Inside 208

HB 4458-4464 passed the Senate Economic Development Committee this week.  These would prohibit a TIF district from keeping tax increment revenues from ad valorem property taxes levied under the Zoological Authorities Act and the Art Institute Authorities Act.  This language is added into the following acts: Tax Increment Financing Authority [...]

HB 4629 passed out of the House Transportation Committee this week.  This bill was created in most part to deal with issues that were presented to MDOT from a federal audit done on the Highway Advertising Act. If these issues (definition for digital billboards, definition for non-conforming billboard, etc) are [...]

For years the League has been working on a tax reduction loophole that was created due to the 2002 Michigan Supreme Court case of WPW Acquisition Company v. City of Troy. After Proposal A created the term taxable value, the Legislature passed legislation that allowed for an increase and decrease [...]

LANSING, Michigan – A report saying the state of Michigan has nearly $400 million has the Michigan Municipal League requesting that the state use some of that surplus to restore massive cuts made to local revenue sharing. A consensus report released today (May 15, 2013) by state economists shows that revenues [...]

This afternoon the House Elections and Ethics Committee consideredHB 4477, legislation that would allow an elector to take a photo of him or herself at a polling place. The legislation is opposed by the Secretary of State, and many clerks have concern about such a policy violating voter privacy. In [...]

The Michigan Municipal League has been working with Representative Bumstead on House Bill 4299 to improve local control over ORVs being used within municipalities. As a result of this work, and the willingness of Representative Bumstead to address the League’s concerns, significant changes were made to this legislation to improve [...]

The House committee on Transportation and Infrastructure moved two aviation fuel tax bills out of committee. House Bill 4571 and 4572 both were voted out on a party-line vote with nine Republicans voting in favor and six Democrats voting in opposition. HB 4571 would remove the 3 cent per gallon [...]

This morning the House Tax Policy Committee considered HB 4245, a bill that would exempt eligible renewable energy systems from real property taxes. The League testified in opposition of this legislation. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Daley as a result of concerns he heard from farmers in his district [...]

Last night, the US Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would allow states to collect sales taxes from online purchases. The legislation passed by a vote of 69-27 in a bipartisan manner. Both Michigan Senators Levin and Stabenow supported the measure, which now heads to the House for consideration. [...]

This afternoon the Michigan Competitiveness Committee heard testimony on House Bill 4182, a bill that would give an income tax credit to students who graduate with a Bachelors degree from a Michigan college if that individual lives and works in Michigan following graduation. The League is supportive of this legislation [...]