The legislature recessed until late September after concluding
session in
typical fashion - with late nights and fast-and-furious action. Changes to
the state's telecommunications industry and the wrap-up of all but one
of
the state's budgets highlighted the long workdays.
After a dramatic committee meeting, both chambers agreed to
abolish the
$3.28 per month long-distance access charge currently levied on local phone
bills and freeze current rates.
The reporting of House Bill 5721, sponsored by Rep. Mary Ann
Middaugh (R-Paw
Paw), in the Senate Technology and Energy Committee appeared unlikely until
committee vice-chair Ken Sikkema (R-Grandville) effectively took over the
meeting. Chairman Mat Dunaskiss (R-Lake Orion) walked out of the committee
meeting after his motion to recess was rebuffed. Dunaskiss later returned
and voted with the majority (5-0) to send the bill to the Senate floor.
The passage of this legislation was a major defeat for Ameritech.
The
company had spent millions of dollars on a last-minute ad blitz denouncing
the bill.
Retail pharmacies scored another major victory this year with
the inclusion of an
increase in their Medicaid dispensing fee in this year's Department of Community
Health budget. Not since 1993 has the industry seen an increase in the state-dispensing
fee of $3.72 per prescription.
The budget, as sent to Governor Engler for signature, contains
a modest increase to
$3.77 per prescription and a commitment from the department to assist with the
collection
of the one-dollar co-pay on all Medicaid prescriptions. Pharmacies and Medicaid
recipients will be directed by the department that no
Medicaid prescription is to be filled
unless the co-pay is paid or specifically waived by the Medical Services Administration.
Waived co-pay amounts will then be paid by the State.
Our special thanks go out to Rep. Stephen Ehardt (R-Lexington)
for his tireless efforts
on the part of the retail pharmacy industry. Without his leadership and support,
the fee
increase would not have happened. Thanks are also due to Appropriations Chairman
Terry Geiger (R-Lake Odessa) and committee member Mark Jansen (R-Grand Rapids)
for their support of thiseffort.
Sen. David Jaye (R-Washington Twp.) has been removed from all
committee
assignments for the balance of 2000 by Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow
(R-Port Huron). The sanctions came as a result of Jaye's pleading guilty to
a drunk-driving charge last week.
In addition, Jaye must complete an alcohol-counseling program
and is barred
from using state funds for any out-of-state travel. The committee
assignments and travel resources will be restored only upon completion of
the counseling program.
Court of Appeals Judge E. Thomas Fitzgerald is expected to be
the third
Democratic nominee for the state Supreme Court. Fitzgerald will join Detroit
attorney Marietta Robinson and Wayne County Circuit Judge Ed Thomas as the
likely nominees at the Democratic State Convention to be held September
8-10.
Fitzgerald has served on the Court of Appeals for ten years
and prior to
that practiced as a private attorney in Detroit and Owosso. He received his
Bachelor of Arts and law degrees from the University of Detroit, is married
and has three children.
HB 5896, sponsored by Rep. Paul DeWeese (R-Williamston),
to allow minors to
volunteer for adult-supervised construction activities.
HB 5897, sponsored by Rep. DeWeese, to create governor's
commission on
patient safety.
HB 5898, sponsored by Rep. DeWeese, to create earned income tax credit.
HB 5900, sponsored by Rep. Eileen DeHart (D-Westland),
to create older
Michiganians pharmaceutical assistance fund; to assign a portion of
unclaimed bottle deposits to the fund.
HB 5901, sponsored by Rep. DeHart, to appropriate funds
for the older
Michiganians pharmaceutical assistance fund.
HB 5914, sponsored by Rep. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland),
to revise conditions
for mental disability benefits and favored work claims.
HB 5915, sponsored by Rep. Kuipers, to prohibit the sale
of information from
hunting or fishing license applications for surveys, marketing and
solicitations.
HB 5916, sponsored by Rep. Marc Shulman (R-West Bloomfield),
to revise
liability involving offer of and refusal to perform favored work.
HB 5917, sponsored by Rep. Alan Sanborn (R-Richmond),
to provide private
security guard reinstatement procedures and other revisions.
HB 5922, sponsored by Rep. Dave Woodward (D-Madison Heights),
to create
prescription drug fair pricing act requiring drug manufacturers and labelers
to enter into rebate agreements with DCH, establishing discount program,
requiring pharmacies to offer discounts, prescribing penalties and remedies..
HB 5923, sponsored by Rep. A.T. Frank (D-Saginaw Twp.),
to prohibit refiners
setting retail price of gas or requiring retailers to buy gas from
particular distributors.
For back issues of Capitol F@cts on-line visit MRA's web site at http://www.retailers.com/capfax/capfax.html.
Specific comments or questions regarding this bulletin should
be directed to:
Jason Klonowski, MRA's Manager of Governmental Affairs at jklonowski@retailers.com.
Michigan Retailers Association 603 South Washington Avenue Lansing, MI 48933
517.372.5656
800.366.3699
Fax: 517.372.1303
govt_affairs@retailers.com
http://www.retailers.com
http://www.mallofmichigan.com
Click
here to find more information about any of the bills referenced above.