LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Lawmakers in Lansing are working through a packed agenda in the House of Representatives, with over 30 bills that saw votes today.
The legislators returned from their Thanksgiving breaks with a week of light schedules, taking just a handful of votes each day. To kick off their second week back, the representatives scheduled 37 different votes, staying in the House until 9 PM to get them done.
On Monday, Representative Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) led a group of northern Michigan Republicans in sending a letter to the Department of Natural Resources. The group is standing in opposition to bills that would raise hunting, fishing, and boating license fees and automatically opt-in to state park passport fees when renewing license plates.
“In previous years, in order to get the recreational passport endorsement on your license, you had to check the box to opt-in and you would pay the additional I believe $15.00 for it,” Prestin said. “Now, you’re going to automatically be charged for it unless you check the box to opt-out. so it’s just kind of a deceptive practice that I don’t think government should really be engaged in.”
Since 2010 we’ve bought them for both our cars. I think they’re a great thing, but I don’t think we should be forcing people to have to pay for them every time they renew their license plates.
Rep. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord)
The first vote for the day was split mostly down party lines. The House passed a group of bills that will gradually increase the weekly amount you can receive on unemployment from $362 to $614, incrementally over 3 years. The bills will also increase the amount of time you can receive unemployment from 20 weeks to 26 weeks. The legislation already passed in Michigan’s Senate, and now is just waiting for a signature from the Governor.
The chamber passed a set of bills with broad bipartisan support. Introduced in response to the shooting at Oxford High School, the bills require school districts to work with Michigan State Police to create emergency response plans and appoint an emergency response commission.
The lawmakers also passed bills to create resources to help low-income families manage energy expenses and to lower the threshold for lead exposure in children.
The changes to the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) are intended to help manage energy expenses. The bill’s author says it would introduce services for low-income families that would help with budgeting and timely bill payments. It would also create referral programs to improve energy efficiency like weatherization, home energy audits, and home retrofits-
The lead-related legislation amends portions of the public health code to revise the threshold considered an elevated blood lead level in children and change requirements related to lead abatement and mitigation for certain buildings or activities, particularly renovation activities in pre-1978 buildings.
Activists also had a busy day at the Capitol. With groups from across the state using lawmakers to address different sets of legislation. Over a hundred restaurant and service workers returned to the capitol for the second time this fall. Bills still stuck in committee would change Michigan minimum wage laws. If the bills don’t pass before the legislature adjourns, tipped wages will begin to be phased out.
‘Save MI Tips’ returned to the Capitol for the second time this fall, before meeting with lawmakers today Stacy Seals said she believes the changes will devastate tipped workers and Michigan’s restaurant industry.
With even more left to address, the lawmakers expect just as packed of a schedule for the rest of the week.
