SB 237:  Amends the Use Tax Act and Sales Tax Act respectively by creating sales and use tax exemptions for enterprise data center equipment.

Sponsor:  Sen. Hertel (D)                              

Passage:  56-41 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This will reduce sales and use tax revenue to the state, affecting the School Aid Fund, revenue sharing and General Fund revenue.

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BILL PACKAGE SBs 926 & 931-934:  Budget implementation bills regarding increased deposits into the Compulsive Gaming Fund.

Sponsor:  Sen. Anthony (D)                         

SB 926 Passage:  58-51 with Immediate Effect

SB 931 Passage:  61-48 with Immediate Effect

SB 933 Passage:  58-51 with Immediate Effect

SB 934 Passage:  58-51 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: The increased revenue into the Compulsive Gambling Fund is not needed; the revenue could be used for other purposes. Additionally, there should be a larger increase for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board.

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BILL PACKAGE SBs 790-791:  Would create the Home Help Caregiver Council and allow for their unionization. The council would be required to administer home help services, create polices to do so, establish compensation rates and payment terms, and make deductions for dues payments for any union established. The bills would also allow for the unionization of workers which is currently not permissible.

Sponsor:  Sens. Hertel (D) & Anthony (D)                              

Passages:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: These bills are basically about the unionization of workers and will allow for the unionization and consideration of home health worker as public employees.

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SB 928:  Implements changes made to FY 25 budget to remove the requirement for fathers to pay their share of birth expenses for out of wedlock births funded by Medicaid.

Sponsor:  Sen. Anthony (D)                         

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Removing this will only ensure a further lack of responsibility for individuals who are unwilling to support their child.

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SB 929:  Eliminates the distribution from the Health and Safety Fund for indigent claims adjusters for hospitals within the Medicaid program.

Sponsor:  Sen. Anthony (D)                         

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Elimination of the DSH pool was based on an increase in the HRA.

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HB 5503:  School aid supplemental appropriation vehicle bill.

Sponsor:  Rep. Weiss (D)                              

Passage:  98-11

Why I voted NO: This proposal reinstates additional funding for school safety which I support, however, it also creates an anonymous tipline for children to report parents to enforce unconstitutional gun laws therefore I was a no vote.

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SB 932:  Increases the lifetime limit to from 48 months to 60 months for the Family Independence Program.

Sponsor:  Sen. Anthony (D)                         

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Caseloads have decreased under the current program structure and there is no need to increase both benefit amounts and length.

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HB 5803:  Lowers the statutorily required MPSERS contribution for school districts by 7.06% and eliminates the employee healthcare contribution.

Sponsor:  Rep. Koleszar (D)                         

Passage:  56-52 *Previous Bill

Why I voted NO: This money should continue to go to MPSERS and be put toward paying down the pension system. If we pay that off before 2038, it would free up billions of dollars per year that could go back into the classroom.

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BILL PACKAGE SBs 567 & 568:  Literacy Package

Sponsor:  Sens. Irwin (D) & Polehanki (D)                              

SB 567 Passage:  100-8 with Immediate Effect

SB 568 Passage:  99-10 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Michigan ranks 43rd in the country in fourth grade reading scores and ranks as one of the worst for dyslexic students, as indicated in testimony before the Senate Education Committee – this type of overhaul is needed to help students learn to read.

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HB 5328:  Would increase the state’s matching retirement contribution for judges from 3% to 5% of the judges’ annual salary, in addition to the state’s 4% mandatory retirement contribution.

Sponsor:  Rep. Wilson (D)                            

Passage:  61-46 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Judges are more highly compensated than the average state employee. A Court of Appeals judge makes approximately $186,500 per year in salary. If a state employee who makes $60,000 per year in salary is forced to purchase their own retiree health care, then a judge who makes $186,500 per year should have to do the same.

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SB 935:  Eliminates the Raise the Age Fund from law as it was not included in the FY 24-25 budget.

Sponsor:  Sen. Anthony (D)                         

Passage:  58-51 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This is a mandate on counties and even with the increased reimbursement we should still ensure that the state pays for these costs.

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SB 834:  Would increase the public safety officer benefit from $25,000 to $50,000, starting in the new Fiscal Year (October 1, 2024).

Sponsor:  Sen. Hertel (D)                              

Passage:  104-5 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Our officers put their lives on the line each day to protect us and our communities. In the event they provide the ultimate sacrifice or are permanently disabled we should provide property compensation.

