Senate Bill 393, Give tax break to businesses afflicted by virus lockdowns: 19 to 16 in the Senate

To authorize tax relief for a business that was forced to close for at least six weeks due to an executive or emergency order that cost the company 25% of its gross receipts for the year. The bill would authorize a business income tax credit equal to the firm’s property tax liability for the year. Businesses that rent would get a comparable credit based on lease costs. This applies to restaurants, taverns, hotels and motels, health clubs, entertainment facilities and other such “public facing” enterprises.

Sen. Ed McBroom, R – Vulcan, Yes

Senate Bill 507, Waive drivers license late fees until Secretary of State fully open: Passed 25 to 10 in the Senate

To prohibit the Secretary of State from charging drivers license renewal late fees until all its branch offices are open “on a consistent basis” for a minimum of 25 hours per week for in-person services with no appointment or preregistration requirement. Also, to require the department to submit to the legislature a detailed report on how it plans to get caught up on renewals delayed by branch office closures and open-hour limitations in response to the coronavirus epidemic.

Sen. Ed McBroom, R – Vulcan, Yes

Senate Bill 486, Put only Yoopers on wolf council until wolves found in LP: Passed 19 to 16 in the Senate

To require that members of a state wolf management advisory council all be Upper Peninsula residents, unless and until winter tracking surveys and genetic testing show wolves are present in the Lower Peninsula, at which time a majority of the members of the council would have to be residents of the Lower Peninsula.

Sen. Ed McBroom, R – Vulcan, Yes

House Bill 4733, Let state employees use retirement account contributions to purchase annuity: Passed 105 to 4 in the House

To allow state employees who receive matching retirement fund contributions to their tax-deferred (403b) retirement accounts to also use these to purchase a fixed or variable annuity with an insurance company contracted by the state. Unlike traditional government pensions, the company that sells the annuities would be liable for their promised benefits, not the state (and its taxpayers). Newer school employees already have a similar option.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, Yes

House Bill 4684, Impose financial disclosure mandate on legislators: Passed 65 to 44 in the House

To impose a mandate on state legislators to file detailed annual personal financial disclosure reports, called “conflict of interest reports.” The reports would go to a legislative ethics committees proposed by House Bill 4680, and would not be public records subject to disclosure under the state’s Freedom of Information Act law.

Rep. Beau LaFave, R – Iron Mountain, No

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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.