HB 4082:  Designates a portion of I-96 in Ionia County as the “Barry Lyn Hause Memorial Highway.”

Sponsor: Rep. Witwer (D)
Passage: 106-2 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  This highway naming allows us to express our gratitude and appreciation for Barry Lyn Hause for his service to our residents and state.

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BILL PACKAGE HB 4352-4353:  Updates the vehicle code, allowing any road agency to designate and enforce HOV lanes and gives MDOT the authority to restrict trunkline lanes to HOV’s or other classes of vehicles.

Sponsors: Reps. Shannon (D) & MacDonell (D)
Passages: 56-52 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: These are public roads bought and paid for by the taxpayers. We should not limit who can and cannot drive on a public road.

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HB 4437 CR-1 – GENERAL OMNIBUS BUDGET BILL: 

Sponsor: Rep. Witwer (D)
Passage: 61-47

Why I voted NO:  This budget was crafted behind closed doors. The details were kept secret until just hours before I was called upon to vote on it. I have too much respect for the people in our community to spend $81.7 billion of their hard-earned tax dollars without taking the time to properly review the details.

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BILL PACKAGE HB 4520 & 4521:  Modifies penalties for certain kinds of assault.

Sponsors: Reps. Mueller (D) & Breen (D)
HB 4520 Passage: 97-11 with Immediate Effect

HB 4521 Passage: 99-9 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  No change in the law is necessary.

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HB 4569:  Would allow individuals between the ages of 16 – 17 ½ to preregister to vote.

Sponsor: Rep. Coffia (D)
Passage: 56-52 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  This is an invitation to have outdated voter rolls and worse yet target young voters.

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HB 4573:  Extends the sunset on the New Jobs Training Program and modifies wage requirements for jobs in the program by adding data from the United for ALICE Wage Tool to the considerations.

Sponsor: Rep. Glanville (D)
Passage: 85-23 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  The modification to the wage requirements means some counties could see wages for jobs in the program decrease.

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HB 4602:  Designates a portion of Interstate-94 in Washtenaw County as the “Washtenaw County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.”

Sponsor: Rep. Wilson (D)
Passage: 108-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  Our veterans put their lives on the line during times of war to keep us safe.

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BILL PACKAGE HB 4619-4623:  Would codify into Michigan law several pieces of the Affordable Care Act as well as specific provisions that were impacted by the Briarwood Management Inc. v Becerra case currently pending in the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sponsors: Reps. Rogers (D), Edwards (D), Fitzgerald (D), Miller (D), Koleszar (D)
HB 4619 Passage: 67-41 with Immediate Effect

HB 4620 Passage: 84-24 with Immediate Effect

HB 4621 Passage: 74-34 with Immediate Effect

HB 4622 Passage: 64-44 with Immediate Effect

HB 4623 Passage: 59-49 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  These requirements should remain as provisions of the ACA and not be in state law. If ACA requirements change it will require additional changes to state laws that do not comply.

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BILL PACKAGE HB 4644-4646:  HB 4644 would create a new Uniform Power of Attorney Act. HB 4645 (Haadsma) would revise NREPA to reference the Uniform Powers of Attorney Act. HB 4646 (Haadsma) would revise Public Health Code to reference the Uniform Powers of Attorney Act.

Sponsors: Reps. Hope (D) & Haadsma (D)
Passages: 104-4 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  Michigan should adopt the same uniform act that is in place in other states, so that businesses across the county can enjoy uniformity of laws.

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HB 4706:  Amends the Michigan Public Services Act to define electric vehicle charging stations/services and clarifies that retail providers of electric vehicle charging stations may resell energy but are not considered a utility under Michigan law.

Sponsor: Rep. MacDonell (D)
Passage: 100-8 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  These changes will ensure station owners have the legal protections to operate charging stations and sell electricity without being governed as a utility.

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HB 4752:  Allows retired school employees to return to work without forfeiting retirement benefits.

Sponsor: Rep. Koleszar (D)
Passage: 100-8 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  Retired teachers are already well-equipped to serve our students and we should be able to call on them to help in the classroom when necessary.

