KEY LEGISLATION:
House Approves Elimination of SBT Health Care Tax
The House debated and passed legislation eliminating
the SBT on providing
health care benefits to employees. HB 4342 now heads to the Senate,
where it
will be taken up by the Finance Committee as early next week.
Eight Democrats joined the entire 58-member GOP slate
in voting for the
bill. Once through the Senate, however, the bill has a chance of being
vetoed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. Her administration, which has
proposed
a complete restructuring of the SBT to make it more jobs friendly, claims
eliminating the health care provision is a piecemeal approach to
restructuring.
Details of Governor’s SBT Proposal Coming
Gov. Granholm is expected on Tuesday to unveil the details
of her plan to
restructure the SBT. Interest groups have anxiously awaited the legislative
package of bills, and seeing the details should allow businesses to
determine how they will be impacted by it.
According to the administration, 77 percent of small
businesses in the state
would receive a cut in taxes as a result of the SBT restructuring. Various
analyses of the plan, however, have raised some doubts regarding this
claim.
While some business groups are supporting the restructuring, others
contend
that all businesses should receive a tax cut.
Pseudoephedrine Bill Being Discussed
Companion bills in the House and Senate attempt to restrict
public access to
products containing pseudoephedrine (the active ingredient used in many
cold
and allergy medications) as a way to combat growing methamphetamine
production.
SB 189, sponsored by Sen. Patty Birkholz (R-Saugatuck),
would require
retailers to keep products containing pseudoephedrine within 20 feet
of the
counter where an employee would have view of the products. It would
also
require the retailer to keep a log of purchasers’ name, birthdates
and
products purchased.
The retail community is discussing various proposals
with Birkholz and is
trying to reduce the administrative burdens to retailers in any legislation
that moves. Birkholz said the bills will move soon.
Attorney General’s Chief of Staff Leaving
Carol Isaacs, chief of staff for Attorney General Mike
Cox, is leaving that
position. Cox announced the change, saying she was leaving to seek an
undisclosed opportunity elsewhere. Isaacs has served as Cox’s chief
of staff
since his election three years ago. Prior to that she served as deputy
director for Health Legislation and Policy Development for the Department
of
Community Health.
Gary Gordon will likely serve as acting chief of staff
until a final
decision on a successor is reached.
KEY BILL INTRODUCTIONS:
SB 0257, sponsored by Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom (R-Temperance),
to provide
for resort licenses for calendar years 2005 and 2006.
SB 0284, sponsored by Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor),
to prohibit employer
monitoring of employee communications unless the employer establishes
an
employee monitoring policy and discloses that policy to employees.
HB 4416, sponsored by Rep. John Stahl (R-North Branch),
to provide for
prohibition of retail sale to persons convicted of certain offenses
and
prohibit those persons from purchasing and attempting to purchase.
HB 4423, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Wojno (D-Warren), to
prohibit telemarketers
leaving certain messages requesting consumer to return call.
HB 4424, sponsored by Rep. John Espinoza (D-Croswell),
to allow sales and
displays in the right of way of a state trunk line highway for certain
businesses.
HB 4434, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hummel (R-DeWitt),
to eliminate prohibition
against mail order pharmacies and provide for centralized prescription
processing.
HB 4448, sponsored by Rep. Robert Gosselin (R-Troy),
to exempt detention and
retention ponds from definition of wetlands.
HB 4449, sponsored by Rep. LaMar Lemmons III (D-Detroit),
to prohibit
cancellation of no-money down or no-financing transactions based on
the
consumer’s credit after delivery of goods.
HB 4450, sponsored by Rep. David Robertson (R-Grand
Blanc), to provide for
perfection of security interest in a motor vehicle.
HB 4451, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Green (R-Wyoming),
to provide for
perfection of a security interest in a watercraft.
HB 4552, sponsored by Rep. Tupac Hunter (D-Detroit),
to provide for
perfection of a security interest in a mobile home.
HB 4453, sponsored by Rep. Andy Dillon (D-Redford),
to provide for
perfection of a security interest in an off-road vehicle.
HB 4454, sponsored by Rep. Joe Hune (R-Fowlerville),
to clarify priority of
statutory liens.
To view the content and current status of retail-related
bills, visit BillTrack,
MRA's legislative tracking database exclusively for members, at
www.retailbilltrack.com
If you are currently receiving Capitol F@cts by fax and
would like to receive
it via e-mail, please contact Kathleen Wilson at 517.372.5656 or
kawilson@retailers.com.
For back issues of online Capitol F@cts, visit MRA's main Capitol F@cts page.
Specific comments or questions regarding this bulletin
should be directed to:
Kathleen Wilson, Administrative Assistant to the Governmental Affairs
Office at
kawilson@retailers.com.
Michigan Retailers Association
603 South Washington Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933
517.372.5656
Toll-Free: 800.366.3699
Fax: 517.372.1303
govt_affairs@retailers.com
www.retailers.com
www.mallofmichigan.com
