Inside 208

Last week, the House of Representatives passed HB 5340, sponsored by Rep. Gilbert (R – Algonac). The bill would increase the interest rate paid on properties from Tax Tribunal judgments. The new interest rate from July 1, 2012 forward would be the adjusted prime rate plus 2 percent. The League opposes...

Last week, the House Tax Policy Committee passed HB 5457, sponsored by Rep. Heise (R – Plymouth), a bill which, in is original form, would exempt all property (real and personal) owned by any veteran’s service organization. However, the bill was amended in commitee to say that those parcels are not...

On Tuesday morning the House Energy & Technology Committee will be taking up HB 5342, a bill that would open state police communications towers to colocation for broadband expansion. As introduced this legislation would allow both public and private entities to colocate for the purpose of broadband expansion; however, a...

On Tuesday, May 8 the Senate Energy & Technology Committee is holding a hearing on Senate Bill 1084, a bill that would create an exception for governmental immunity for a municipal corporation with respect to its obligations under the MISS-DIG Act. The bill redefines “proprietary function” as an exception to...

Yesterday the House passed HBs 4834, 4851, 4853 and 4856, bills that tighten up some provisions in the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA). HB 4834 would require photos on a patient’s registration card. This was a comment change requested by law enforcement. It also increases the license renewal from one-year...

Yesterday afternoon the House passed SB 1064, a bill pre-empting local cell tower colocation approval by a vote of 104-5. The bill provides that a colocation does not need special land use approval if it the existing structure is in compliance with local zoning and the proposed colocation does not...

Tell your lawmakers today to vote no on Senate Bills 1065-1072 regarding the the personal property tax. Use the sample letters here. LANSING, Michigan – The Michigan Municipal League is encouraging our members to write their lawmakers today in opposition to bills that would eliminate significant portions of the personal...

House Budget Committee Chairman, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), has introduced a plan to stop mandatory across the board spending cuts required by last summer’s debt deal. The plan is actually meant to prevent any cuts to defense spending but targets cuts to other areas of the federal budget. Ryan’s Sequester Replacement...

HB 5189, which extended the deadline for the current year EVIP 3rd category and provided a second path to obtaining those funds for locals, was signed into law this morning. So, those changes are now official as Public Act 107 of 2012. June 1st is the new deadline. If you...

LANSING, Michigan – This morning (May 1, 2012), the Michigan Senate Finance committee voted 5-2, along party line votes, to pass SBs 1065-1072, the package of bills which eliminates significant portions of the personal property tax (PPT). The bills exempt all parcels which have a PPT value under $40,000 from...