Inside 208

This week I had the opportunity to testify in Senate Finance committee on SB 972 (Sen. Hildenbrand, R-Lowell), a bill that would require local municipalities to include past due amounts on all tax bills.  While we agree that this is an issue that should be addressed, the practical implications surrounding [...]

Mitch Bean speaks to the Michigan Municipal League Board in 2010.There was an excellent article from MIRS (Michigan Information & Research Service) this week about who is to blame for the ongoing financial strain in Detroit and other Michigan cities. MIRS interviewed Mitch Bean, the former House Fiscal Agency Director, [...]

Yesterday afternoon the House passed HBs 4265 and 4266, bills that lift the yard waste ban exemption in certain circumstances to allow for the capture of methane gas as a form of renewable energy. The League has been supportive of this legislation for several sessions, and we have several communities [...]

Yesterday morning the Senate passed SB 756, a bill that would institute a cell phone ban for level 1 and 2 graduated drivers licenses. The League was approached to support this by several members who passed resolutions supporting the KDR Challenge – a foundation focusing on Kids Driving Responsibly and [...]

The Michigan Municipal League has been contacted by several members telling us that the Michigan Liqupr Control Commission is no longer issuing one-day liquor licenses to local units of government for fairs and festivals and other one-day events.  Here is what we know: Up until this year, local units of [...]

By a bi-partisan vote of 74-22, the U.S. Senate has passed S. 1813, legislation that would support $109 billion of transportation programs over a two year period.  The bill now goes to the House, where a March 31 deadline looms on the latest extension of an act that expired nearly [...]

The Governor signed the changes to the Urban Cooperation Act (House Bills 4309, 4311 and 4312) in December. At that time there was not an official bill signing, so the Governor held a ceremonial signing yesterday for those who worked on the legislation. The League appreciates the leadership of Rep. [...]

The Senate Appropriations General Government Committee met to hear Governor Snyder’s proposal on revenue sharing, the Economic Vitality Incentive Program (EVIP) and other issues. Andy Schor and Tony Minghine of the Michigan Municipal League testified regarding the proposals.  The testimony is included below. In adfdition to that testimony, the League [...]

The Senate Transportation Committee took up SB 909, 911, 912 and 967.  These bills create the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority (RTA) which would oversee a rapid bus transit system in the southeast Michigan area. While the Michigan Municipal League is supportive of a southeast Micihgan RTA and wants to [...]

Yesterday afternoon the Governor signed HB 4589, a bill reinstating the long standing two inch rule for sidewalk liability. Under the new statute, PA 50 of 2012, there is a rebuttable presumption that a local unit of government properly maintained a sidewalk if a sidewalk defect is less than two [...]