG were with the average citizens by giving themselves such large bonuses and then spoke eloquently and ended those statements by saying, and I quote, “Why is it that the AIG’s executives contracts are above reproach? It doesn’t make any sense to my constituents, and I’ll tell you what, it doesn’t make any sense to me either.” With that, I agree with her.
However, the Senator goes on finishing her statement saying, “It’s time for the craziness to end, and I’d like to lend my voice of support to the Obama Administration for saying this is ridiculous and this AIG compensation must stop on our dime. It’s got to stop.”
Well, I think it is time that the people of this great state and this great nation learn the rest of the story. Two weeks ago, the treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, appointed by President Obama after having the flap about not paying taxes, assured Congress that the Obama Administration was confident it knew how AIG was spending taxpayer money. Then yesterday, the White House and Geithner claimed ignorance. Well, which one is true? Both the White House and the Democrat-controlled Congress knew about the bonuses. Both Fox News and CNN reported that the so-called stimulus bill written by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the White House literally protected those bonuses.
How do we know that? Well, Republican Senator Olympia Snow of Maine sponsored an amendment that would have addressed the bonuses at bailed-out companies. The U.S. Senate adopted the amendment. But guess what? When the Democratic leaders took the Senate’s version of the so-called stimulus bill in the closed-door negotiations with the White House and with Speaker Pelosi’s office, the Snow amendment disappeared and was replaced with language that protected all contracts written prior to February 11, 2009. Now let me repeat that. The Democrats in Washington, D.C., the White House, President Obama, the Majority Leader of the Senate Harry Reid, and the Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi knew about the AIG bonuses ahead of time and specifically wrote the so-called stimulus bill to protect those bonuses.
Now get this. Democratic Senator Matt Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in self-defense during an interview with CNN on Tuesday, “Frankly, it was such a rush”—we are talking about the stimulus bill now—“to get it passed. I and other conferees didn’t have time to address many of the provisions that were significantly modified.” Well, what does that translation actually mean? Protecting the AIG corporate bonuses was so important the Democrats just removed taxpayer oversight and essentially wrote the bonuses into law. Those AIG bonuses are owned by Democratic President Barack Obama, Democratic Majority Leader of the Senate Harry Reid, and Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Folks, as I said under Statements last week, we are seeing a troubling trend in this new Democratic administration. That is why I supported Majority Leader Bishop in establishing a new Michigan Senate subcommittee to oversee the spending of this so-called federal stimulus money. Since we are mortgaging our children’s future by the Democrats in Washington, D.C., we ought to know exactly how it is being done. While only Republicans in this chamber supported setting up this subcommittee, the hypocrisy coming out of Washington is proof that this is needed now more than ever so we can get through the deliberation; so that we can have more sunshine and less smoke and mirrors.
Committee Reports
The Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions reported
Senate Bill No. 379, entitled
A bill to amend 1988 PA 161, entitled “Consumer financial services act,” by amending section 9 (MCL 487.2059), as amended by 1999 PA 275.
With the recommendation that the bill pass.
The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect.
Randy Richardville
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Richardville, Sanborn, Cassis, Stamas, Hunter, Clarke and Olshove
Nays: None
The bill was referred to the Committee of the Whole.
The Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions reported
Senate Bill No. 380, entitled
A bill to amend 1987 PA 173, entitled “Mortgage brokers, lenders, and servicers licensing act,” by amending section 1a (MCL 445.1651a), as amended by 2008 PA 66.
With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect.
Randy Richardville
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Richardville, Sanborn, Cassis, Stamas, Hunter, Clarke and Olshove
Nays: None
The bill and the substitute recommended by the committee were referred to the Committee of the Whole.
The Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions reported
Senate Bill No. 381, entitled
A bill to amend 1981 PA 125, entitled “The secondary mortgage loan act,” by amending section 1 (MCL 493.51), as amended by 2008 PA 325.
With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect.
Randy Richardville
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Richardville, Sanborn, Cassis, Stamas, Hunter, Clarke and Olshove
Nays: None
The bill and the substitute recommended by the committee were referred to the Committee of the Whole.
