In order to help make our state government more transparent and accessible to my constituents, each week that there is session I am going to post to my website a synopsis of the work each House committee will do for the week. This will include the time and location for the meeting as well as any bills or presentations the committee will hear. Each agenda item will include the bill number, the sponsor, and a brief summary of the legislation. If you would like to read in greater detail about any of these bills, you can read them in their full-text at www.legislature.mi.gov.
Please also note that you and your neighbors are welcome to observe any committee meeting or legislative session. Most House committee meetings are in the House Office Building (124 N. Capitol Ave. in Lansing), but some convene in the Capitol across the street.
As your elected officials, it is our job to conduct legislative business with efficiency and transparency. I hope you find these posts helpful and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Week of Jan. 20, 2014: Committee Meetings
Energy and Technology
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
Presentations on recent storm power outages and response plans
Regulatory Reform
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 521, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 641 – (Sen. Kowall) – Occupations; real estate; prelicensure and continuing education for realtors; revise, and authorize relicensure of certain former licensees.
HB 4582 – (Rep. Foster) – Occupations; residential builders; prelicensure education requirements for residential builders and contractors; revise.
SB 505 – (Sen. Hune) – Liquor; other; prohibition of aiding or assisting other vendors; modify.
Natural Resources
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21
Time: Noon
Location: Room 307, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5210 – (Rep. Schmidt) – Natural resources; land acquisition; cap on acreage in northern Michigan; remove, and approve strategic plan.
Elections and Ethics
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21
Time: 12:15 p.m.
Location: Room 327, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 4825 – (Rep. Kesto) – Elections; candidates; candidates to indicate certain felony convictions on the affidavit of identity; require.
Health Policy Joint Meeting with Senate Health Policy
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Room 352, House Appropriations, State Capitol Building
Agenda:
Presentation from the Mental Health and Wellness Commission on the final 2013 report.
Tax Policy
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
SB 146 – (Sen. Young) – Economic development; neighborhood enterprise zones; neighborhood enterprise zone eligibility; expand.
SB 533 – (Sen. Kahn) – Economic development; brownfield redevelopment authority; date of report for collection of certain tax increment revenue; revise for 2013 only.
SB 396 – (Sen. Casperson) – Property tax; assessments; retention of taxable value for property improvements required due to certain natural disaster losses; provide for.
HB 5172 – (Rep. Genetski) – Property tax; assessments; interior home inspection by tax assessors; require written consent without penalty to homeowner if consent is denied.
HB 5173 – (Rep. Shirkey) – Property tax; assessments; provisions in the official assessors manual for property inspection by tax assessors; revise and provide for an opt-out provision without penalty to homeowner.
Education
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 307, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5223 – (Rep. O’Brien) – Education; teachers; performance evaluation requirements for teachers; revise.
HB 5224 – (Rep. Zemke) – Education; employees; performance evaluation requirements for school administrators; revise.
Financial Services
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Time: Noon
Location: Room 326, House Office Building
Agenda:
HCR 19 – (Rep. Foster) – A concurrent resolution to urge the Congress of the United States to repeal section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Families, Children, and Seniors
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Time: Noon
Location: Room 519, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 4855 – (Rep. Kurtz) – Gaming; lottery; lottery winners; require lottery bureau to pay any indebtedness to department of human services.
HB 5198 – (Rep. McCready) – Labor; mediation; access to certain case files for use in human services employee disciplinary proceedings; allow without a court order.
Tourism
Date: Thursday, Jan. 23
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Room 327, House Office Building
Agenda:
HB 5191 – (Rep. Rendon) – Vehicles; off-road; helmet requirement; create exemption when property owner operating on own land.
Presentation on Meijer State Games of Michigan given by Eric Engelbarts II, CTA, Executive Director-Meijer State Games of Michigan.