No. 65

STATE OF MICHIGAN

Journal of the Senate

101st Legislature

REGULAR SESSION OF 2021

 

 

 

 

 

Senate Chamber, Lansing, Wednesday, September 1, 2021.

 

10:00 a.m.

 

 

The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor Garlin D. Gilchrist II.

 

The roll was called by the Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.

 

 

Alexander—present                             Hollier—present                              Outman—present

Ananich—present                               Horn—present                                 Polehanki—present

Barrett—present                                  Irwin—present                                 Runestad—present

Bayer—present                                   Johnson—present                             Santana—present

Bizon—present                                   LaSata—present                              Schmidt—present

Brinks—present                                  Lauwers—present                            Shirkey—present

Bullock—present                                MacDonald—present                       Stamas—present

Bumstead—present                             McBroom—present                          Theis—present

Chang—present                                  McCann—present                            VanderWall—present

Daley—present                                   McMorrow—present                        Victory—present

Geiss—present                                    Moss—present                                 Wojno—present

Hertel—present                                   Nesbitt—present                              Zorn—present


 

Senator Tom Barrett of the 24th District offered the following invocation:

Dear Lord, we ask Your blessing and guidance over today’s session in the Michigan Senate. We ask for Your wisdom and guidance as we hope to make the best decision for the people and residents of our state. We ask a special blessing over those in harm’s way—whether they be members of our military, law enforcement, or simply those Americans around the world who are seeking to achieve a better life or a better outcome for wherever they are. We know there is a lot of turmoil and strife going on, particularly this week, and we ask for Your blessing and protective hand over all of them today. In Your name. Amen.

 

The President, Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist, led the members of the Senate in recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

 

Motions and Communications

 

 

Senator Lauwers moved that Senators McBroom, Runestad and Stamas be temporarily excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

 

Senator Chang moved that Senators Ananich and Geiss be temporarily excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

 

Senator Runestad entered the Senate Chamber.

 

 

Senator Santana asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Santana’s statement is as follows:

Colleagues and staff, I just want to take this opportunity to recognize someone who has been around this institution for quite some time and has an affectionate smile, and she’s just such an awesome person to work with. I know if you all know who I’m talking about, you will also have that same sentiment for her. Today is her day of life and we want to recognize her for everything she does. Shaquila Myers, happy birthday, and we love you and adore you.

 

By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of

Introduction and Referral of Bills

 

 

Senator Victory introduced

Senate Bill No. 618, entitled

A bill to amend 2005 PA 92, entitled “School bond qualification, approval, and loan act,” by amending section 9 (MCL 388.1929), as amended by 2012 PA 437.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

Senators Irwin, McCann, Chang and Santana introduced

Senate Bill No. 619, entitled

A bill to amend 2016 PA 281, entitled “Medical marihuana facilities licensing act,” by amending section 402 (MCL 333.27402), as amended by 2018 PA 582.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

 

Senators Santana, Geiss, Bayer, Wojno, Polehanki, Moss, Bullock, Chang and Hollier introduced

Senate Bill No. 620, entitled

A bill to amend 1981 PA 180, entitled “Older Michiganians act,” (MCL 400.581 to 400.594) by adding sections 10a and 10b.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health Policy and Human Services.

Senators Santana, Geiss, Bayer, Wojno, Polehanki, Moss, Bullock and Hollier introduced

Senate Bill No. 621, entitled

A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” (MCL 206.1 to 206.713) by adding section 279.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

Senators Santana, Geiss, Bayer, Wojno, Polehanki, Irwin, Moss, Bullock, Chang and Hollier introduced

Senate Bill No. 622, entitled

A bill to amend 1953 PA 232, entitled “Corrections code of 1953,” by amending section 83 (MCL 791.283), as amended by 2016 PA 344.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

 

 

Senator Horn introduced

Senate Bill No. 623, entitled

A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” by amending sections 51f and 711 (MCL 206.51f and 206.711), section 51f as added by 2017 PA 110 and section 711 as amended by 2018 PA 118.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Economic and Small Business Development.

 

 

Senator Theis introduced

Senate Bill No. 624, entitled

A bill to amend 1956 PA 218, entitled “The insurance code of 1956,” by amending section 4072 (MCL 500.4072), as amended by 2003 PA 200.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Insurance and Banking.

