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The House and Senate have not cast any votes in recent weeks. Therefore, this report contains several recently introduced bills of interest.

Senate Bill 432: Ban drones near Mackinac Bridge

Introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R), to make it a criminal misdemeanor to fly a drone within 1,000 feet of the Mackinac Bridge. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Bill 436: Borrow to pay for road repairs

Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R), to authorize state borrowing of an unspecified amount to augment the amount of regular gas tax, vehicle registration tax and related tax revenue spent on new road projects. Note: Approximately $200 million from the current annual road budget is needed to repay debt incurred for routine road work in the 1990s and 2000s. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4635: Extend “commercial rehabilitation” tax break law

Introduced by Rep. Kathy Crawford (R), to extend for another five years a Dec. 31, 2015 sunset on a “commercial rehabilitation act” that authorizes property tax breaks for the developers of commercial redevelopment projects selected by local government officials. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4643: Establish legal recourse for illegal union picket victims

Introduced by Rep. Gary Glenn (R), to revise a law that makes it illegal to picket a business for purposes of blocking access to individuals doing or seeking work there. The bill would allow an employer to ask for a court injunction to stop the picketing, and a union that disobeyed the injunction could be fined $10,000 per day, and $1,000 for individuals. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4646: Ban local government contracts to campaign contributors

Introduced by Rep. Jim Townsend (D), to prohibit local governments from awarding contracts worth $25,000 or more to a vendor who made a political contribution of at least $100 in the previous 12-month period to an elected officeholder. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4672: Ban smoking in car with minor

Introduced by Rep. Sam Singh (D), to ban smoking in a vehicle with a minor present, subject to a $500 fine. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4673: Prescribe requirements for removing “squatters” from property

Introduced by Rep. LaTanya Garrett (D), to prohibit a property owner from attempting to evict “squatters” from the property unless he or she is accompanied by a law enforcement officer who has been provided with proof that the person entering the premises is the owner. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4678: Give state flag to deceased legislators' survivors

Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, III (D), to create a new law called the "Legislative Funeral Act” that would require the state to give a state flag to the survivor of a current or former legislator who dies. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4688: Authorize penalties for not reporting child’s death

Introduced by Rep. John Bizon (R), to make it a felony punishable by up to four years in prison to fail to immediately report the death of a child for which a person is responsible, or fail to report that a child is missing within 48 hours. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4697: Ban no-exception school expulsion policies

Introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D), to prohibit school districts from adopting a policy that requires a student to be expelled for certain violations and does not give school officials discretion in enforcing it, except as required by state law. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Bill 4698: Authorize drivers license, state ID gender change

Introduced by Rep. Brian Banks (D), to require the Secretary of State to change the gender indicated on the drivers license of a person who requests this if the individual has obtained a “sex change” operation, or produces a court order authorizing the change in designation, or other official identification to that effect. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

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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