January 31, 2007
Legislature Convenes,
Committees Announced
The 2007-08 legislative session is underway, with one of lawmakers’
primary
tasks being the development of caucus agendas. The House finally unveiled
its much anticipated committee assignments; the Senate released its
selections three weeks ago. Committees important to retailers are listed
below.
The partisan bickering started immediately, with House Speaker Andy
Dillon
and former speaker and current minority leader Craig DeRoche squabbling
over
the Republican vice-chairs of several committees. Dillon broke with
tradition by not appointing the GOP’s requests for vice chairs
of two
committees: Reps. Jack Brandenburg (R-Harrison Twp.) and John Pastor
(R-Livonia).
Committee appointments are as follows:
Senate
Banking & Financial Institutions (7 members):
Randy Richardville (R-Monroe,Chair), Alan Sanborn (R-Richmond, Vice
Chair), Nancy Cassis (R-Novi), Tony
Stamas (R-Midland), Tupac Hunter (D-Detroit, Minority Vice Chair), Hansen
Clarke (D-Detroit), Dennis Olshove (D-Warren).
Commerce & Tourism (5 members):
Jason Allen (R-Traverse City, Chair), Judson Gilbert (R-Algonac, Vice
Chair), Stamas, Clarke (Minority Vice Chair),
Hunter.
Economic Development & Regulatory Reform (7 members):
Sanborn (Chair), Richardville (Vice Chair), Allen, Gilbert, Buzz Thomas
(D-Detroit, Minority Vice Chair), Hunter, Gilda Jacobs (D-Huntington
Woods).
Energy Policy (8 members):
Bruce Patterson (R-Canton, Chair), Cameron Brown (R-Sturgis, Vice Chair),
Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck), Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland), Richardville,
Olshove (Minorty Vice Chair), Michael Prusi (D-Ishpeming), Thomas.
Finance (7 members):
Cassis (Chair), Gilbert (Vice Chair), Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau),
Jansen, Prusi (Minority Vice Chair), Jacobs, Gretchen Whitmer (D-East
Lansing).
Health Policy (7 members):
Thomas George (R-Kalamazoo, Chair), Patterson (Vice Chair), Allen, Sanborn,
Clarke (Minority Vice Chair), John Gleason (D-Flushing), Jacobs.
Judiciary (7 members):
Kuipers (Chair), Alan Cropsey (R-DeWitt, Vice Chair), Sanborn, Patterson,
Whitmer (Minority Vice Chair), Clarke, Prusi.
Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs (5 members):
Birkholz (Chair), Gerald VanWoerkom (R-Muskegon, Vice Chair), Patterson,
Raymond Basham (D-Taylor, Minority Vice Chair), Prusi.
House:
Banking & Financial Services (9 members):
Andy Coulouris (D-Saginaw, Chair), Bert Johnson (D-Detroit, Vice Chair),
Ed Clemente (D-Garden City), Jeff
Mayes (D-Bay City), Virgil Smith (D-Detroit), Tim Moore (R-Farwell,
Minority Vice Chair), Brian Calley (R-Portland), Kevin Green (R-Wyoming),
David Robertson (R-Grand Blanc).
Commerce (19 members):
Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale, Chair), Robert Jones (D-Kalamazoo, Vice Chair),
Frank Accavitti (D-Eastpointe), Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga), Clemente, Coulouris,
Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids), Marty Griffin (D-Jackson), Johnson, Joel
Sheltrown (D-West Branch), Mike Simpson (D-Brooklyn), Mary Valentine
(D-Muskegon), Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell, Minority Vice Chair), Bill
Huizenga (R-Zeeland), Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), Marty Knollenberg
(R-Troy), Kim Meltzer (R-Clinton Twp.), Dave Palsrok (R-Manistee), John
Stakoe (R-Highland).
Energy & Technology (19 members):
Accavitti (Chair), Mayes (Vice Chair), Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee), Terry
Brown (D-Pigeon), Clemente, Kate Ebli
(D-Frenchtown), Ted Hammon (D-Burton), Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor),
LaMar Lemmons, Jr. (D-Detroit), Steven Lindberg (D-Marquette), Tim Melton
(D-Pontiac), Fred Miller (D-Mt. Clemens), Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek,
Minority Vice Chair), John Garfield (R-Rochester Hills), Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth),
Huizenga, John Moolenaar (R-Midland), Paul Opsommer (R-DeWitt), Palsrok.
