The House and Senate are in the midst of a two week recess, so rather than votes this report contains several recently introduced bills of interest.
Note: The will be no Roll Call Report next week (Thanksgiving week). The next report will go out as usual on Friday, Dec. 6.
Mackinac Center research on how increasing tobacco taxes also increases cigarette smuggling is featured in a story that ran in multiple Hearst newspapers in New England.
The Connecticut Post, Stamford Advocate, New Canaan News, the Darien News and Danbury News-Times all reported that Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has sponsored legislation seeking to increase the federal cigarette tax from $1.01 to $1.95.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Congressman Mark Schauer has proposed raising Michigan’s minimum wage to $9.25 per hour over a period of three years and indexing it to inflation from there forward. While mandating higher wages often sells well politically, the cost of doing so would be worse for the very people it is intended to help.
Senate Bill 661, Increase political contributions limits and more: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate
To increase the maximum campaign contributions allowed by state election law, index these to inflation, and require additional finance reports from candidates. The bill would also establish that third party "issue ads" that do not expressly advocate the election of a candidate need not include a disclosure of who paid for the ad, and allow the Republican and Democratic caucuses in the legislature to raise and spend money promoting their preferred candidates in primary elections.
F. Vincent Vernuccio, director of labor policy, writes on Townhall today about arguments the U.S. Supreme Court recently heard in a case about union intimidation and coercion, as well as Big Labor's continual push to deny workers the sanctity of the secret ballot when voting on whether or not they want to be in a union.
The Daily Caller, Gongwer News Service and The Washington Free Beacon have exposed several examples of plagiarism in a “report” about the Mackinac Center put out by a union front group called Progress Michigan, as well as attempts by the group to cover it up.
Statewide media is reporting on a hearing held Wednesday by the Senate Compliance and Accountability Committee regarding the MEA’s failure to allow members to resign as per their rights under Michigan’s worker freedom law.
WOOD-TV, The Grand Rapids Press and Detroit Free Press all reported that teachers and other school employees testified about their inability to get information from the teachers union regarding how to opt out.
Some unionized state workers are marching in protest over contract negotiations, but taxpayers are the ones who should actually be upset.
“[S]tate government employees argued that they've already made enough concessions over the last decade and don't want any more cuts,” reported MLive.
The Michigan Legislature is considering a package of bills that would reduce or eliminate the amount of regulations and licensing requirements for several professions, which Mackinac Center analysts have long called for.
“We feel that if you can go out and do a job and it’s not affecting the health of safety of someone else, you should be able to do it,” Research Associate Jarrett Skorup told MLive.
With a slew of bills, the Michigan Senate is moving slightly in the direction of more freedom for beer drinkers.
But, with the backing of some Michigan brewers, the Legislature also voted to codify ridiculous rules that try to pick winners and losers in the marketplace.
Senate Joint Resolution V, Call for U.S. balanced budget amendment convention: Passed 26 to 12 in the Senate
To submit an application to Congress calling for a "convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Consitution," limited to proposing an amendment that prohibits the federal government from spending more in any fiscal year than it collects in tax and other revenue (balanced budget amendment). Legislatures representing two-thirds of the states must request this to get a convention, and three-quarters of the states must approve any amendment proposed by an “Article V” convention for it to become part of the constitution. The resolution names 17 states that have submitted applications.
Labor Policy Director F. Vincent Vernuccio writes today at The American Spectator about the hypocrisy of Big Labor, which pushed for the passage of Obamacare but now want special exemptions from parts of the law.
Without much fanfare, the Michigan Senate recently approved pouring an additional $300 million through 2019 into a corporate welfare program that's a holdover from Gov. Jennifer Granholm's time in office.
An annual $75 million earmark to the program had been scheduled to sunset in 2015.
It's easy to pass new state mandates and tough to get rid of them once passed. But the Michigan House is at least making some progress.
The state has a lot of licensing mandates that drive up costs for consumers while not providing any health or safety benefits. But why is this?
