Thursday’s House and Senate session lasted late into the night and early morning as dozens of bills were swapped between the chambers. In the most disappointing outcome of the evening, the Senate passed minimum staffing legislation, Senate Bill 1167, over the objection of local officials from across Michigan. Fortunately, the House has yet to act on this legislation, and our advocacy efforts must continue with our state representatives.
While the league is tracking several issues as the session comes to a close, we will focus on three specific topics we need your assistance on. These issues require our immediate attention as the House is meeting today, December 13. To review the other issues the League is engaged on, click here.
ENGAGE NOW!
Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act (PA 152): House Bill 6058
House Bill 6058 increases the amount that public employers will pay toward employees’ medical benefit plans. Currently, public employers can choose between an inflation-adjusted capped contribution (hard cap) or a maximum 80% contribution. The proposed legislation would do away with this ceiling and replace it with increased contribution amounts that become the floor for healthcare costs. This would make it nearly impossible to manage on a year-over-year basis.
MML and other local government organizations have proposed amendments to HB 6058, as well as to Senate versions, addressing PA 152 changes that would make this legislation more manageable for municipalities. This includes returning to a ceiling for the hard cap and the maximum contribution rate but increasing the hard cap and using a more sustainable inflationary factor.
League Position: Strongly Opposed Without Proposed Changes
Member Action Needed: Yes, contact your state representative and ask them to oppose any version that creates a floor for healthcare cost.
Minimum Staffing Mandate: House Bill 4688/Senate Bill 1167
UPDATE: Senate Bill 1167 passed the Senate by a vote 20-17 yesterday (Dec 12). An amendment was adopted but it provided no substantive change to the impact of this legislation and the League remains opposed.
This legislation would require minimum staffing levels to be a mandatory subject of collective bargaining between the public employer and the representative of its police and fire department employees. Minimum staffing levels would also be subject to arbitration for labor disputes involving public police and fire departments.
It has been stated that the MML has been spreading misinformation about the impact of this legislation. Expressing the real-world implications of this on our members is not misinformation. Identifying how this could have negative fiscal impacts on municipal budgets of our members is not misinformation. Expressing how this could lead to the reduction in services or the ending of partnerships across municipal boundaries is not misinformation. Those are the realities our communities will face should this legislation become law.
While the bill may mandate the conversation and subject those negotiations to arbitration, it does nothing to guarantee that there is a qualified applicant to fill an open job. We still experience struggles in the hiring process.
If we really wanted to address this issue, we would focus less on creating mandates, and more on making sure that new and proper resources were in place to recruit and retain those that desire to be in this profession.
Our job is not to be distracted by the narrative others are peddling. Our job is to tell our story and our truth. The time is now for our members to stand up, reach out, and express our opposition to this legislation today, and every day, until the House adjourns for the year!
League Position: Strongly Opposed
Member Action Needed: Yes, contact your state representatives immediately and request they oppose Senate Bill 1167 and House Bill 4688.
Short Term Rentals (STR): House Bill 5438
House Bill 5438 would create the Short-Term Rental Regulation Act. The bill maintains a local unit of government’s right to regulate STRs. It establishes a statewide registry of STR properties to assist in the administration and enforcement of the act. It also creates a 6% STR excise tax to assist municipalities with the public costs of tourism. It protects neighborhoods from being overrun with vacation rentals. It allows communities to balance their housing needs, and it provides new revenue to deal with the costs associated with being a destination place. Additional details can be found here and here.
League Position: Strongly Support
Member Action Needed: Yes, contact your representative to urge them to put HB 5438 up for a vote and support it. Today, December 13, may be our last day to move this legislation. If we don’t let our voices be heard, we may not get the opportunity again.
John LaMacchia is the League’s director of state & federal affairs. He can be reached at [email protected] or 517-908-0303.