Michigan Lame Duck Tracker

* Approved for ballot but taken off after legislature adopted them in September.

Marijuana

SB 1243 would have banned home-growing marijuana (which would otherwise be legal under new law passed by Proposal 1) and decrease the tax rate on marijuana products from 10 percent to three percent. That tax revenue would no longer go to schools and roads, but to counties, cities, the state Health and Human Services department and law enforcement. It was dropped Thursday by the bill's sponsor Sen. Arlan Meekhof, R-Grand Haven.

Legislative redistricting

SB 1254 seeks to define how the state determines the party affiliation of applicants to an independent citizens commission created to draw Michigan legislative lines and intended to end gerrymandering. The bill also bars those affiliated with political parties from providing services to the commission. Critics say the bill illegally alters a constitutional amendment passed by voters. 

Voting rights

SB 1238 and its four associated bills would, among other things, require the Secretary of State to automatically register Michiganders to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or ID card and, more controversially, require license applicants to declare their citizenship for automatic registration. 

Minimum wage

SB 1171 amends a citizen initiative adopted by the legislature in September, largely to keep it off of the November ballot and make it easier for the legislature's Republican majorities to change later. This amendment would raise the state’s minimum wage to $12.05 over eleven years (far longer than the four years outlined in the citizens initiative) and restores a lower wage for tipped workers tied to growth in the regular minimum wage.

Paid sick leave

SB 1175 also amends a citizen initiative adopted by the legislature to avoid the ballot. This amendment exempts far more businesses than the original initiative (those with fewer than 50 employees) from the sick leave law and reduces the amount of sick leave time that can be accrued per hour worked. Recent versions of the amendment have changed to allow employees to accrue time immediately and use it within 90 days.

Ballot initiatives

HB 6595 would place new requirements on groups seeking to get statewide proposals on the ballot. They would be forced to secure signatures from at least 7 different congressional districts (there are 14). They could get no more than 15 percent of all signatures from any one congressional district.

Restricting incoming Democrats

Agency restrictions

HB 4205 would bar state agencies from adopting rules that are more stringent than the federal government’s, unless the agency’s director determined there was “a clear and convincing need” to exceed federal standards. The bill exempts special education programs. If passed, it would restrict the ability of executive branch agencies.

Allow legislative lawsuits

HB 6553 would give the state legislature the ability to automatically intervene in lawsuits that alleges unconstitutionality of a law or challenges the validity of a legislative action.

The legislature already has the ability to request to enter lawsuits, but it must receive permission from the court. This bill would remove that requirement. Opponents argue it infringes on judicial independence and on the attorney general’s power because it could create confusion as to who is representing the people of MIchigan in court.

*An amended version of this bill passed out of Senate committee, so it must be approved by the House again before going to the Governor.

Campaign finance

SB 1250 and four associated bills would remove oversight of campaign finance from the secretary of state’s office and give it to a newly-created commission of three Democrats and three Republicans (a model based on the Federal Election Commission).

Nonprofit protections

SB 1176 would prevent public agencies in Michigan from requiring nonprofits to disclose their donors or supporters, including nonprofit political advocacy groups that can funnel dark money into elections. It would prevent state agencies such as the secretary of state or attorney general from requiring nonprofits to disclose donor or member identities even to them, restricting their powers to police charities, political advocacy organizations and other nonprofits.

Environment

Line 5 tunnel

SB 1197 aims to lock in a proposal to construct a tunnel to protect Line 5, Enbridge Energy’s 65-year-old oil pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac. It would create a three-member, governor-appointed authority to oversee the tunnel. Both Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel oppose the tunnel plan. 

Wetlands dredging

SB 1211 would carve out a slew of exemptions to state permitting requirements for property owners wanting to fill, dredge or built upon wetlands and lakes.

Bottle deposit

HB 6532 and four associated bills would repeal Michigan’s 10-cent bottle deposit law, ending the program at the end of 2022. The bills have been dropped and cannot pass this session.

Toxic chemicals

SB 1244 would overhaul state standards for cleaning up toxic chemicals at thousands of polluted sites across the state. Among other provisions, the bill would require Michigan regulators to rely on chemical toxicity values from a U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency database when assessing whether property owners have properly cleaned up a polluted site.

Education

A-F commission

HB 5526 would create an A-to-F school ranking system for public schools and establish a commission with broad authority that would take some power away from the State Board of Education, which becomes a Democratic majority in January. It passed early Thursday but the commission was removed and replaced with a "peer review panel" as a compromise.  

Related: Michigan’s A-to-F school ratings on ice until attorney general weighs in

Innovation districts

HB 6314 and an associated bill would create “public innovation districts” that wouldn’t have to meet some state requirements, and would likewise establish a commission that would take some power away from the State Board of Education.

Economy, public sector unions

Union recertification

SB 1260 would require public sector unions to vote every two years on whether they’d like to keep their union. The bill has been dropped and cannot pass this session.

Employer medical benefits

SB 1209 would cap how much a public employer is allowed to spend on offering medical benefits to employees. That cap also would apply to union-negotiated contracts going forward, which could affect collective bargaining on health care.

Social

Juvenile offenders

HB 4850 would raise the age of criminal offenders that are considered “juvenile” from 17 to 18.

*A spokesman for House Republican parties told reporters Dec. 12 this bill is dead for the current legislation session, citing an "inability to work out funding issues."

Telemedicine abortion

SB 1198 would stop the expiration of a law that bars doctors from diagnosing and prescribing medical abortions without performing a physical exam first. The doctor must be physically present when the medical abortion drug is taken.

Puppy mills

HB 5916 would forbid local communities from barring pets shops from selling puppies, which critics say sometimes come from puppy mills. Proponents say it raises standards for pet safety.