 

 

Senators LaSata, Victory and Polehanki introduced

Senate Bill No. 625, entitled

A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled “Income tax act of 1967,” by amending section 435 (MCL 206.435), as amended by 2018 PA 258.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Senator Geiss entered the Senate Chamber.

 

Senators LaSata and Victory introduced

Senate Bill No. 626, entitled

A bill to amend 2004 PA 177, entitled “Michigan law enforcement officers memorial act,” by amending section 4 (MCL 28.784).

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

 

 

Senator LaSata introduced

Senate Bill No. 627, entitled

A bill to provide for the recovery or replacement of durable monuments defining the Michigan-Indiana state line; to create a commission; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and agencies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

Senator LaSata introduced

Senate Bill No. 628, entitled

A bill to amend 1990 PA 345, entitled “State survey and remonumentation act,” by amending section 12 (MCL 54.272), as amended by 2014 PA 166.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

Senators LaSata and Runestad introduced

Senate Bill No. 629, entitled

A bill to require that certain medical and nonmedical exemptions to immunization be recognized by public and private colleges and universities in this state that require student immunization as a condition to certain services, programs, and facilities offered by those colleges and universities; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health Policy and Human Services.

 

Senator McBroom entered the Senate Chamber.

 

By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of

Third Reading of Bills

 

 

Senator Lauwers moved that the Senate proceed to consideration of the following bill:

House Bill No. 4272

The motion prevailed.

 

Senators Ananich and Stamas entered the Senate Chamber.

 

The following bill was read a third time:

House Bill No. 4272, entitled

A bill to regulate the labeling of certain portable fuel containers as made in and for use in Michigan; and to make findings that, under certain circumstances, portable fuel containers have not entered or substantially affected interstate commerce.

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. 345                                           Yeas—20

 

 

Barrett                               Johnson                   Nesbitt                                   Stamas

Bizon                                LaSata                     Outman                                  Theis

Bumstead                          Lauwers                  Runestad                                VanderWall

Daley                                MacDonald              Schmidt                                 Victory

Horn                                 McBroom                Shirkey                                  Zorn

 

 

                                                                     Nays—16

 

 

Alexander                          Bullock                    Hollier                                   Moss

Ananich                            Chang                      Irwin                                      Polehanki

Bayer                                Geiss                       McCann                                 Santana

Brinks                               Hertel                      McMorrow                             Wojno

 

 

                                                                   Excused—0

 

 

                                                                 Not Voting—0

 

 

In The Chair:  President

 

 

The question being on concurring in the committee recommendation to give the bill immediate effect,

The recommendation was not concurred in, 2/3 of the members serving not voting therefor.

The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.

The following bill was read a third time:

Senate Bill No. 425, entitled

A bill to amend 1951 PA 51, entitled “An act to provide for the classification of all public roads, streets, and highways in this state, and for the revision of that classification and for additions to and deletions from each classification; to set up and establish the Michigan transportation fund; to provide for the deposits in the Michigan transportation fund of specific taxes on motor vehicles and motor vehicle fuels; to provide for the allocation of funds from the Michigan transportation fund and the use and administration of the fund for transportation purposes; to promote safe and efficient travel for motor vehicle drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other legal users of roads, streets, and highways; to set up and establish the truck safety fund; to provide for the allocation of funds from the truck safety fund and administration of the fund for truck safety purposes; to set up and establish the Michigan truck safety commission; to establish certain standards for road contracts for certain businesses; to provide for the continuing review of transportation needs within the state; to authorize the state transportation commission, counties, cities, and villages to borrow money, issue bonds, and make pledges of funds for transportation purposes; to authorize counties to advance funds for the payment of deficiencies necessary for the payment of bonds issued under this act; to provide for the limitations, payment, retirement, and security of the bonds and pledges; to provide for appropriations and tax levies by counties and townships for county roads; to authorize contributions by townships for county roads; to provide for the establishment and administration of the state trunk line fund, local bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and certain other funds; to provide for the deposits in the state trunk line fund, critical bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and certain other funds of money raised by specific taxes and fees; to provide for definitions of public transportation functions and criteria; to define the purposes for which Michigan transportation funds may be allocated; to provide for Michigan transportation fund grants; to provide for review and approval of transportation programs; to provide for submission of annual legislative requests and reports; to provide for the establishment and functions of certain advisory entities; to provide for conditions for grants; to provide for the issuance of bonds and notes for transportation purposes; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for the making of loans for transportation purposes by the state transportation department and for the receipt and repayment by local units and agencies of those loans from certain specified sources; to investigate and study the tolling of roads, streets, highways, or bridges; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” (MCL 247.651 to 247.675) by adding section 11i.

