July 6, 2012, MichiganVotes.org Weekly Roll Call

The Michigan Legislature has entered a summer recess. Many bills were passed in the legislative sessions just before the break.

Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting

Senate Bill 1041: Subject legislator communications to FOIA
Introduced by Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D), to expand government document disclosure requirements required under the Freedom of Information Act to include legislators and legislative offices. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1049: Ban reimbursement of lame duck politician’s travel
Introduced by Sen. John Gleason (D), to prohibit a school and local elected official from traveling to a conference or seminar at public expense during the “lame duck” period if he or she has been defeated in a primary general election, or if the official is term limited, after the filing deadline for the election to replace him or her. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1053: Allow double dipping by certain “retired” state employees
Introduced by Sen. Roger Kahn (R), to allow retired executive or legislative branch employees to go back to work, collect a paycheck, and also continue to collect pension checks, if a department director or legislative majority leader claims the individual has “specialized expertise” that is said to justify the higher expense. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1063: Prohibit gender identity/sexual orientation discrimination
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D), to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” to the characteristics that define membership in a protected class against whom it is a crime to discriminate under the Michigan civil rights law. This would make it a crime to deny employment, housing, use of public accommodations, public services, and educational facilities to another person on the basis of a perception that the person has a particular sexual orientation or gender identity. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1074: Establish new state fair
Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R), to establish an annual state fair promoting “all phases” of the state’s economy, at a location to be determined by a state commission. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 1087: Revise school vaccination age
Introduced by Sen. Judy Emmons (R), to change from 6th grade to 7th grade the year in which public school students are required to have been given certain vaccinations (with specified exceptions). Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5521: Require public schools maintain student health information
Introduced by Rep. Lisa L. Howze (D), to require public schools to maintain in a secure manner medical background and history information for each student, and emergency contact information; mandate that school physical education personnel have CPR training, and the legislature to provide money for this; mandate that public schools have automated external defibrillator devices; and more. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5527: Require “corporate welfare” executive drug testing
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R), to require drug testing for business executives whose firms receive subsidies from the state. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5529: Give “biobased” products state purchasing preference
Introduced by Rep. Paul Muxlow (R), to require the state to give preference in purchasing and procurement to “biobased” products (meaning ones produced with natural materials rather than plastic, including petroleum and natural gas-based substances). Contracts would have to be given to providers of equivalent “biobased” products, rather than to the lowest bidder, if the price was not more than 5 percent higher. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5531: Give state PSC oversight over Detroit water/sewer system
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R), to extend the jurisdiction of the state Public Service Commission to include regulating the operations of the Detroit water and sewer system, which is used by most communities in the region. Specifically, the bill extends the jurisdiction to a system that serves “more than 25 percent” of the state population. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5532: Ban discounts for cash vs. card purchases
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Stallworth, III (D), to prohibit retail merchants including gas stations from offering discounts for cash purchases, vs. purchases made with a credit or debit card. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 5534: Lower high school graduation standards
Introduced by Rep. Phil Potvin (R), to eliminate the foreign language requirement from the high school graduation curriculum requirements adopted in a 2006 law. Referred to committee, no further action at this time. 

Interested in a cumulative list of all weekly Roll Call Report Votes for 2012?

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit https://www.michiganvotes.org.

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