Governor Snyder signed key legislation over the past week that will positively impact municipalities in Michigan. The League has been closely monitoring and advocating for both Senate Bill 372 and House Bill 4904 as previously reported here – http://blogs.mml.org/wp/inside208/2015/11/13/legislature-wraps-up-busy-fall-session/.
Signed Monday, SB 372 grants training reciprocity to out-of-state firefighters, allowing local governments to hire certified firefighters from other states without having to retrain them. This will help communities recruit qualified candidates and save money.
Another piece of legislation signed last Tuesday, HB 4904, establishes a consolidated March election date. This legislation allows local governments to include their own local questions on the ballot for the Presidential Primary election taking place in March 2016.
Both of these bills were given immediate effect.
Chris Hackbarth is the League’s director of state affairs. He can be reached at 517-908-0304