Inside 208

The Senate has announced the committee assignments for the 2015/2016 session.  Here is a list of the committees we work with on a more regular basis (D’s in italics). Commerce – Schmidt (chair), Kowall (vice chair), MacGregor, Nofs, Hertel Economic Development & International Investment – Horn (chair), Schmidt (vice chair), [...]

The Michigan Municipal League’s John LaMacchia II was among the dignitaries invited to the official signing of the road funding package approved by the Legislature last month. Governor Rick Snyder signed the bills during an event in Lansing Monday afternoon. Late in December, the House and Senate put together the [...]

Governor Snyder announced today (Dec. 18, 2014) that he and legislative leaders have come to an agreement on transportation funding. All votes from the House and Senate are expected today. The plan calls for several statutory changes and is heavily reliant on a 1% increase in sales tax that will [...]

This afternoon House Bill 5397 was sent to the governor after unanimously passing the Senate. This bill creating the Municipal Utility Residential Clean Energy Program Act and would enable municipalities that own electric utilities to establish a program to help provide financing to residential property owners for energy efficiency projects. [...]

Usually the term is “hurry up and wait,” but this week when it comes to transportation funding in Lansing it’s more like “wait and possibly hurry up.” That’s the situation currently at the state Capitol. Michigan legislators have been meeting behind closed doors to come up with a transportation funding package. The Michigan [...]

Utility systems are continually being challenged to provide quality services while budgets are being decreased. This seminar has been developed to provide relevant information to Utility Owners, Managers, Superintendents, and Consultants associated with infrastructure systems. Attendees will be informed of current funding programs and what other utilities are doing to [...]

HB 5951 would provide statewide regulations for Transportation Network Companies (TNC). The most recognizable TNC operating in Michigan today is Uber. This bill would preempt local control of a TNC but it does allow for locals to enforce provisions of the statewide regulation. We have many communities that have already [...]

Yesterday afternoon the Senate passed two bills, SB 658 and SB 659, that would require that a sales tax be added on to purchases made by retailers who have a so-called “nexus” within the state. These bills are more commonly known as the Main Street Fairness legislation. The bill includes [...]

Yesterday the Senate Energy & Technology Committee reported House Bill 4237, 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 substitute passed by the [...]

Yesterday the House passed  Senate Bill 979 (sponsored by Sen. Hildenbrand, R-Grand Rapids), a bill to include pneumatic guns (i.e. paint ball guns) in the list of pistols or other firearms that local units of government currently cannot tax, regulate ownership of, registration of, sale/transfer/possession and transportation of (PA 319 of [...]