Health Policy (18 members):
Angerer (Chair), Simpson (Vice Chair), Byrum, Brenda Clack (D-Flint),
Mark Corriveau (D-Northville), Marie Donigan (D-), Hammon, Robert Jones,
Valentine, Lisa Wojno (D-Warren), Ed Gaffney (R-Grosse Pointe Farms,
Minority Vice-Chair), Richard Ball (R-Bennington Twp.), Calley, Green,
Joe Hune (R-Hamburg), James Marleau (R-Lake Orion), Chris Ward (R-Brighton).
Insurance (17 members):
Virgil Smith (Chair), Barb Farrah (D-Southgate, Vice Chair), Paul Condino
(D-Southfield), Bob Constan (D-Dearborn), Johnson, Lemmons, Gino Polidori
(D-Dearborn), Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit), Simpson, Wojno, Hune (Minority
Vice Chair), Judy Emmons (D-Sheridan), Hildenbrand, David Law (R--Commerce
Twp.), Moore, Robertson, Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights).
Labor (11 members):
Miller (Chair), Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing, Vice Chair), Steve Bieda
(D-Warren), Constan, Farrah, Hopgood, Lindberg, Lorence Wenke (R-Richland,
Minority Vice Chair), Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), Phillip LaJoy (R-Canton),
Glenn Steil Jr. (R-Grand Rapids).
New Economy & Quality of Life (9 members):
Clemente (Chair), Gabe Leland (D-Detroit, Vice Chair), Clack, Meisner,
Melton, Huizenga (Minority Vice Chair), Hildenbrand, Garfield, Pastor.
Regulatory Reform (9 members):
Farrah (D-Southgate, Chair), Scott (Vice Chair), Meadows, Virgil Smith,
Wojno, Jim Marleau (R-Lake Orion), Minority Vice Chair), Gaffney, Palsrok,
Ward.
Tax Policy (17 members):
Bieda (Chair), Condino (Vice Chair), Farrah, Robert Jones, Mayes, Meisner,
Melton, Sheltrown, Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), Coleman A. Young II
(D-Detroit), Meltzer (Minority Vice Chair), Calley, Brian Palmer (R-Romeo),
Pastor, Fulton Sheen (R-Plainwell), Steil, Wenke.
Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources (11 members):
Sheltrown (Chair), Ebli (Vice Chair), Brown, Hammon, Kathleen Law (D-Gibraltor),
Lindberg, Simpson, Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba, Minority Vice Chair),
Horn, Stakoe,
KEY BILL INTRODUCTIONS:
HJR D, sponsored by Rep. Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell), to amend constitution
to provide for agricultural use value.
HJR C, sponsored by Rep Glenn Steil, (R-Grand Rapids), to reduce number
of
representatives and senators and increase term limits.
HJR B, sponsored by Rep. Martin Griffin (D-Jackson), to phase in increase
of
taxable value of homestead when sold over 3-year period.
HB 4011, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Caswell (R-Hillsdale), to allow those
service stations where fuel providers do not offer alternative fuels
to
franchised retail gasoline distributors to buy those fuels from other
distributors and refiners.
HB 4023, sponsored by Rep. Hildenbrand, to allow sale of certain consumer
items without item pricing under certain conditions.
HB 4028, sponsored by Rep. Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights), to provide
sales
tax exemption for certain energy conservation products.
HB 4029, sponsored by Rep. Rocca, to provide use tax exemption for certain
energy conservation products.
HB 4031, sponsored by Rep. Rocca, to exempt sales tax from nonprescription
medications.
HB 4036, sponsored by Rep. Frank Accavitti (D-Eastpointe), to require
rules
prohibiting sale of certain foods and beverages in public schools.
HB 4050, sponsored by Rep. Fred Miller (D-Mt. Clemens), to regulate
gift
cards and require disclosures.
HB 4052, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Lemmons III (D-Detroit), to require
written
parental consent for sale of cellular telephones and pagers to a minor.
HB 4070, sponsored by Rep. Paul Opsommer (R-DeWitt), to regulate use
of
credit information and credit scoring.
HB 4086, sponsored by Rep. Ted Hammon (D-Burton), to allow wine tasting
in
wine retail shops under certain circumstances.
HB 4094, sponsored by Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington Hills), to enter
into
Midwest pharmaceutical compact.
HB 4103, sponsored by Rep. Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee), to allow security
freezes on credit reports.
HB 4105, sponsored by Rep. Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing), to create
commerce
centers in certain communities.
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
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