Senate Bill 269, Extend $75 million annual earmark to corporate subsidy program: Passed 33 to 4 in the Senate
To extend through 2019 an annual $75 million earmark to a "21st Century Jobs Fund" program created by the previous administration, which provides various subsidies to particular firms or industries chosen by a board of political appointees. (The subsidies can include the state taking partial ownership of selected companies.) This money comes from a tobacco company lawsuit settlement, which the legislature may otherwise appropriate for any state spending, or use for tax cuts. Under current law, the earmark expires in 2015. Under current law, the annual earmark expires in 2015.
The Michigan Public Service Commission is attempting to influence Michigan policy by issuing reports on energy-related issues.
Its most recent report focuses on Michigan's use of competition and consumer choice in electricity services.
Ted Bolema, a member of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's Board of Scholars, just published a policy brief critiquing this most recent report from the MPSC. It will be submitted as a formal comment to the MPSC.
Labor Policy Director F. Vincent Vernuccio was a guest on Fox Business Wednesday, discussing a decision by Boeing to build a new plant in South Carolina, which is a right-to-work state, rather than expanding operations in Puget Sound, Wash., where it has experienced labor strife.
MIRS News reports (subscription required) that the House Education Committee is considering two bills: one to create an A-F letter grading system for schools and one to require third-graders be proficient in reading before advancing to fourth grade. Both of these ideas are recommendations made in a recent Mackinac Center publication, "Michigan vs. Florida: Student Achievement, Education Policies and Proposals for Reform."
Rather than being based on safety, licensing requirements for people to work are often imposed merely for the protection of existing businesses and to raise the barrier to entry for competitors, thereby driving up prices for consumers.
However, that could change if a bill introduced by State Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester HIlls, were passed and signed into law. House Bill 4641 would prohibit governments from imposing occupational licensure without valid concerns for public health and safety, and allow workers to sue if a regulation excessively burdens their right to earn a living. This proposed state law would go a long way to solve the problem of burdensome and inconsistent requirements.
A Mackinac Center Legal Foundation client who could become a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against the Michigan Education Association is featured in today’s Oakland Press.
Amy Breza, a paraeducator in Clarkston Community Schools, is being forced to continue paying union dues after her union and the school board signed a contract extension before March 28 in order to skirt around Michigan’s new right-to-work law.
State legislators are considering reforming automobile insurance laws to save drivers money while still providing robust coverage.
As it is, ill-conceived state mandates cause Michigan drivers to pay among the highest insurance costs in the nation for the coverage they receive.
Patrick J. Wright, director of the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, was a guest on “Let It Rip,” a Sunday morning issue-oriented talk show on FOX 2 Detroit (click on segment two), discussing the MCLF clients who have filed unfair labor practice complaints against the Michigan Education Association. The clients feel they are being bullied and intimidated by the MEA for attempting to exercise their worker freedom rights.
House Bill 4234, Vehicle trade-in "sales tax on the difference": Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate
To exempt from sales tax the value of a trade-in when buying a new motor vehicle, titled watercraft or recreational vehicle, but phase this tax break in over 24 years, and halt the phase-in if the federal health care law's Medicaid expansion (authorized by House Bill 4714) is rescinded. Under this bill and Senate Bill 89, when fully phased-in the buyer would only pay sales tax on the difference between the value of the trade-in and the purchase price of the new car. Initially, the tax break would only apply to $2,000 of the price difference, which would increase $500 per year. When fully implemented the tax break's annual value would reach $226 million (in 2013 dollars).
The UAW has put together a flier on right-to-work "facts" that it is handing out to union members. The pamphlet's facts are wrong.
I'll stay away from some of the statements that are more nuanced — for example, the UAW says the law requires them to provide services for all employees in a union shop, but neglects to mention that they fought to make that the law to increase bargaining power. Instead, I'll focus on the figures that are demonstrably untrue.
Patrick Wright, director of the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, was a guest this morning on “Current State” on WKAR public radio discussing the unfair labor practice complaints the MCLF has filed on behalf of teachers against the Michigan Education Association.