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. 346                                           Yeas—36

 

 

Alexander                          Daley                       MacDonald                            Santana

Ananich                            Geiss                       McBroom                              Schmidt

Barrett                               Hertel                      McCann                                 Shirkey

Bayer                                Hollier                     McMorrow                             Stamas

Bizon                                Horn                        Moss                                     Theis

Brinks                               Irwin                       Nesbitt                                   VanderWall

Bullock                             Johnson                   Outman                                  Victory

Bumstead                          LaSata                     Polehanki                               Wojno

Chang                                Lauwers                  Runestad                                Zorn

 

 

                                                                      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. 427, entitled

A bill to amend 1951 PA 51, entitled “An act to provide for the classification of all public roads, streets, and highways in this state, and for the revision of that classification and for additions to and deletions from each classification; to set up and establish the Michigan transportation fund; to provide for the deposits in the Michigan transportation fund of specific taxes on motor vehicles and motor vehicle fuels; to provide for the allocation of funds from the Michigan transportation fund and the use and administration of the fund for transportation purposes; to promote safe and efficient travel for motor vehicle drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other legal users of roads, streets, and highways; to set up and establish the truck safety fund; to provide for the allocation of funds from the truck safety fund and administration of the fund for truck safety purposes; to set up and establish the Michigan truck safety commission; to establish certain standards for road contracts for certain businesses; to provide for the continuing review of transportation needs within the state; to authorize the state transportation commission, counties, cities, and villages to borrow money, issue bonds, and make pledges of funds for transportation purposes; to authorize counties to advance funds for the payment of deficiencies necessary for the payment of bonds issued under this act; to provide for the limitations, payment, retirement, and security of the bonds and pledges; to provide for appropriations and tax levies by counties and townships for county roads; to authorize contributions by townships for county roads; to provide for the establishment and administration of the state trunk line fund, local bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and certain other funds; to provide for the deposits in the state trunk line fund, critical bridge fund, comprehensive transportation fund, and certain other funds of money raised by specific taxes and fees; to provide for definitions of public transportation functions and criteria; to define the purposes for which Michigan transportation funds may be allocated; to provide for Michigan transportation fund grants; to provide for review and approval of transportation programs; to provide for submission of annual legislative requests and reports; to provide for the establishment and functions of certain advisory entities; to provide for conditions for grants; to provide for the issuance of bonds and notes for transportation purposes; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for the making of loans for transportation purposes by the state transportation department and for the receipt and repayment by local units and agencies of those loans from certain specified sources; to investigate and study the tolling of roads, streets, highways, or bridges; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” (MCL 247.651 to 247.675) by adding section 11k.

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. 347                                           Yeas—36

 

 

Alexander                          Daley                       MacDonald                            Santana

Ananich                            Geiss                       McBroom                              Schmidt

Barrett                               Hertel                      McCann                                 Shirkey

Bayer                                Hollier                     McMorrow                             Stamas

Bizon                                Horn                        Moss                                     Theis

Brinks                               Irwin                       Nesbitt                                   VanderWall

Bullock                             Johnson                   Outman                                  Victory

Bumstead                          LaSata                     Polehanki                               Wojno

Chang                                Lauwers                  Runestad                                Zorn

 

 

                                                                      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:

House Bill No. 4063, entitled

A bill to amend 1978 PA 90, entitled “Youth employment standards act,” by amending section 2 (MCL 409.102), as amended by 1996 PA 438.

