The Senate Transportation committee passed out HB 4629 yesterday, a bill to regulate digital billboards.  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 (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.

The bill now moves onto the full Senate for a vote.

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.

Last week the Senate Economic Development committee took up and passed out a package of bills dealing with scrap metal.  The bills, HB 4593 and 4595 together would, among other things, outline the penalties for committing larceny by stealing nonferrous metal, required scrap metal dealers to maintain required records (picture IDs, etc), participate in a database registration system and place a three day hold on payment for catalytic converters, AC units and copper wire (the three most widely stolen objects).  This would give law enforcement time to be notified and take action against a potential thief.

Before passing HB 4593, however, the senate economic development committee stripped the three day hold on payment if, by October 1, 2014, the scrap metal industry implemented and maintained a database that included each purchase by a scrap metal dealer of items requiring the payment delay.

Sen. Jim Ananich has a substitute that he will be offering on the Senate floor today that would require the scrap metal industry get approval of the database by the Michigan State Police (MSP), the 3 day delay would begin immediately, but would sunset 90 days after the MSP-approved database is implemented, and reinstate a 7-day tag and hold on 3 items, copper wire, catalytic converters, and air conditioner components.

I will keep you update as this process moves further in this last week of session before the end of the year.

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 morning the House Judiciary Committee passed various bills addressing medical marijuana including 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 is now on the House floor for a vote.

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 morning the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on various bills addressing medical marijuana including 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.  Yesterday Stephen Postema testified again about the need for local control and clarity.

The committee intends to vote on the legislation on Tuesday morning.

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

Back in October the Senate passed positive tweaks to PA 152 of 2011.  The House Financial Liabilities Reform Committee has held numerous hearings on the package of bills, Senate Bills 541-545, that make positive clarifying changes to PA 152 of 2011, the Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act. The bills have been reported from committee.

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.

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

The legislation now heads to the House for approval.

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