Inside 208

This morning the House Financial Liability Reform Committee heard testimony on House Bill 5279, legislation that would allow communities with an A credit rating to bond for pension and other post employment benefit (OPEB) costs if that community obtains bond insurance. In 2012 the Governor signed Senate Bill 1129, legislation [...]

Discussions are currently taking place in Lansing on finding a way to raise new revenue for Michigan’s transportation network during the current lame duck legislative session. House Bill 5477 is a key piece to this new revenue. It would switch the current cents per gallon tax on fuel to a percentage based [...]

This morning the House Tax Policy Committee reported House Bill 5924, legislation that would require the Department of Treasury to withhold local income tax from a lottery winner at the time the winnings are claimed. While a lottery winner is required to pay local income tax (if applicable), it can [...]

The Michigan Recycling Coalition will be hosting their annual Fall Into Recycling event on December 2, 2014 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Okemos Conference Center. This year’s event – “Building the Coalition to Advance Recycling: Time to think BIG and Small about Recycling” – is an interactive discussion designed [...]

It is an exciting time for wind energy in Michigan. With over 1,100 megawatts of wind currently operating in Michigan and more under construction, the economic and environmental benefits are significant and growing. To discuss the opportunities and challenges to expanding the wind energy landscape in Michigan, the American Wind [...]

On Wednesday, December 3, 2014 the West Michigan Environmental Council will host a conference exploring Fracking in Michigan. The event will be held at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing beginning at 10 a.m. The event will explore a number of issues around fracking including the impact on local government. [...]

Today SB 493, a bill dealing with amateur radio operations, passed the full Senate.  As it was introduced, it had a significant impact on local control and zoning.  However, through a workgroup process, the bill was made significantly better (substitute found here: SB 493 S2 (3)) and now mirrors the Federal regulations that [...]

HB 5273, a bill dealing with Michigan investment markets, was signed into law this week (PA 355 of 2014)!  This new law would give businesses and residents in Michigan the ability to become broker-dealers to create a market (online or in person) through which intrastate stocks can be listed, bought, sold and resold. [...]

This morning the Senate passed on House Bill 4624, a bill that would make a full-time firefighter’s ability to work as a firefighter in another community a prohibited subject of bargaining.The legislation is supported by the fire chiefs and the Michigan Townships Association. The League is opposed to this legislation [...]

Earlier this year the Michigan Supreme Court held in People v. Cunningham that a court may impose costs in a criminal case only if those costs are authorized by statute. This decision has a huge impact on courts across Michigan including our district courts. This morning the Senate passed House [...]