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SB 14:  Repeals provisions added by Public Act 602 of 2018 which prohibit a state agency from adopting rules more stringent than the applicable federal standard with certain exemptions.

Sponsor: Sen. McCann (D)
Passage: 56-52 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  State agencies should be required to effectively make the case for a rule exceeding a federal standard.

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SB 52:  Reduces the misdemeanor infraction for failure to comply with a Natural Resources Commission Wildlife Conservation Order to a civil infraction for the new order mandating the reporting of harvested deer information and retention of a harvest confirmation number.

Sponsor: Sen. Cherry (D)
Passage: 61-47 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  While the bill does reduce the current misdemeanor to a civil infraction, we should instead remove any infraction for this as failure to comply could still result in a warrant for failure to pay your fine.

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SB 56:  Would repeal the criminal misdemeanor offense for unmarried cohabitation.

Sponsor: Sen. Rep. Name (D)
Passage: 82-26 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  No change in law is necessary.

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SB 59:  Alters the definition of “peace officer” within the Mental Health Code to include any officer that is licensed by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES).

Sponsor: Sen. Cherry (D)
Passage: 104-4 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  Mental health issues continue to be a crisis and allowing more individuals to assist in addressing these issues is important.

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SB 141:  Amends the Liquor Control Code by removing the sunset on the law that allows on-premises licensees to sell to-go alcoholic beverages.

Sponsor: Rep. McMorrow (D)
Passage: 103-5

Why I voted YES:  Cocktails to-go provide an additional revenue stream for on-premises licensees.

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SB 173 CR-1 – EDUCATION BUDGET BILL: 

Sponsor: Sen. Camilleri (D)
Passage: 58-50

Why I voted NO:  Across our state, Michigan families are tightening their belts while they deal with the highest cost-of-living increases we’ve seen in decades. The state should be living within its means too. Instead, Democrats are wasting our historic surplus with out-of-touch spending that grows the bureaucracy and bloats state government in ways we can’t afford.

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BILL PACKAGE SB 209, SB 212, SB 213, & SB 216:  Part of the 10-bill package that eliminates the ability to become married under the age of 18.

Sponsors: Sens. Anthony (D), Klinefelt (D), Bayer (D), & Geiss (D)
Passages: 103-5 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES:  This bill prevents sexual, emotional, and financial abuse against children and coercive

marriages set up by parents for selfish reasons.

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SB 219:  Amends the Public Health Code to allow pharmacists to order and administer immunizing agents and qualified laboratory tests without the supervision of a physician.

Sponsor: Sen. Santana (D)
Passage: 96-12 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  Allowing this to be governed under federal law would simply return us to the status quo should the declaration expire.

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SB 247:  Amends the Michigan liquor control code of 1998 to allow for public university governing boards to apply for liquor licenses to sell alcohol at college athletic events.

Sponsor: Sen. McCann (D)
Passage: 85-23 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  Many college students are under the age of 21 and increasing access to alcohol on gamedays will inevitably lead to underage drinking inside these venues.

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BILL PACKAGE SB 302 & 303:  Revises, updates, and expands the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act with new requirements and new eligible projects.

Sponsors: Sens. Camilleri (D) & McDonald Rivet (D)
Passages: 56-52 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  Government should not be in the business of financing building improvements – private lenders should take on that risk.

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PROP 2 ELECTION REFORM PACKAGE SB 339, 367, 370, 371, & 373:  Would require the Secretary of State (SOS) to create an electronic tracking system that allows each absent ballot voter to track their ballot on a website or mobile application, as required by Proposal 22-2.

Sponsors: Sens. McMorrow (D), Moss (D), Santana (D), Chang (D)
Passages: 56-52 (down party lines) with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO:  This package of disastrous bills goes well beyond the intent of Prop 2 and gives broad authority to the Secretary of State with no oversight.

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SB 377:  The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to prescribe the responsibilities of the Michigan Sentencing Commission.

Sponsor: Sen. McBroom (D)
Passage: 56-52 with Immediate Effect

I voted NO.