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. 348                                           Yeas—27

 

 

Alexander                          Geiss                       McBroom                              Shirkey

Ananich                            Hertel                      Moss                                     Stamas

Barrett                               Horn                        Nesbitt                                   Theis

Bizon                                Johnson                   Outman                                  VanderWall

Bullock                             LaSata                     Runestad                                Victory

Bumstead                          Lauwers                  Santana                                  Zorn

Daley                                MacDonald              Schmidt                                

 

 

                                                                      Nays—9

 

 

Bayer                                Hollier                     McCann                                 Polehanki

Brinks                               Irwin                       McMorrow                             Wojno

Chang                                                                                                            

 

 

                                                                   Excused—0

 

 

                                                                 Not Voting—0

 

 

In The Chair:  President

 

 

Pursuant to Joint Rule 20, the full title of the act shall be inserted to read as follows:

“An act to provide for the legal employment and protection of minors; to provide for the issuance and revocation of work permits; to provide for the regulation of hours and conditions of employment of minors; to prescribe powers and duties of the departments of labor and education; to provide for the enforcement of this act; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts,”

The Senate agreed to the full title.

 

 

Protests

 

 

Senators Chang, Polehanki and Hollier, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of House Bill No. 4063.

Senator Chang moved that the statement she made during the discussion of the bill be printed as her reasons for voting “no.”

The motion prevailed.

Senator Chang’s statement, in which Senators Polehanki and Hollier concurred, is as follows:

I want to start by saying that there are a lot of amazing home-school parents out there who I have tremendous respect for, especially after a year like last year. However, Michigan’s laws around home schooling are virtually nonexistent and the lack of regulation around home schooling makes me very concerned about the combination with this bill, knowing some of the national data and stories we’ve seen around children who have been exploited and who have been abused by some really terrible people who have been hiding behind the law. Knowing that there are organizations, especially those that represent former home-schooled children, that are advocating for strengthening our laws to protect our children, I think this bill sets us in the wrong direction so I will be voting “no.”

Senator McBroom asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.

The motion prevailed.

Senator McBroom’s statement, in which Senators LaSata, Barrett and Horn concurred, is as follows:

Mr. President, a few years ago I was approached by various constituents whose children were being home schooled because there’s a lack of parity. Students can’t go and get work at certain places without a sign-off from their school to have a work permit, and when they’re home-schooled they still had to go to a public school to get permission to go to work. The same public school that decided, you know, that was telling parents that they have to fill out various forms before they can home-school, or the schools that come to me and say, We have to get those home-schoolers because we don’t know what they’re doing. Meanwhile, they have their own problems, they have their own students who are failing. They have their own issues, and yet in a glass house, willing to throw stones at somebody else.

Now we have colleagues trying to excuse themselves from helping kids who want to work while they’re getting their education so they can be on the same footing with students in a traditional school setting, and they have the willingness to get up and self-righteously declare that we can’t give these kids these rights because some bad things happened somewhere else, because bad things happened to home-schoolers somewhere else. Do we pretend that bad things don’t happen at traditional schools? Maybe we should take away work permits for traditional schools too until we work out all the problems and have no more terrible things happen to kids anywhere. It’s ridiculous. Maybe no school that has a teacher who gets in trouble for abusing students should be allowed to issue work permits. Come on.

This is a simple fairness issue. This is a simple opportunity to give students who right now are working hard at their classes at home the ability to also have a job. We give that to all the other students in this state. How dare anyone say it’s wrong to give it to the home-school kids too. And how dare we say to have to fill out forms from their public school or get permission from the superintendent of another school before they’re allowed to be home-schooled, or that we should mimic other states that put parents through testing.

Parents’ rights are paramount in the raising of children and if a parent says, I want to educate my kid at home, that’s their business, and if they want their kid to be able to go to work, that’s their business. Vote “yes.”

 

 

The following bill was read a third time:

House Bill No. 4061, entitled

A bill to amend 2016 PA 235, entitled “Public threat alert system act,” by amending sections 2 and 3 (MCL 28.672 and 28.673).

