The final touches are being put on NFIB's official Michigan Voting Record
The final touches are being put on the official NFIB in Michigan Vote Record for this legislative session. The 2017-2018 Session Small Business Vote Record grades Michigan lawmakers on a scale of 0 – 100 percent, with 100 percent being a perfect small-business score. The voting record is based on a series of votes on bills deemed important to small businesses. Those bills cover such issues as tax, budget, regulatory, labor, legal, and other important components of Michigan’s small business climate.
While the Voting Record does not reflect all elements considered by a lawmaker when voting, it is a valuable guide to evaluating your legislator’s attitude toward small business. Lawmakers voting to rein in state government and give much-needed tax and regulatory relief to small businesses will received high marks. Those legislators scoring above 70 percent obviously understand the importance of small business and how vital it is to the state’s economy.
Stay tuned! Soon members will be able to see how their state lawmakers scored on the issues that matter to Michigan small business owners.
Here are the bills used to score lawmakers in this session:
2017-2018 Session Michigan House and Senate Vote Record Bills
- Senate Bill 401 – Teacher Pension Reform: Addresses the ongoing liability of the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), the state’s teacher pension system, by encouraging newly hired teachers to opt into a defined contribution plan. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 21-17. Passed the House 55-51. Signed by the Governor as Public Act 92 of 2017.
- Senate Bill 242 – “Good Jobs” Targeted Tax Credit: This bill would create a new mechanism of employer payroll withholding tax capture to divert revenue to selected companies approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund. A “NO” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 32-5. Passed the House 71-35. Signed by the Governor as Public Act 109 of 2017.
- House Bill 4999 – Local Food and Beverage Tax: Prohibits local units of government from imposing sales taxes on food and beverage products. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the House 101-7. Passed the Senate 30-5. Signed by the Governor as Public Act 135 of 2017.
- Senate Bill 353 – Local Ordinances on Hiring Practices: Prohibits local units of government from adopting an ordinance regulating information on an employment application or during the interview process. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 27-9. Passed the House 62-46. Signed by the Governor as Public Act 84 of 2018.
- House Bill 5456 – Asbestos Litigation Reform: Requires plaintiff’s attorneys to disclose all other litigation related to a claim of asbestos exposure injury. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the House 83-25. Passed the Senate 35-1. Signed by the Governor as Public Act 100 of 2018.
- House Bill 5097 – County Fees on Broadband Providers: Limits excessive road commission fees and regulations on high speed internet services. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the House 68-41. Passed the Senate 29-5. Signed by the Governor as Public Act 97 of 2018.
- Senate Bill 652 – DEQ Rules Oversight: Encourages a more science based approach to regulation through the establishment of an Environmental Science Advisory Board to advise the Governor and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 26-11. Passed the House 57-51. At the time of this vote record the bill awaits the Governor’s signature.
- Initiated Legislation IL2 – Prevailing Wage Repeal: Repeals Michigan’s Prevailing Wage Law. The citizen-initiated law was submitted to both the Senate and the House on June 1 after being certified by the State Board of Canvassers for having the required number of signatures. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the House 56-53. Passed the Senate 23-14. As an initiated law, it did not require the approval of the Governor.
- Senate Bill 897 – Medicaid Work Requirement: Requires able-bodied Medicaid recipients to fulfill a work requirement to continue receiving benefits. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 25-11. Passed the House 62-47. At the time of this vote record the bill awaits the Governor’s signature.
- Senate Bill 100 – State Agency Loser Pay: Requires a state agency to pay the legal costs of the prevailing party when that state agency loses a lawsuit involving a regulatory issue. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 32-3. At the time of this vote record the bill awaits further action in the House.
- Senate Bill 492 – Health Care Benefit Mandate: Places limitations on the enrollee cost-sharing requirements in private insurance contracts by requiring them to reimburse oral chemotherapy treatments at the same cost as intravenous chemotherapy. A “NO” vote supports the small business position. Passed the Senate 36-1. At the time of this vote record the bill awaits further action in the House.
- House Bill 4001 – Income Tax Cut: Would reduce the state Income Tax rate from 4.25 to 3.9 percent over four years. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Defeated in the House 55-52.
- House Bill 5013 – No-Fault Auto Insurance Reform: Would change Michigan’s No-Fault Auto Insurance Law to require a fee schedule for medical costs and allow consumers to make alternate choices to the current unlimited medical coverage. A “YES” vote supports the small business position. Defeated in the House 63-45.
