The full senate passed HB 4629 today, a bill to regulate digital billboards, the last day of session until the new year.  This bill was created in most part to deal with issues that were presented to MDOT from a federal audit done on the Highway Advertising Act. If these issues (definition for digital billboards, definition for non-conforming billboard, etc) are not address, the state will lose a portion of their federal transportation funding.  This bill would allow a local unit of government to create a more stringent policy than that at the state level if they so choose to.  We also asked that the word “operation” be added into what can be regulated by the local unit of government to ensure that digital billboards would be encompassed in that definition.

There were many amendments made this week (many of them dealing with MDOT) to the legislation but the local control piece and the addition of “operation” remained a part of the finished product leaving committee.

Once the full House concurs with the changes (since it was a house originated bill) it will be sent to the governor for his signature.

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305

Earlier this week the House Local Government Committee reported HB 5074, a bill that would change the monthly interest rate that a county treasurer can charge other taxable units in the county that have delinquent property taxes due. The current monthly rate of interest is one percent. Under the bill, the monthly rate of interest would be “up to” one percent.

Under Michigan’s tax reversion process, county treasurers can assess “chargebacks” under the protocol they follow when local units of government have borrowed from a county’s delinquent tax revolving fund. If summer and winter property taxes are not collected by March 1 of the following year that the tax is owed, local treasurers pass on notices of unpaid or delinquent taxes to county treasurers. In many counties, the county treasurer runs a delinquent tax revolving fund.

Earlier this week the House Local Government Committee reported HB 5102, a bill that would eliminate the requirement that county treasurers make a printed copy of the tax rolls available for inspection, if the tax roll is maintained on a computerized database.

HB 5140, a bill to allow a transfer of an escrowed Specially Designated Distributor (SDD – off premise) liquor license to any municipality within the county in which the SDD license was located, passed the full senate yesterday.  As introduced, the transfer would require local approval before it could occur.  However, that local approval language was stripped during the Senate Regulatory Reform committee yesterday afternoon and then passed through the entire Senate and concurred with by the House yesterday afternoon/evening. The actual bill was never posted on the committee agenda and there was no communication with the League that this would be coming up for discussion.

Currently, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission does not require local approval for a new SDD license or for the transfer of ownership of an SDD license.

Additionally, language was added in saying that prior to a new SDD license being issued, the applicant must state they attempted to secure an escrowed SDD license within the county and that one was not readily available.

As this law is implemented and you experience this in your community, please contact me with any issues you encounter so that I can be communicating any problems our local municipalities are facing because of this to legislators and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305.

The Senate passed HB 4593 and 4595 yesterday, a package of bills to help deal with scrap metal theft, with changes made to HB 4593 after a 3 day hold of payment provision was taken out in Senate committee.  The changes made to the bill added back in the three day hold starting Oct 1, 2014 for catalytic converters, copper wire (including burnt copper), and AC units unless the industry, in coordination with the Michigan State Police, creates and implements a statewide database accessible by law enforcement for these items.

After concurrence by the full House (since they are house originated bills), they will make their way to the governor’s desk for his signature.

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305.

The Michigan Senate, by a unanimous vote of 38-0, approved HB 5073 and it has been sent to the Governor for his signature. This bill would allow MDOT to approved angled parking on state trunklines at the request of a local municipality. The Michigan Municipal League would like to thank Rep. Peter Pettalia for sponsoring this legislation and his commitment to getting this legislation enacted.

John LaMacchia is a Legislative Associate for the League handling transportation and infrastructure issues. He can be reached at jlamacchia@mml.org or 517-908-0303.

The Senate unanimously passed HB 4996, the crowdfunding legislation, today!  All that is left for this to become law is for the House to concur (since it was a house originated bill) and a signature from the governor. We are an arm’s reach away from being able to assist a segment of our economy that will prove to be huge economic drivers, those new small businesses and those wishing to expand.

HB 4996, a creative approach to economic development, will allow the sales of securities to an unlimited number of non-accredited investors, provided the issuer registers with the State of Michigan.  Any Michiganders who do not fit the federal definition of an accredited investor are given the opportunity to support their local entrepreneurs, existing small businesses, and real estate investments.

Additionally, here are a few documents with information on crowdfunding to help get you thinking if you are looking to start something like this in your community.  These documents were prepared by students in U of M’s Ford School of Public Policy who have done extensive research on this.  The first is a document for local investors (crowdfunding_investors) and the second for local businesses (crowdfunding_businesses).

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305.

This afternoon the House passed House Bill 4271, a bill that would allow local units of government to regulate (or ban) provisioning centers (i.e. dispensaries).

Back in May the League testified about the need for local control and clarity in the Act. At that time we were joined by two city attorneys, Clyde Robinson (Kalamazoo) and Stephen Postema (Ann Arbor) who detailed how those cities have reacted to the 2008 law.  Last week Stephen Postema testified again about the need for local control and clarity.

The legislation now heads to the Senate for its consideration.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.  She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at sharkins@mml.org

Yesterday the House passed a package of bills, Senate Bills 541-545, that make positive clarifying changes to PA 152 of 2011, the Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act.

Senate Bill 541 would amend the definition of “medical benefit plan”, which currently excludes benefits provided to individuals retired from a public employer. The bill also would exclude a public employer’s contributions to a fund used for the sole purpose of funding health care benefits available to public employees or elected public officials only upon retirement or separation from service.

Senate Bill 542 would amend the requirements regarding the cap on the dollar limit that a public employer may pay toward health care costs. The bill would also increase the multiplier used to calculate the cap on the total dollar amount that a public employer may pay toward health care costs for individual and spouse coverage; include individual plus one nonspouse dependent coverage within family coverage for cap calculation purposes; include elected officials in calculation of the cap; and exclude from calculation of the cap employees or elected officials who declined coverage.

Senate Bill 543 would amend provisions that allow a public employer to opt for a percentage limit on its medical plan contributions, instead of complying with the dollar amount limits, for a medical benefit plan coverage year. Under this option, a public employer may not pay more than 80% of the total annual costs of all of the medical benefit plans it offers or contributes to for its employees and elected public officials.

Senate Bill 544 would require any contracts or other agreements in effect on September 27, 2011, to conform to contribution limits under the Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act. Currently, this applies to agreements in effect on September 15, 2011.

Senate Bill 545 would modify a provision that allows a local unit of government to exempt itself from the Act’s requirements by a two-thirds vote of its governing body each year, and requires a two-thirds vote to extend an exemption to a new year. The bill would require an exemption or extension vote to take place before the beginning of the medical benefit plan coverage year.

The League is supportive of these changes as they are important clarifications that will help with PA 152 compliance and interpretation from the Department of Treasury. The bills now head to the Governor for his signature.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.  She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at sharkins@mml.org

This afternoon the House Energy & Technology Committee reported Senate Bill 636, a bill that would give phone companies the ability to transition from traditional land lines to internet-based service beginning January 1, 2017.

The bill would amend the Michigan Telecommunications Act to do make a number of changes including eliminating a requirement for a Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) proceeding for a telecommunication provider to discontinue basic local exchange or toll service to an exchange, beginning January 1, 2017. It would also require a provider wishing to discontinue service to notify the MPSC, the provider’s customers, any interconnecting providers, and the public at the same time as filing a petition for discontinuance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The bill would further require a provider to notify the same parties again upon the FCC’s approval, at least 90 days before discontinuing service. It would also allow the MPSC to issue an order allowing the current provider to provide the service until another willing provider was available, if the MPSC determined that another provider was not capable of providing the service.

The legislation now heads to the House floor for approval by the whole chamber.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.  She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at sharkins@mml.org