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. 349                                           Yeas—20

 

 

Barrett                               Johnson                   Nesbitt                                   Stamas

Bizon                                LaSata                     Outman                                  Theis

Bumstead                          Lauwers                  Runestad                                VanderWall

Daley                                MacDonald              Schmidt                                 Victory

Horn                                 McBroom                Shirkey                                  Zorn

 

 

                                                                     Nays—16

 

 

Alexander                          Bullock                    Hollier                                   Moss

Ananich                            Chang                      Irwin                                      Polehanki

Bayer                                Geiss                       McCann                                 Santana

Brinks                               Hertel                      McMorrow                             Wojno

 

 

                                                                   Excused—0

                                                                 Not Voting—0

 

 

In The Chair:  President

 

 

Pursuant to Joint Rule 20, the full title of the act shall be inserted to read as follows:

“An act to prescribe the public threat alert system as the official response to public threat situations in this state; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and authorities,”

The Senate agreed to the full title.

 

 

Protests

 

 

Senators Hertel, Irwin, Geiss, Alexander, McMorrow, Santana, Bayer, Brinks, Bullock, Moss, Polehanki, Wojno and Hollier under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of House Bill No. 4061.

Senators Hertel, Irwin and Moss moved that the statements they made during the discussion of the bill be printed as their reasons for voting “no.”

The motion prevailed.

Senator Hertel’s statement is as follows:

Sometimes in life we have irrational hopes, like, for example, my hope that after our legislative break we would all come back here and gear up and find a way to work together to actually solve the problems of this state and do serious work for the people. Instead, we are back here today with the same silliness we’ve been at for almost a year now having debates now about what legislative micromanagement we can do in the public emergency system, as if people in this body are in any way qualified, and making it more difficult to actually notify people in the middle of an emergency. This is the problem. While this Legislature has talked over and over again about wanting to be part of the process of managing the pandemic, the reality is that one side of the aisle has no real interest in managing the pandemic. We have interest in talking about the politics of the pandemic or talking about discouraging people from wearing masks, we talk about the efficacy of the vaccine, having political debates about science, all those things, but not actually managing—there’s been zero ideas or legislation put forward to actually manage the pandemic in any way, shape, or form or to keep people safe. In reality, most of this is just about an election a year from now. We can’t be OK with any part of the response. For example, in this case originally Republicans in the Legislature said, We need the people to have more information, the Governor needs to get more information out there, these orders aren’t easy to understand, there’s not enough out there telling people about them. So, the response to that was to put out an alert telling people what actually happens. Well, that’s not right either; that’s too much. See, the reality is that there is no Goldilocks moment here. There is no porridge that is just right—it’s too hot or it’s too cold. When Robert Southey wrote Goldilocks, it was not a political tale but I don’t think he had the imagination actually to think of it in terms of this current political trend we are in where nothing is ever right. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter—this piece of legislation—I can’t believe anybody ran for office and this is the kind of thing they thought they were going to be fighting for. One more attempt to underly the pandemic response, make people in Michigan less safe, and politicize what is already a very difficult situation for our state. I ask you to vote “no.”

 

Senator Irwin’s statement, in which Senators Geiss, Alexander, McMorrow, Santana, Bayer, Brinks and Bullock concurred, is as follows:

This bill seeks to amend the Public Threat Alert System Act to prohibit the system’s use to announce a new law or executive order, “unless it is necessary to do so…to respond to an immediate or nearly immediate loss of life or property.” This bill which seeks to affect the behavior of future Governors and their use of this system will affect exactly no one, because I can tell you that the Governor certainly believed that there was an immediate threat of loss of life or property at the beginning of this pandemic. The people who have died certainly felt there was a nearly immediate chance that they would lose their life. The people who are being intubated certainly felt that there was an immediate loss of life. So, I’m not really sure with all the many thousands of deaths we’ve had in this state, people who have lost family members and friends, that you can seriously advance a piece of legislation thinking it’s going to have any effect on the use of the public threat alert system with this kind of exception.

Nonetheless, I’m rising to offer my objections because even though I don’t think any future Governor is going to be at all controlled by this. I just want to point out that I live sort of close to a tornado siren, and when that siren goes off I know it’s just a warning—I know the tornado isn’t likely to actually hit my house—but what I don’t do is complain. What I don’t do is imagine that that siren entering my eardrums is some sort of imposition or diminishment of my liberty. This is a ridiculous argument we’re making here today in the Legislature. Getting information out about an emergent public threat is not some sort of Communist plot, it’s not some sort of threat on our liberty, it’s just good government—a helpful warning about a deadly pandemic. Like my colleague who spoke before me, I sincerely hope that we can get back to serious work in this Legislature to serve our people, not living in the past, churning up grievances in an attempt to make points for the next election. There’s real work to do here, let’s do it.

