Busy Legislative Session Week – Smoking Ban Passe
Several controversial measures saw action this week with only one or two more session days planned before breaking for the year. Chief among these was the passage of a statewide smoking ban for all restaurants, bars, hotels and other public places, with the exceptions being casino gaming floors, cigar bars and specialty retail tobacco stores.
The bill had stalled during previous attempts when the Republican Senate sent the bill over to the House as a full ban with no exceptions. This was unacceptable to the three Detroit casinos and was rejected by the House. Several Republican senators came around to a compromise, however, and the bill passed 24-13 in the Senate. The bill was rushed over to the House, where it passed unchanged on a 75-30 vote. The bill is on Governor Granholm’s desk, and she is expected to sign it as early as next week. The bill will take effect May 1, 2010.
Education Funding
The legislature also did some heavy lifting on Race to the Top legislation designed to enact education reform as a way to draw $400 million in federal funding for K-12 education in Michigan. The four-bill package passed both chambers with slightly different components and was sent to a conference committee for final negotiations. The conference committee is expected to meet throughout the week. The federal funding requires states to submit their applications by mid January to be eligible for the funding.
Post Labor Day Schools
Caught up in the Race to the Top legislation was an issue that had been a major victory for retailers and the tourism industry back in 2005 and was in jeopardy of being reversed — the current ban on starting school prior to Labor Day. In 2005, after many years of efforts, Michigan changed its school calendar to require public schools to not start classes until after Labor Day. This has been a boon for retailers and the tourism industry.
Education officials insisted that the Race to the Top changes required the change back to the original law that gave flexibility in setting the start dates. MRA opposed the change, and along with a large segment of the tourism industry, was successful in securing amendments that would only allow the lowest performing schools to start prior to Labor Day. The issue is still not fully resolved, as it is included in the package that is still in conference committee.
Diesel Fuel Tax
Bills to put the diesel fuel tax on par with gasoline won approval in a Senate committee. SBs 862 and 863 would increase the diesel fuel tax from $.15 to $.19 to help fund bridge and road maintenance. The measure is expected to raise $36 million annually.
The bills face an uncertain future on the Senate floor. Local governments and the construction industry along with certain business groups have been calling for the increased funding to fix Michigan’s deteriorating infrastructure. Governor Granholm has said she would support the concept.
School Funding
The K-12 funding issue got a temporary reprieve, as Gov. Granholm announced she is rescinding her proposed $127-per-pupil cut to education as a result of higher than expected non-homestead property taxes. A revenue estimating conference scheduled for January will determine if additional cuts will be necessary. Schools will still have to deal with a $165-per-pupil cut that was negotiated as part of the School Aid Budget.
KEY BILL INTRODUCTIONS:
No new bills at this time.
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