Inside 208

The Senate Agriculture committee took up testimony on Thursday on the changes to the Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs) changes.  The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development testified to and explained the changes.  There were many individuals in attendance wanting to speak with their concerns to the changes. [...]

The House Local Government Committee took up HB 5560, a bill phasing in more online public notices, on Thursday. This bill, phases in online notices over a 10 year period and creates a three tiered system to indicate how many times a public notice should be required in a print [...]

The Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Economic Development is will begin accepting Transportation Economic Development Fund Category F applications for Fiscal Year 2016 on April 15. Eligible applicants include cities, villages and county road commissions.  Proposed projects must be on federal-aid designated routes within a Federal Adjusted Census Urban [...]

The week the Senate Committee on Finance voted out HB 4571, HB 4572, and HB 4677. These bill would exempt aviation fuel from sales tax and change the tax paid on aviation fuel to a tax paid on the wholesale price. As a result more money is put into the [...]

The finalizing of the 2014-15 fiscal year budget can begin now that the state’s economic forecasters have agreed revenues are lower than they projected in January. Leaders of the House and Senate Fiscal agencies and the Department of Treasury said revenues for the 2013-14 current fiscal year will be $317 [...]

Yesterday the House Appropriations Committee passed House Bills 5414 and 5501, legislation that would repeal Driver Responsibility Fees. The fees were enacted over a decade ago to penalize “bad” drivers. The fees have contributed more than $100 million to the state’s general fund. In addition they fund Fire Protection Grants [...]

In December of 2012 Public Act 506 was enacted that required local road agencies to certify the the Michigan Department of Transportation that the had developed and publicized an employee compensation plan or were in compliance with with PA 152 of 2011. The law requires a local road agency to [...]

Under House Bill 4916 a city, village or township may by written authorization allow a charitable organization to solicit donations in the public right-of-way within their geographic boundaries. Individuals soliciting donation must be at least 18 years of age and must wear high visibility safety apparel. The written authorization must [...]

Late last week the House introduced a package of bills, House Bills 5566-5575, that seek to deal with the bankruptcy in the City of Detroit. The state will appropriate $194.8 million dollars that will go toward the city’s pension system. In exchange there are a number of conditions set forth [...]

The House today voted out ten bills that represent another step forward in providing additional funding for our transportation system. These bills would eliminate the gas tax paid at the pump and instead charge a 6% tax on the wholesale price. They would ensure taxes paid on diesel are equal [...]