HB 5683 & 5684:  Would expand the scope of practice for estheticians in our state. These bills seek to empower estheticians by allowing them to practice all the skills they have learned and trained for during the pursuit of their professional license.

Sponsor:  Rep. Liberati (D)                            

HB 5683 Passage:  105-2 *Previous Bill

HB 5684 Passage:  104-3 *Previous Bill

Why I voted YES: These bills would codify the expanded scope of practice for estheticians in Michigan by allowing them to practice all the skills they have learned and trained for during the pursuit of their professional license.

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HB 4906:  Amends the Use Tax Act and Sales Tax Act respectively by creating sales and use tax exemptions for enterprise data center equipment.

Sponsor:  Rep. Andrews (D)                         

Passage:  64-45 *Previous Bill

Why I voted NO: This will reduce sales and use tax revenue to the state, affecting the School Aid Fund, revenue sharing and General Fund revenue.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5100 & 5101:  R&D Tax Credit Program

Sponsors:  Reps. Martus (D) & Rogers (D)                              

Passages:  86-23 *Previous Bills

Why I voted NO: The state shouldn’t be giving tax credits for these selected activities. Instead of picking winners and losers, the state should create a business-friendly atmosphere to retain and attract businesses.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 4127 & 4128:  Ban on firearms at election-related locations

Sponsors:  Reps. Tsernoglou (D) & Young (D)                        

Passages:  56-53 along party lines *Previous Bills

Why I voted NO: It is already illegal to brandish a weapon in a polling location or intimidate someone while they are attempting to vote. A new 90-day misdemeanor/$100 fine will not deter anyone with actual malicious intent.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5400 & 5401:  HB 5400 would redefine the current crime of “ethnic intimidation” as a “hate crime” under the Michigan Penal Code, and would change the elements of the offense. HB 5401 would amend the criminal sentencing guidelines, as a companion bill to HB 5400.

Sponsors:  Reps. Arbit (D) & Grant (D)                     

Passages:  57-52 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: The reasons behind the introduction of this second hate crime bill are unclear, and an explanation for this re-introduction with changes should be given.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5013, 5435 & 5436:  Would require that any health plan issued in Michigan cover hormonal contraceptives in supplies of up to 12-months and allow pharmacists to issue prescriptions for these contraceptives.

Sponsors:  Reps. Rogers (D), Young (D), & Hope (D)                           

HB 5013 Passage:  57-52 with Immediate Effect

HBs 5435 & 5436 Passages:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Allowing pharmacists to issue these prescriptions without at least some in-network or consultation with physicians may be problematic.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5450 & 5451:  HB 5450 requires DHHS to develop information regarding the safe storage of firearms and provide that information to MDE. HB 5451 requires school districts to provide the information developed under HB 5450 to parents and guardians.

Sponsors:  Reps. MacDonell (D) & Brixie (D)                          

Passages:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This is simply not something that school districts should be responsible for.

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SB 127:  Amends the Income Tax Act by creating an income tax credit for donations to community foundations.

Sponsor:  Sen. Singh (D)                

Passage:  69-40 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Instead of crediting new income tax credits that affect a few, we should reduce the income tax rate to 3.9% that will provide tax relief to all working Michiganders.

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HB 4224:  Eliminating Michigan’s Medicaid work requirements

Sponsor:  Rep. Rogers (D)                             

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: After she was elected, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer refused to enforce Michigan’s welfare work requirement law even though most people across our state support it. With her court challenge and the 2020 decision of an activist federal judge, Michigan taxpayers have been forced to continue footing the bill for tens of thousands of able-bodied people who could work but prefer to live off our tax dollars.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5651-5653:  Michigan Innovation Fund

Sponsors:  Reps. VanWoerkom (R), Hoskins (D), & Farhat (D)                         

HB 5651 Passage:  74-35 with Immediate Effect

HBs 5652 & 5653 Passages:  71-38 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: We shouldn’t be restricting participation in this program to hand-picked funds. We need to ensure there is competition and that we aren’t picking and choosing organizations based on anything other than performance and equal representation of the state.

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SB 740:  Adds an apprentice to journeyman ratio for supervision of plumbers.

Sponsor:  Sen. Camilleri (D)                         

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: When we already have a labor shortage, adding these ratios will make it harder to get work completed in the plumbing profession.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5164 & 5165:  Creates the Call Center Jobs Retention Act that would require employers of 50 employees or more that offshore call center operations to inform the state and make them ineligible for state program assistance through the MSF.

Sponsor:  Rep. O’Neil (D)                              

Passages:  57-52 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This is just more government interference in private business.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 4132 & 4133:  Amends the Michigan Vehicle Code by allowing tickets to be issued for speeding in construction zones based only on camera evidence.

Sponsors:  Reps. Snyder (D) & Mueller (R)                             

Passages:  57-52 *Previous Bills

Why I voted NO: There is currently no such thing as a “written warning” in Michigan law. It is unclear how this video surveillance system could identify the driver of the vehicle in question. In Michigan, speeding tickets are issued to drivers, not to registered owners of vehicles (drivers are assessed points for speeding violations).

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 4863 & 4864:  Would make technical changes to probate laws regarding powers of appointment and the statutory rule against perpetuities.

Sponsor:  Rep. Haadsma (D)                        

Passages:  102-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Attorneys who specialize in the areas of probate and estate planning might argue that these bills will be helpful when complex estates and trusts are litigated in the probate court.

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SB 248:  Would improve accessibility to court support dogs for eligible children by increasing the age from 16 to 18 years old.

Sponsor:  Sen. Lauwers (R)                           

Passage:  99-3 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Allowing for wider access to support dogs in court would promote an increased sense of safety and security while recalling traumatic events during testimony for minors above 16 years old.

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SB 504:  Exempts long-term industrial load rates from securitization charges.

Sponsor:  Sen. McDonald Rivet (D)                           

Passage:  82-20 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Allowing securitization charges to apply to existing long-term industrial load rates is a disincentive to negotiating these long-term rates and could drive heavy industrial users to get off the grid instead.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5949-5951:  Creates the peer-to-peer car sharing program act to regulate these services.

Sponsors:  Reps. Carter (D) & Bierlein (R)                               

Passages:  101-1 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Vehicle sharing is becoming very popular, and the state needs to ensure that both owners and consumers are adequately protected; twenty-seven states have already adopted similar regulations.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5906-5909:  Provides Police Powers for Great Lakes Water Authority Enforcement

Sponsor:  Rep. T. Carter (D)                          

HBs 5906-5908 Passages:  95-7 with Immediate Effect

HB 5909 Passage:  96-6 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Providing GLWA with police powers will allow it to best maintain the security and operations of its geographically diverse facilities and will provide additional resources to support security within its service area.