Inside 208

This afternoon the Senate Government Operations Committee passed a package of bills 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 in [...]

The National League of Cities is Hosting a Free Webinar on Walkability! What’s Walking Got to do With it? A Look at the Economic and Social Impact of Walkability Thursday, June 19 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT To register click here. Walking is a critical component of our country’s [...]

The following letter is from Michigan Municipal League President Jacqueline Noonan, mayor of Utica, to League members. Noonan urges her fellow League members to support Proposal 1 on the Aug. 5, 2014 statewide ballot: The Michigan Municipal League needs your help in supporting Proposal 1 on the August 5, 2014 [...]

The House Regulatory Reform committee passed out HB 4573 today.  As introduced, it would prorate liquor license fees for first-year licensees that are granted a license for less than a full year (prorated quarterly).  During a committee hearing last week, there was discussion (and a substitute that was adopted today [...]

Transportation issues at the federal level are nearing a critical phase. The Federal Highway Trust Fund is expected to run out of money some time later this summer. This, while the expiration of MAP-21’s deadline, the federal transportation funding legislation, is nearing at the end of the fiscal year – September 30th. This [...]

A set of bills allowing microwbrewers to provide tastings and sell their beer at farmers markets, HB 5426 (Rep. Marcia Hovey Wright) and HB 5427 (Rep. Andy Schor), passed out of the House Regulatory Reform Committee this week.  Microbrewers would be defined as not producing more than 6,000 gallons of [...]

The Senate Agriculture committee took up a second week of testimony on Thursday on the changes to the Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs) changes. The changes recently approved by the Commission add a new category 4 that states land is not suitable for livestock if the area of the community [...]

The full House passed 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 in the [...]

HB 5273 passed the full House this week, a bill dealing with Michigan investment markets.  HB 5273 would give businesses and residents in Michigan the ability to create a stock exchange through which intrastate stocks can be listed, bought, sold and resold. Those interested in purchasing stock from local companies would have [...]

The Senate passed SB 846, a bill that amends the Michigan liquor control code dealing with redevelopment liquor licenses and is identical to HB 4257 that passed the House late last year. According to a recent determination by the Liquor Control Commission, only businesses in cities are eligible for redevelopment [...]