Under the Dome

Capitol Update for August 6-August 15, 2007

Cynthia Ann Paul

Democrats Tackle Secretary of State Branch Office Closures- House Democrats substituted HB 4492, to roll out the line item for SOS branch operations and specify that unexpended funds from any branch would go into the general fund and not back into the department’s budget. The bill was approved on a party line 56-48 vote, but the chamber postponed a motion to reconsider giving the bill immediate effect so the legislation was not forwarded onto the Senate.

House Approves Gun Lake Compact- The House voted 63-41 on HR 158, officially signing off on the gaming compact Governor Jennifer Granholm and the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians agreed to in May. The chamber also voted on HCR 39, 60-43, which also concurred in the compact, but that measure was put up for reconsideration and then postponed for the day. It has no effect on the House approving the compact because it did that with the resolution. SEIU’s Change to Win partners UNITE HERE and the Teamsters are watching this compact very closely

House Approves Drain Code Revamp, HB 4641 (73-31), HB 4642 (72-33), HB 4643 (70-34), HB 4644 (73-31) and HB 4688 (56-48). HB 4641 changes the name of the drain commission office to the Office of Water Resources Commissioner if that commissioner deals with sewers, lake levels, soil erosion enforcement or compliance with Clean Water Act requirements. It also allows a commissioner’s individual bond, if it’s not covered with a blanket bond, to increase from $5,000 to $10,000. HB 4642 defines the term “visibly in existence,” restricts its applicability to one type of public drain and requires the release of drain easements that are not needed anymore. HB 4643 clarifies what legal costs can be charged to a drainage district. HB 4644 allows a drain commissioner to remove obstructions, interferences or encroachments of any drains. Obstruction is defined as “as any lessening of the cross-section of a drain, including, but not limited to, reductions resulting from bridges, cables, pipelines, sewers, conduits, roadways, culverts, or other structures (unless construction of the structure was approved by the commissioner or the drainage board),” but would not include structures under the Department of Transportation, county road agency or municipality’s authority. People would have 10- business days notice to remove an obstruction instead of five, except in emergency situations. The bill also specifies that commissioners have to consider the environmental impact of removing an obstruction. HB 4688 increases the amount commissioners can assess a drainage district per year from $1,250 to $2,500 per mile if the drain fund balance was below $5,000. The bill also permits commissioners to spend annually on drain maintenance without authorization at a cost of $5,000 per mile instead of $2,500.

House Dems. Throwing forward More Reform Proposals- House Bills 5093 and 5094 requires that any public school employee hired on or after December 31, 2007, would not be able to purchase service credit towards retirement until they worked in the school system for 10 years.

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services- Draft of the chair's budget recommendation for the department that includes privatizing juvenile justice and adoption services, as well as dedicating more staff to determine eligibility of foster care cases for federal Title IV-E funding. There was no vote to adopt Chair Rep. Dudley Spade‘s budget recommendation for DHS or report it out of subcommittee.

F.O.I.A Change Proposal- Rep. Stakoe has introduced House Bill 5090 limiting information that is accessible under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act to exclude the home addresses and telephone numbers of public employees.

Legislation to Be Introduced- Giving Preference Michigan Workers- The legislation, which has not been introduced, but Rep. Fred Miller will be sponsoring and shepherding the package that creates a sliding scale in which a company that takes 90 percent of its workforce from Michigan, for example, compared to one with 75 percent, would be given preference for state tax credits and economic development aid. Additionally, the state would require companies to report how many workers they did end up hiring from Michigan, as well as cancel all state contracts or tax incentives for businesses that hire illegal immigrants (companies would have to pay back the incentives under the bills). Construction for state buildings would also come with the requirement that 100 percent of the workers be from Michigan instead of the current 50 percent rule.

Right to Work Linked with Gas Tax- The National Federation of Independent Business and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan said that they could only accept an increase in Michigan's gas tax if state government also changed the law to make Michigan a right to work state and ended the prevailing wage act. The comments were in direct contrast to the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, which on Wednesday joined a coalition of municipal officials and road organizations calling for an increase in transportation taxes.

Governor Taps Ismael Ahmed to replace Marianne Udow as the Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services. Mr. Ahmed is co-founder of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in Dearborn,