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 9:00 a.m., Room 210, Farnum Building
Present: Senators Richardville (C), Sanborn, Cassis, Stamas, Hunter, Clarke and Olshove
The Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs reported
Senate Bill No. 280, entitled
A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled “Natural resources and environmental protection act,” by amending section 41301 (MCL 324.41301), as amended by 2005 PA 77.
With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect.
Patricia L. Birkholz
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Birkholz, Van Woerkom, Patterson, Basham and Gleason
Nays: None
The bill and the substitute recommended by the committee were referred to the Committee of the Whole.
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., Room 110, Farnum Building
Present: Senators Birkholz (C), Van Woerkom, Patterson, Basham and Gleason
The Committee on Finance reported
Senate Bill No. 346, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” (MCL 206.1 to 206.532) by adding section 254.
With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect.
Nancy Cassis
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Cassis, Gilbert, Pappageorge and Jansen
Nays: Senator Cherry
The bill and the substitute recommended by the committee were referred to the Committee of the Whole.
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Committee on Finance submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 2:35 p.m., Room 210, Farnum Building
Present: Senators Cassis (C), Gilbert, Pappageorge, Jansen, Jacobs, Cherry and Whitmer
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 8:30 a.m., Room 100, Farnum Building
Present: Senators Allen (C), Pappageorge, Garcia, Olshove and Basham
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Subcommittee on General Government submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., Room 100, Farnum Building
Present: Senators Pappageorge (C), Jansen, McManus, Anderson and Cherry
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Subcommittee on Federal Stimulus Oversight submitted the following:
Meeting held on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 9:00 a.m., Senate Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building
Present: Senators Jelinek (C), Gilbert, Pappageorge, Kahn, Jansen, Switalski, Cherry and Clark-Coleman
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Subcommittee on State Police and Military Affairs submitted the following:
Meeting held on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 9:00 a.m., Rooms 402 and 403, Capitol Building
Present: Senators Garcia (C), Cropsey and Barcia
Scheduled Meetings
Appropriations -
Subcommittees -
Agriculture - Tuesday, March 24, 1:00 p.m., Room 405, Capitol Building (373-2768)
Capital Outlay - Thursday, April 2, 9:00 a.m., Senate Hearing Room, Ground Floor, Boji Tower (373-2768)
Federal Stimulus Oversight - Tuesday, March 24, 2:00 p.m., Senate Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building (373-2768)
Higher Education - Wednesday, April 1, 9:00 a.m., Rooms 402 and 403, Capitol Building (373-2768)
Natural Resources Department - Tuesday, April 28, 12:00 noon or later immediately following session, Room 405, Capitol Building; Tuesday, May 5, 12:00 noon or later immediately following session, Rooms 402 and 403, Capitol Building; and Tuesday, May 19, 12:00 noon or later immediately following session, Room 405, Capitol Building (373-2768)
Transportation Department - Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25, 8:30 a.m., Room 405, Capitol Building (373-2768)
Campaign and Election Oversight - Wednesday, March 25, 12:30 p.m., Room 405, Capitol Building (373-1725)
Government Operations and Reform - Tuesday, March 24, 2:30 p.m., Senate Hearing Room, Ground Floor, Boji Tower (373-2417)
Legislative Commission on Government Efficiency - Thursday, April 2, 10:00 a.m., Room 426, Capitol Building (373‑0212)
Legislative Commission on Statutory Mandates - Friday, March 20, 12:00 noon, Oakland County Executive Office Building, Oakland County Conference Center, Waterford Room, Building 41-West, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford (373-0212)
Local, Urban and State Affairs - Tuesday, March 24, 3:00 p.m., Room 110, Farnum Building (373-1635)
Michigan Law Revision Commission - Tuesday, March 24, 11:00 a.m., Legislative Council Conference Room, 3rd Floor, Boji Tower (373-0212)
Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs - Wednesday, March 25, 1:00 p.m., Room 110, Farnum Building (373‑3447)
Senator Cropsey moved that the Senate adjourn.
The motion prevailed, the time being 11:46 a.m.
The President pro tempore, Senator Richardville, declared the Senate adjourned until Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.
CAROL MOREY VIVENTI
Secretary of the Senate
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