The Michigan Legislature has recessed until after the November
elections
following a relatively uneventful fall session. House members, eager to
return to the campaign trail, adjourned on Wednesday, while the Senate
completed its business on Thursday.
In addition to the presidential contest, Michigan faces a U.S.
Senate race,
congressional elections and three incumbent state Supreme Court justices
running for re-election. The stakes are no less important in the state
House, where all 110 seats are up for election this fall. Fourteen Democrats
and seven Republican are prevented by term limits from running for
re-election to the House.
State Republicans currently enjoy a 58-52 majority in the House
and are
determined to retain control in this fall’s election. By doing so, the
state
Republicans, who also control both the Governor’s office and the state
Senate, will have a free hand in redrawing all legislative districts in the
state following completion of the 2000 Census. That process would provide
significant electoral advantage to the Republicans for the next decade.
MRA-backed legislation designed to regulate certain practices
in flea market
settings successfully cleared the Senate this week. House Bill 5677,
sponsored by Rep. Valde Garcia, was approved by the full Senate on a 36-0
vote.
The measure prohibits the sale of food products labeled for
consumption by a
child less than two years of age, non-prescription drugs that are past their
expiration date and medical devices. The bill further requires that
merchants selling new or unused products must retain a purchase receipt for
those products for a minimum of two years.
Individuals who sell the prohibited products are subject to
a misdemeanor
charge, which carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 93 days in
jail. The bill will be returned to the House of Representatives, where it
will be ordered enrolled and sent to the governor for signature.
The Michigan "Bridge Card" program, which allows welfare
recipients to
access their benefits through a debit card, has been expanded to seven more
counties after a successful rollout in Jackson County this June. Recipients
in Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Eaton, Ingham and Lenawee counties will be able
to access cash and food stamp benefits beginning in October.
The program was initiated by a federal mandate that all states
provide food
stamp benefits via EBT (electronic benefits transfer) by the year 2002.
Michigan is one of the last states to come online and is scheduled to be
operating statewide by July 2001.
Even though they do not face elections until November 2002,
the composition
and leadership of the Michigan Senate will be changing this year.
State Senator Virgil Smith (D-Detroit) recently announced that
he would be
resigning to accept a position with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office
in
January 2001. Smith will go to work for Prosecutor-elect Mike Duggan, who
beat Sen. Smith in a four-way Democratic primary for the post. A special
election will be held to fill Smith’s seat later in 2001.
Senator Bob Emerson (D-Flint) will replace Smith as Senate minority
floor
leader. Succeeding him as the new assistant floor leader will be Sen.
Raymond Murphy (D-Detroit). Sen. Burton Leland (D-Detroit) will fill
Murphy’s current position as caucus whip. According to Senate Democratic
rules, Emerson will have to give up his seat on the powerful Appropriations
Committee to accept the post of minority floor leader.
Finally, Senator Jackie Vaughn (D-Detroit), who suffered a stroke
in August,
did not return to the Senate for the brief fall session. According to Senate
officials, Sen. Vaughn has been released from the hospital and his condition
is improving daily, but no date has been set for his return.
HB 6058, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Raczkowski (R-Farmington
Hills), to
provide use tax exemption for motor racing vehicle parts or components.
HB 6072, sponsored by Rep. Douglas Bovin (D-Gladstone),
to provide $1.74
deduction from 2001 vehicle registration fees representing a refund of
increased gas tax collection in 2000.
SB 1416, sponsored by Rep. David Jaye (R-Washington Twp.),
to impose sales
tax on items purchased in prison facilities; earmarks funds for GED classes
at state correctional facilities and county jails.
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:
Peter Kuhnmuench, MRA's Vice President of Governmental
Affairs at pkuhnmuench@retailers.com.
Michigan Retailers Association
603 South Washington Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: 517.372.5656
Toll Free: 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.