Senate Bill 977, Make “vote harvesting” fraud a felony: Passed 32 to 5 in the Senate

To make it felony to turn in an absent voter ballot application using another person’s name and personal information, and also create a new felony crime for submitting an absent voter ballot application with the intent to obtain multiple absent voter ballots.

Sen. Ed McBroom, R – Vulcan, Yes

Senate Bill 956, Restrict transferring coronavirus patients to nursing homes: Passed 24 to 13 in the Senate

To ban transferring a patient currently in a medical care facility, and who tests positive for COVID-19, to a nursing home, with exceptions for patients who have recovered from the disease or nursing homes with a designated coronavirus area meeting standards specified in the bill. Also, to require state regulators to create a “centralized intake facility” in each of the state’s eight “health care regions” to treat coronavirus patients who are “ineligible for admission at a hospital.”

Sen. Ed McBroom, R – Vulcan, Yes

House Bill 5781, Allow bars and restaurant to serve alcohol in ‘commons area’: Passed 107 to 0 in the House

To allow “on-premises licensees” (restaurants with liquor licenses and bars that serve food) to serve alcohol in a “commons area” within a “social district” designated by a local government “that is shared by and abuts the premises of at least two other on-premises licensees,” and allow local governments to authorize this.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, Yes

Senate Bill 173, Ban government taking a cut of tow truck fees: Passed 108 to 0 in the House

To prohibit a local government from accepting a commission or a cut of vehicle tow-truck (wrecker) recovery or towing service fees from a towing service in exchange for steering business to that company; and ban towing services from offering this.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, Yes

House Bill 5407, Ban replaceable-battery smoke alarms: Passed 89 to 19 in the House

To prohibit the sale of smoke alarms powered by a replaceable and removable battery starting on April 1, 2022, and instead mandate that all smoke alarms must be powered by a nonremovable and nonreplaceable battery that lasts at least 10 years, or by another power source utilizing new technology. This would not apply to alarms powered by a building electrical system and some other exceptions.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, No

House Bill 5672, Ban employer requiring employee implants: Passed 104 to 2 in the House

To prohibit an employer from requiring employees to get a device implanted in their body as a condition of employment.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, No

House Bill 4459, Restrict “surprise medical billing”: Passed 101 to 5 in the House

To prohibit hospital emergency rooms or other emergency medical care providers from charging a person whose health insurance provider does not have a negotiated deal with the provider more than the average amount negotiated by the patient’s insurer, or more than 150% of the Medicare fee for service fee, with various exceptions.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, Yes

Senate Joint Resolution G, Protect “electronic data and communications” from unreasonable search and seizure: Passed 106 to 0 in the House

To place before voters in the next general election a constitutional amendment to add “electronic data and communications” to the Article I provision that recognizes the right of the people to be secure from unreasonable government searches and seizures of their “person, houses, papers, and possessions.” The constitution states that no warrant to search or seize any person, place or things may be issued without describing them, or without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation. With this vote the constitutional amendment heads to placement on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, Yes

House Resolution 282, Affirm House support of Mackinac pipeline tunnel: Passed 80 to 28 in the House

To express the support of the House for “the timely issuing of permits for the construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel Project,” meaning the Line-5 gas pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. The final vote was bipartisan with 23 Democrats joining all but one Republican in support.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, Yes

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Source: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit www.MichiganVotes.org.