 

Senator Moss’ statement, in which Senators Polehanki, Wojno and Hollier concurred, is as follows:

I don’t have too much more to add because I agree with the points made by previous speakers—made by the Senator from East Lansing about how this just continues the politicization of this health pandemic, the Senator from Ann Arbor who talked about some people who need to be alerted and need the warnings and need the information coming out during an emergency.

I want to add a finer point specifically about why this bill came forward because I sit on the committee where this bill was heard. This bill prohibits the use of the Public Threat Alert System to announce a new law or executive order specifically during the health crisis that we all endured, so I asked. I lived through this last year too. I don’t remember these disruptive messages that just consumed me and I couldn’t function and I couldn’t operate because my phone is just blowing up with these executive orders, so I asked, How many messages were we even talking about? The answer was three or four. We are writing law right now that is before us for consideration because there were three text messages that went out to talk about new executive directives and orders during a public health threat. This is preposterous. This is emblematic of a Legislature that is looking for something to do, something to put forward. Surely there are greater crises ahead of us and more important things we can be working on than to prevent this system from working because of three or four messages that went out during this past year to alert people of important information that they needed during a public health crisis. For those reasons, I’m voting “no.”

 

By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of

Statements

 

 

Senators McBroom and Victory asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.

The motion prevailed.

Senator McBroom’s statement is as follows:

Mr. President, I wanted to get up and briefly, say in regards to House Bill No. 4063 that we voted on earlier, that I probably came off a little too strong and certainly used a couple of words about some of my other colleagues, that were unfair and unkind. I apologize for being too strong on that.

I have a great deal of respect for the Senator from the 1st District. I appreciate her perspective on the issue and I know she cares very much about students in both public and home school. It’s just, a very personal issue for me. I have a lot of constituents on the issue, and I let myself get a little carried away, so my apologies to the chamber.

 

Senator Victory’s statement is as follows:

I am kind of in a dangerous spot right here because usually when I stand by this podium I have notes in front of me, so I am speaking without any notes. On this great occasion, and it’s with a little bit of a heavy heart, one of my great staff—Amber Vrooman—is leaving and going on to better adventures out there.

She has served the Senate for six years. You know the key to success for a farmer coming to the Senate is surrounding him or herself with people better than themselves and I will put Amber into one of those categories, someone who is better than myself. It is going to be with a heavy heart to see her leave because she kept my life organized; so if you see the Senator in the future a little disorganized or a little distraught, it is nothing against you, it’s just that we lost a great staff person.

So with this I wish Amber great success in her new adventure. She is not going to be a stranger to Lansing, you will see her face out and about and eager to see that going forward. On behalf of the Senate we appreciate your service and we know each of our staff went through some things. It has not been easy. It has not been easy, so along with my appreciation Amber to all of the staff who work on behalf of the Senate, thank you. I wish you the best success on your new adventure. Thank you Amber.

Announcements of Printing and Enrollment

 

 

The Secretary announced that the following resolutions were printed and filed on Tuesday, August 31 and are available on the Michigan Legislature website:

Senate Resolution Nos.      77      78      79     80

 

 

Committee Reports

 

 

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

 

The Committee on Advice and Consent submitted the following:

Meeting held on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., Room 1200, Binsfeld Office Building

Present: Senators Nesbitt (C), Bumstead, McBroom and Hertel

 

 

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

 

The Committee on Regulatory Reform submitted the following:

Meeting held on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at 3:00 p.m., Room 1200, Binsfeld Office Building

Present: Senators Nesbitt (C), Theis, Johnson, Lauwers, VanderWall, Moss and Polehanki

Excused: Senators Zorn and Wojno

 

 

Scheduled Meetings

 

 

Senate Fiscal Agency Governing Board Wednesday, September 15, 9:00 a.m., Harry T. Gast Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building (517) 373-2768

 

 

Senator Lauwers moved that the Senate adjourn.

The motion prevailed, the time being 10:37 a.m.

 

Pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 11, the President, Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist, declared the Senate adjourned until Thursday, September 2, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

 

 

                                                                                                     MARGARET O’BRIEN

                                                                                                     Secretary of the Senate