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By Jack McHugh
House Bill 4209, Impose licensure, regulation on medical marijuana industry: Passed 25 to 12 in the Senate
To impose a 3 percent tax on retail medical marijuana sales, along with a licensure mandate and comprehensive regulatory regime for medical marijuana growers, transporters, dispensaries and more, with civil and criminal penalties for violations. This would be modeled on the state's "three tier" alcohol sales regime, which has been criticized for empowering anti-competitive regional distribution monopolies.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4210, Authorize medical marijuana in edible form: 28 to 9 in the Senate
To authorize the use of edible marijuana infused products under the state’s medical marijuana law, and establish regulations for these substances.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 4827, Create "seed to sale" medical marijuana database: Passed 27 to 10 in the Senate
To require the state to develop a comprehensive “seed-to-sale” tracking system for commercial marijuana, with information on each step including recording final sales to individual customers. This would all be contained in a computer database and would not be a public record, but could be used for enforcing the medical marijuana law, including tracking how much individual card holders purchase and from whom.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 1014, Remove procedural restraints on regulating medical marijuana facilities: Passed 26 to 11 in the Senate
To exempt rules imposed on medical marijuana facilities from the requirements of the state administrative procedures act, which requires agencies to follow a specific process to ensure rules are reasonable, do not exceed the agency’s legal authority and are actually needed.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
House Bill 5275, Require DNR create forest trail map: Passed 28 to 9 in the Senate
To require the Department of Natural Resources to create a comprehensive inventory of (unpaved) state forest roads that identifies their condition and development level, and shows the types of motorized and non-motorized uses currently restricted on each segment, including seasonal restrictions. Also, to allow the wider used of pack-saddle horses for purposes of hauling out game during hunting season.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 962, Revise details of legislature’s regulation oversight: Passed 26 to 11 in the Senate
To expand the authority of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) so it can delay a department rule for up to one year while the legislature tries to pass a bill to change the law that permits the rule.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 1019, Expand scope of practice for nurse anesthetists: Passed 22 to 15 in the Senate
To reduce the limitations on nurse anesthetist’s scope of practice, allowing them to provide anesthesia and analgesia services as the sole and independent anesthesia provider under certain conditions, and more.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 727, Allow dogs in outdoor cafés: Passed 32 to 4 in the Senate
To allow a restaurant to permit customers’ dogs in outside dining areas. Under current law only seeing-eye and other service dogs are allowed. Local governments could still choose to ban dogs.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
Senate Bill 995, Authorize driverless vehicles on Michigan roads: Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate
To expand a law that permits operating automated driverless vehicles on Michigan roads, subject to detailed restrictions and conditions. The bill is part of a package comprised of Senate Bills 995 to 998 that would potentially repeal the requirement that a human operator be present to monitor performance and intervene if necessary, permit “platoons” of driverless trucks traveling together on highways, and create regulations for these and related autonomous vehicle activities. Local governments would be preempted from imposing more restrictive regulations.
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”
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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