HB 5755:  Requires DTMB to develop and operate a website where legislative reports are posted.

Sponsor:  Rep. Aragona (R)                      

Passage:  96-9 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: While most are currently posted online, some departments bury them in a seldom-visited corner of their website. A centralized, searchable database will ensure these reports are useful and viewed more often.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5574-5576:  Would create a new crime designed to protect first responders. These bills would make it a crime to approach with intent to harass a first responder engaged in their duties, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach.

Sponsors:  Reps. St. Germaine (R), Harris (R), & DeBoyer (R)                  

HB 5574 Passage:  74-30 with Immediate Effect

HB 5575 Passage:  71-33 with Immediate Effect

HB 5576 Passage:  73-31 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: First responders, including law enforcement officers, will benefit from the protections offered by these bills. First responders often find themselves in harm’s way when bystanders attempt to interfere with the actions of a first responder as they discharge their duties.

– – –

HB 5815:  Establishes that the publication of a rule raises rebuttable presumptions that courts must exercise their independent judgement determining whether agencies acted within their statutory authority, and prohibits courts from deferring to an agency’s interpretation of the law.

Sponsor:  Rep. Wozniak (R)                     

Passage:  58-46 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Agencies have increasingly used the rule promulgation process to achieve goals that may not have passed as bills or would have otherwise been stalled in the legislature; this bill allows courts to impartially determine whether an agency acted beyond its authority.

– – –

HB 5816:  Requires the court and presiding officers in a contested case hearing to conduct the review de novo.

Sponsor:  Rep. Meerman (R)                   

Passage:  58-46 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Preventing the use of Chevron deference ensures that the rule of law, rather than unelected agency regulators, governs Michigan.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5817-5818:  HB 5818 (Schuette) would repeal the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) and create the joint committee on Regulatory Oversight and Administrative Review (ROAR) to oversee agency rulemaking, review proposed nonmajor rules, and determine major rules. HB 5817 (Aragona) would allow the legislature to approve proposed major rules by concurrent resolution and require rules to be rescinded 5 years after promulgation.

Sponsors:  Reps. Schuette (R) & Aragona (R)                   

Passages:  57-47 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Rules would depend on the action and approval of the committee and the legislature, improving executive accountability and legislative oversight.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5510-5511:  Would make changes to court-ordered probation and entry of delayed sentences, when a person is convicted of the 4-year felony crime for failure to pay child support.

Sponsors:  Reps. St. Germaine (R) & Edwards (D)                         

Passages:  # with Immediate Effect

HB 5510 Passage:  102-3 with Immediate Effect

HB 5511 Passage:  103-2 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Individuals who fail to pay child support as ordered by the court should not be incarcerated because they cannot be employed while they are incarcerated, and therefore they cannot pay child support while incarcerated. For this reason, courts should be able to impose probation, rather than incarceration, on individuals convicted of this felony offense.

– – –

HB 5472:  Allows a label placed on a tobacco product shipped out of state to be placed on the largest unit of packaging, such as a shrink-wrapped pallet.

Sponsor:  Rep. Aragona (R)                      

Passage:  70-35 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: We should not require Michigan retailers to spend extra money and labor hours affixing redundant labeling to tobacco products they sell.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5932-5935:  HB 5932 (H-1) (Robinson) – provides a process to modify building permits after issuance.

HB 5933 (H-1) (DeBoer) – provides a deadline for LARA to require changes to a permit application. HB 5934 (H-1) (Schmaltz) – provides a permit fee reimbursement if a permit is not issued or denied within a deadline. HB 5935 (H-1) (Schuette) – provides notice requirements for a permit issued by LARA.

Sponsors:  Reps. Robinson (R), DeBoer (R), Schmaltz (R), & Schuette (R)                        

HB 5932 Passage:  86-19 with Immediate Effect

HB 5933 Passage:  79-26 with Immediate Effect

HB 5934 Passage:  75-30 with Immediate Effect

HB 5935 Passage:  81-24 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This helps introduce certainty to the permit application process and loosen bureaucratic red tape.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE SBs 240-241:  Collectively modify the term of office for township, village, and city officials to ensure that elected officials are sworn into office no sooner than Noon on December 1st. This is in response to the changes from Proposal 22-2, which created scenarios where post-election canvases cannot begin until at least seven days following the election.

Sponsor:  Sen. Moss (D)                            

Passages:  105-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: These bills are necessary to ensure that the appropriate board of county canvassers has the time necessary to properly certify the results of local races.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5819-5821:  Move implementation dates up to ensure reading instruction and curriculum materials in classrooms and teacher preparation programs are based on the science of reading starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It also requires schools to only use approved science of reading curriculums and materials.

Sponsors:  Reps. Schmaltz (R), Greene (R), & Linting (R)                           

Passages:  # with Immediate Effect

HB 5819-5820 Passages:  56-50 with Immediate Effect

HB 5821 Passage:  61-45 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Results from other states have shown science of reading curriculums give teachers the tools needed to teach students how to read and increase reading scores.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5570-5571:  Permit a single interior exit stairway for certain buildings.

Sponsors:  Reps. Fairbarin (R) & Wooden (D)                  

HB 5570 Passage:  97-9 with Immediate Effect

HB 5571 Passage:  81-25 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill lowers construction costs for affected buildings, thereby making their construction more attractive, effectively decreasing costs of homes both directly and indirectly (increasing supply).

– – –

SB 301:  Creates a corporate income tax credit for employers that offer paid leave for organ donations to their employees.

Sponsor:  Sen. Bellino (R)                         

Passage:  98-8 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Paid leave could help incentivize people to proceed with organ donation, but it is unfair to expect employers to eat that cost. This alleviates that burden.

– – –

BILL PACKAGE HBs 5123-5124:  Clarify the definition of video services, ensuring that satellite and streaming services do not pay a fee (PEG fee) related to cables in the right of way.

Sponsors:  Reps. Harris (R) & Snyder (D)                           

HB 5123 Passage:  75-31 with Immediate Effect

HB 5124 Passage:  83-23 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill will prevent providers and customers from being charged franchise fees, which would increase the cost of services.

– – –

HB 5995:  Specifies that violations of certain camera-based traffic detection systems and automated speed enforcement zones do not apply points to a driver’s license.

Sponsor:  Rep. DeBoyer (R)                     

Passage:  106-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Since tickets are given to the registered owner of the vehicle (who may not have been the one actually driving), we should not be adding points to a license.