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SB 701:  Implements changes made to the rural hospital access pool contained within the FY 24-25 budget approved earlier this year.

Sponsor:  Sen. Singh (D)               

Passage:  104-5 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This will allow additional hospitals in need of assistance to be eligible within the pool.

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HB 4361:  Amends the Income Tax Act by creating a one-time tax credit for live organ donation.

Sponsor:  Rep. Brabec (D)                            

Passage:  92-17 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Instead of providing smaller income tax credits, we should be focused on reducing the income tax rate back down to 3.9%, as was promised by the Legislature and Governor Granholm more than a decade ago.

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HB 5583:  Would allow the Secretary of State to bring a lawsuit for injunctive relief, in the Ingham County Circuit Court, for violations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.

Sponsor:  Rep. Byrnes (D)                            

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: The Secretary of State may abuse the powers given under this bill, for political purposes.

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HB 5394:  Modifies the process for handling an organ donor registry schedule that is filed along with an income tax return.

Sponsor:  Rep. Neeley (D)                            

Passage:  99-10 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This makes it so a form that is filed with an income tax return – which goes to the state – is passed on to a third-party organization for processing in certain circumstances. This could create privacy concerns for citizens that aren’t aware of what happens to the form once they submit it.

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HB 5682:  Exempts certain broadband grants received from the state or federal government from state income taxes.

Sponsor:  Rep. Hill (D)                   

Passage:  103-6 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Income taxes collected on grant awards are windfalls for the state – these are not factored into budget calculations when determining revenue and are essentially bonus dollars, so this shouldn’t have a significant budget impact.

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HB 5204:  Would allow Court of Appeals judges to swear in new attorneys to the practice of law. Currently, only circuit judges and justices of the Michigan Supreme Court are authorized to do this.

Sponsor:  Rep. Breen (D)                              

Passage:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Court of Appeals judges should have all the powers of circuit court judges, including the ability to swear in new attorneys to the practice of law.

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HB 5600:  Creates the Office of Tribal Legislative Liaison.

Sponsor:  Rep. Rheingans (D)                     

Passage:  87-22 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This is an additional cost to the state for a liaison office. Instead, the relationships that exist with the tribes and the executive branch could be expanded to include the legislature.

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HB 5922:  Amends the Section 11 of PA 231 of 1987 that governs the Transportation Economic Development Fund.

Sponsor:  Rep. Greene (R)                           

Passage:  96-13 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This is needed to prevent a reduction in funding for Kent County and Macomb County for Transportation Economic Development Fund Category C funding.

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SB 351:  Would amend the Breastfeeding Antidiscrimination Act by extending the law beyond breastfeeding in public spaces to also include the act of expressing breast milk.

Sponsor:  Sen. Irwin (D)                

Passage:  83-26 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Some business owners might express concerns about the impact of the bill on their establishments. They may worry about potential disruptions or discomfort among customers, potentially affecting business operations.

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HB 5717:  Designates a portion of highway I-75 in Saginaw County as the “Trooper Joel E. Popp Memorial Highway”.

Sponsor:  Rep. O’Neal (D)                            

Passage:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This highway naming allows us to express our gratitude and appreciation for Trooper Joel E. Popp’s service to this state.

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SB 817:  Includes the most recent list of approved projects provides $27.3 million for 18 land acquisition and 35 recreational development projects supported with revenues from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). The MNRTF Board approved these projects in December 2023.

Sponsor:  Sen. Cherry (D)                             

Passage:  99-10 *Previous Bill

Why I voted NO: I do not agree with the specific list of projects approved by the Trust Fund Board.

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HB 5429:  Would create a new act to establish a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. This would be a program in which each court in the state may participate, on a voluntary basis. The court would appoint a CASA volunteer in child-protective proceedings, to advocate for the child’s best interests.

Sponsor:  Rep. Morse (D)                             

Passage:  96-13 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The CASA program should be expanded state-wide, and that consistent standards should be established to guide the program.

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HB 5551:  Would amend Michigan election law to prohibit individuals convicted of any of over 40 election-related crimes at the state and federal level from serving on the Board of State Canvassers or on any county’s board of election canvassers.

Sponsor:  Rep. Arbit (D)

Passage:  56-50 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Why are we passing legislation that targets something that the bill sponsor even admits doesn’t exist? This is a “solution” in search of creating a problem to justify its existence.