Budgets signed — vetoes prevalent
Even though Governor Granholm has signed the remaining 2009-10 budgets, there are still many unresolved issues. With numerous vetoes undertaken by the governor, lawmakers are still discussing ways to fund some of the vetoed programs. Just yesterday, the House passed a measure restoring most of the funding vetoed by the governor in the school aid fund by using the remaining federal stimulus funds for the next fiscal year, a move Senate Republicans labeled as unwise.
Revenue enhancements are still possible in the upcoming weeks, and MRA remains vigilant regarding at least two issues: the sales tax collection allowance and the sales tax deduction on bad debt. It remains to be seen if our efforts to exclude these two areas from the “loophole closings” the administration is pushing are successful. So far, so good.
Idle hands...
With the budget crisis taking up most of the legislature’s time in recent months, there was little ability for them to debate other issues. Unfortunately, they are back at it now and have recently introduced one bill that could be very troubling for retail. HB 5563, introduced last week, seeks to regulate special retail promotions. The bill appears to be a result of last year’s Black Friday incident where people were hurt and one employee was killed when a group of customers rushed the door of a major retailer in Long Island, NY.
Written as an amendment to the state’s Consumer Protection Act, the legislation would apply to any “special sale…intended to attract higher than average customer traffic by offering high demand items or other goods for retail sale, in limited quantities, for a specified period of time of 72 hours or less.”
Any retailer with at least one store that has 90,000 square-feet of selling space or that is part of a chain of at least six stores would fall under the new regulations. Those regulations would require increased retail staff, restricted areas for major promotions and new, government-required procedures for informing consumers about promotions and determining which shoppers get the items.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Dian Slavens, a freshman Democrat from Canton Township, and co-sponsored by eight other lawmakers. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Commerce for consideration.
Senate republicans pad their majority
Tuesday was an election day in Michigan. Mainly local elections were on the ballot, but one special Senate election was held in the 19th Senate district, where Mark Schauer vacated his seat last year to serve in Congress. Former Rep. Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek) was pitted against current Rep. Marty Griffin (D-Jackson).
Nofs outraised and outworked Griffin during the election, and it showed. Nofs coasted to an easy victory with 60.7 percent of the vote compared to Griffin’s 34.6 percent. The win puts a formerly held Democratic seat back into the GOP’s hands, and gives them a more comfortable 22-16 lead going into the extremely important 2010 Senate elections.
KEY BILL INTRODUCTIONS:
HB 5475, sponsored by Rep. Mike Simpson (D-Jackson), Insurance, Health, Expand health care false claim act to include definition of pharmacy benefits manager and pharmacy benefits management.
HB 5476, sponsored by Rep. Simpson, Human Service, Medical Services, Expand Medicaid false claim act to include definitions of pharmacy benefits manager and pharmacy benefits management.
HB 5562, sponsored by Rep. Coleman Young (D-Detroit), Occupations, Other, Make available by certain date full-service gasoline pump at gas stations.
HB 5563, sponsored by Rep. Dian Slavens (D-Canton Twp.), Consumer Protection, Unfair Trade Practices, Require certain safety and security measures for large retailers that conduct special sales.
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