Last Thursday the House passed House Bills 5566-5570, a package that amends the Emergency Municipal Loan Act to include school districts and amend the criteria for qualifying.

One troublesome amendment added on the House floor would prohibit a community from opting out under PA 152 if they want to be considered for a municipal loan. The League is working to have this languge removed in the Senate.

The bills were scheduled to be taken up in the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday, but the bills were removed from the agenda while additional discussions are held. The legislature begins its summer break tomorrow with only a few session days over the summer, so the bills may be stalled until fall.

Samantha Harkins works for the Michigan Municipal League handling municipal services and energy and technology issues.  She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at [email protected]