SB 498:  Requires Tribal Governments be included in the decision-making process of Foster Care Review Boards (or other placing agencies) when the foster child is a Native American.

Sponsor:  Sen. Irwin (D)              

Passage:  90-19 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This can be viewed as an unnecessary change that already exists in SCAO policies.

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SB 690:  Revises the Michigan code of military justice.

Sponsor:  Sen. Kleinfelt (D R)                    

Passage:  104-5 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill would strengthen protections for alleged victims during the legal proceedings within Michigan’s National Guard.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5043-5044:  Alters the process for the certification of death records by physicians through the Electronic Death Registration System and clarifies when a county medical examiner certifies a death record.

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

Passages:  105-4 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: These changes provide better clarity to the process of certifying death records and ensures that it is done so in a timely manner.

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HB 5737:  Would broaden the scope of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, making it inclusive of individuals with special needs.

Sponsor:  Rep. Aiyash (D)                          

Passage:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The Mentored Youth Hunt has been successful in opening the door for youths to explore outdoor recreation opportunities, leading to a lifetime of pursuit. It is important to open up opportunities for all those able.

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HB 5393:  Would make a technical fix to a bill passed earlier this session, as part of the 20-bill Juvenile Justice Task Force package.

Sponsor:  Rep. Hope (D)             

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Because they did not agree with the changes made in the overall Juvenile Justice Task Force bill package.

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SB 682:  Establishes an overall 15mph speed limit on Mackinac Island, with a maximum speed of 10mph within a business district.

Sponsor:  Sen. Damoose (R)                     

Passage:  65-44 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Mackinac island has an excellent public safety record with few instances of fatalities or serious injuries and this would restrict the freedom of all riders on the island.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5379 & 5747:  Expands the distance from 30 to 50 air miles for what would be allowed under a fuel tax reciprocity agreement. It also corrects the kilogram weight references for qualified motor carriers and clarifies the definition of a “motor carrier.”

Sponsor:  Rep. Hill (D)                 

HB 5379 Passage:  100-9 with Immediate Effect

HB 5747 Passage:  99-10 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This ensures that all intended logging companies that operate close to the border are covered by the Michigan-Wisconsin fuel tax reciprocity agreement.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5030-5032:  Would collectively amend the State Housing Development Authority Act by modifying provisions relating to the cancelation of bonds, the participation of the resident member of MSHDA, and the sales price limit for certain housing loans.

Sponsors:  Reps. Coffia (D), Puri (D), Snyder (D)                

HB 5030 Passage:  59-49 with Immediate Effect

HB 5031 Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

HB 5032 Passage:  60-48 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: MSHDA should have to cancel the bonds upon purchasing them, they should not be able to leverage this, if given the option to not cancel them.

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SB 702:  Would increase the minimum number of training hours required for cosmetology instructor, manicurist, and esthetician licenses to meet federal financial aid requirements.

Sponsor:  Sen. Siingh (D)                           

Passage:  93-16 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Why are cosmetologist instructors and manicurists being increased to a minimum of 600 hours, but estheticians are being increased to 750 hours?

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SB 465:  Amends the Michigan vehicle code to prohibit a vehicle from following a snowplow more closely than 200 feet.

Sponsor:  Sen. Singh (D)              

Passage:  80-29 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: 200 feet may be difficult to visualize and could cause confusion and unintended violations of the law.

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SB 251:  Eliminates the requirement for a bus to display the primary telephone number on both sides of the bus.

Sponsor:  Sen. Geiss (D)              

Passage:  110-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: There have been reports of prank calls to motor carriers given the prominent display of the phone number. This bill would help motor carriers receive only legitimate ones.

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SB 417:  Would amend the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Act to make changes to what types of projects MSHDA can finance with certain bonds, and also clarifies certain conditions of this type of financing.

Sponsor:  Sen. Singh (D)              

Passage:  58-51 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Why do we need to dramatically increase the cap on outstanding loan commitments for a loan borrower from $25 million to $100 million? We should do any increase in an incremental, responsible timeline.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5569-5570:  Would impose civil liability and criminal penalties for the nonconsensual dissemination of deep fake sexual images.

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

Passages:  108-2 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Advances in technology have made it more possible to produce photos and videos that seem to depict a particular individual, even though the images are altered or faked. Individuals can suffer great harm to their reputations if such images are circulated widely on social media. The law should be changed to prohibit the production and publication of such images.

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HB 4427:  Would make incarcerated persons eligible to file FOIA requests.

Sponsor:  Rep. Young (D)                          

Passage:  56-53 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This bill will significantly increase the requirements placed on public bodies. Incarcerated persons have a great deal of time to write and send public records requests, and many requests allowed by this bill will be dilatory and harassing. This bill places an undue burden on public bodies.

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HB 5546:  Would provide Michigan beer and soft drink distributors a tax credit equal to ½ cent per returnable container sold.

Sponsor:  Rep. Snyder (D)                         

Passage:  103-7 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Sustained reinvestment in the Bottle Deposit Law is necessary to maintain infrastructure and ensure the system operates efficiently and effectively.

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HB 4360:  Would amend the Emergency Services to Municipalities Act to allow municipalities to create an authority for emergency services within, but not the entire, territory of the municipalities.

Sponsor:  Rep. Brabec (D)                         

Passage:  79-31 with Immediate Effect *Previous Bill

Why I voted NO: Individuals looking to appeal a newly created authority should have longer than 60 days to appeal.

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HB 5179:  Modifies the definition of drug paraphernalia to remove “testing products”, including fentanyl testing strips.

Sponsor:  Rep. Rheingans (D)                   

Passage:  77-32 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This program would incentivize and aid serious drug use.

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HB 5110:  Would create the “Unitrust Act” – a new act establishing procedures relating to the administration of unitrusts and income trusts.

Sponsor:  Rep. Wozniak (R)                      

Passage:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Allowing unitrusts in Michigan law will provide trustees with additional options to serve and protect the best interests of beneficiaries.

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SB 235:  Creates a new act to designate February 1st of each year as “Blue Star Mothers Day” in Michigan.

Sponsor:  Sen. Outman (R)                       

Passage:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Blue Star Mothers pack and ship thousands of care packages every year to service members deployed overseas. They also volunteer to help homeless veterans, provide support for Wounded Warriors, visit hospitalized veterans, honor fallen heroes during funeral services, and offer a compassionate community for the loved ones of those serving in harm’s way. They deserve this recognition.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 603-604:  Election ballot recount reform

Sponsor:  Sens. Chang (D) & Moss (D)                  

Passages:  56-53 along party lines with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: These bills would strip away any current, time-honored law that gives the bipartisan county boards of canvassers in our state the authority to investigate fraud, wrongdoing, or a violation of the law in our elections. In ten different places, Senate Bill No. 603 deletes the words “fraud or mistake” and replaces them with the word “error.” In other places in the bill, it deletes even more language about “fraudulent” or “illegal” activity, and even about “ballot tampering.”

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5598-5599:  Deed fraud penalty reform

Sponsor:  Rep. Liberati (D)                        

Passages:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: The bill provides clarity surrounding what activities constitute deed fraud.

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BILL PACKAGE SBs 841-843:  Create a new crime for sexual contact or penetration with a dead human body (necrophilia bill package).

Sponsor:  Rep. Kleinfelt (D)                      

Passages:  109-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Proponents of the bill may argue that Michigan law should contain a penalty for necrophilia, and that someone who commits that crime should be required to register as a sex offender.