Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bills 1251 and 1252 creating the Flint Settlement Trust Fund within the Michigan Department of Treasury, and amending the Michigan Strategic Fund Act, to address the funding of the $641.2 million settlement in the civil Flint Water cases.
Senate Bill 1251 was sponsored by Senator Jim Stamas (R-Midland), and Senate Bill 1252 was sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint).
The governor also signed a series of other bills, including three sponsored by Upper Peninsula lawmakers, which are posted below.
Whitmer vetoed two bills that were sponsored by Upper Peninsula lawmakers, including State Rep. Beau LaFave’s (R-Iron Mountain) bill to allow gas stations to have their pumps on late at night when there is no attendant on duty. She also vetoed a bill sponsored by State Rep. Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette) that dealt with whether landlords can determine if an animal is actually a “emotional support animal” or not.
“What happened in Flint should never have happened,” said Governor Whitmer. “From my first month in office, Attorney General Nessel and I made it clear to our teams that even though we inherited this situation, it was our responsibility to achieve the best possible settlement for the children and families of Flint. While this settlement will never be enough to compensate for what happened, it is a major step toward helping the people of Flint heal. I want to thank Senators Ananich and Stamas for sponsoring these bipartisan bills. This is another example of both parties working together to protect the people of our state.”
In August, the State of Michigan announced a $600 million settlement of the civil lawsuits brought against the state by Flint residents after the water supply for the City of Flint was switched to the Flint River in April 2014. Additional parties have since joined the settlement bringing the total to just over $641.2 million. The City of Flint is contributing $20 million to the settlement, with McLaren Regional Medical Center providing $20 million and Rowe Professional Services Co. providing $1.25 million.
Governor Whitmer has announced a series of initiatives to show support for the City of Flint and its families, including:
- Working to help the city complete lead service-line replacement;
- A 2021 State budget that includes millions of dollars for Flint’s ongoing nutrition programs, child health care services, early childhood programs, lead prevention and abatement, school aid, services to seniors, and other programs supporting people in Flint who were previously exposed to lead and other contaminants.
- A 2020 budget that included $120M of investments in water infrastructure;
- Creating the Office of Clean Water Advocacy, and the appointment of a clean water public advocate and an environmental justice public advocate; and
- New lead and copper water quality standards that are the strictest in the nation.
Whitmer signed and vetoed a series of bills today. The bills are outlined below.
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Bill
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Description
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Sponsor
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Signed Bills
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Amends the Occupational Code to allow a one-time extension to the license cycle for real estate professionals, for the purpose of continuing education requirements.
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Rep. Thomas Albert (R- Lowell)
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Amends the Support and Parenting Time Enforcement Act to abate, or suspend, child support responsibilities if the payer will be incarcerated for at least 180 consecutive days and will not have the ability to pay the support.
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Senator John Bizon (R- Battle Creek)
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Amends the Friend of the Court Act to add a new section that requires monthly support payment be abated, by operation of law, when the parent becomes incarcerated for 180 days or more and has no ability to pay support.
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Senator John Bizon (R- Battle Creek)
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Creates an appeals board within the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority (MVFA) to hear appeals regarding admissions decisions, involuntary dismissals, and requests for interment. Membership on this board would first be offered to the current members of the board of managers, who currently oversee Michigan veteran homes and facilities.
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Senator Winnie Brinks (D- Grand Rapids)
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Modifies the Michigan Veterans’ Facility Authority to repeal all remaining statutes in Chapter 36 of the MCL, thereby dissolving the Michigan Veterans’ Facilities Board of Managers.
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Senator Tom Barrett (R- Charlotte)
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Amends the General Property Tax Act to provide businesses with a one-year reprieve by freezing the location of all personal property (i.e. computers, printers, and other equipment) being used by remote workers and assessing it at the business’s ordinary location for the 2021 tax year.
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Senator Jim Runestad (R- White Lake)
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Allows a city to enter into a public-private agreement for a public bridge.
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Senator Ken Horn (R- Frankenmuth)
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Specifies that if a county board of commissioners previously approved the construction of a bridge across a navigable stream in the county, then any reconstruction, renovation, or replacement of that bridge will not require county approval.
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Senator Ken Horn (R- Frankenmuth)
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Exempts all real and personal property constituting a public bridge facility from the collection of taxes under the act.
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Senator Jeremy Moss (D- Southfield)
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Adds property that qualifies as a public bridge facility used by a concessionaire under a public-private agreement to the list of taxation exemptions.
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Senator Wayne Schmidt (R- Traverse City)
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Provides that current provisions govern certain circumstances regarding when a governmental agency can pay for, engage, or furnish the services of an attorney.
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Senator Tom Barrett (R- Charlotte)
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Amends the Small Wireless Communications Facilities Deployment Act to create a definition for “county road commission” and to include the term within the definition of “authority.”
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Senator Dan Lauwers (R- Brockway)
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Requires financial institutions to implement a policy for training employees to recognize signs of covered financial exploitation and for reporting that activity to a law enforcement agency or Adult Protective Services.
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Senator Pete Lucido (R- Shelby Twp.)
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Amends the Social Welfare Act to allow a county department of social services to notify a financial institution of the status of a report of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation that was made by that financial institution.
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Senator Pete Lucido (R- Shelby Twp.)
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Amends the Income Tax Act to restore the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program.
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Senator Wayne Schmidt (R- Traverse City)
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Amends the Social Welfare Act to make the act’s FOIA provisions subject to the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act.
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Senator Pete Lucido (R- Shelby Twp.)
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Allows a person to hold an on-premises tasting room permit and an off-premises tasting room license in conjunction at the same location under certain conditions.
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Senator Kim LaSata (R- Bainbridge Twp.)
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Changes definitions and provisions pertaining to those who build, repair, or maintain residential structures.
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Senator Ed McBroom (R- Vulcan)
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Allows certain counties that meet listed population parameters to establish an event center financing program under the Regional Event Center Financing Act.
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Rep. Brandt Iden (R- Oshtemo Twp.)
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Vetoed Bills
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Would join Michigan to the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), taking away the state’s authority to regulate the nursing profession. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Rep. Mary Whiteford (R- Casco Twp.)
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Would authorize the use of unattended self-service fuel pumps, and significantly restrict the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ ability to regulate safety. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Rep. Beau LaFave (R- Iron Mountain)
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Would extend the definition of a historical vehicle to include a military surplus vehicle that is over 25 years old, thereby allowing those vehicles to be used on public streets and roads. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Rep. Steve Johnson (R- Wayland)
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Would create the Misrepresentation of Emotional Support Animals Act, which would create additional requirements for individuals seeking reasonable accommodation for emotional support animals. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Rep. Matt Hall (R- Emmett Twp.)
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Would amend the Revised Judicature Act to allow a housing provider to recover possession of a premises by summary proceedings after termination of a lease under the proposed Misrepresentation of Emotional Support Animals Act. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Rep. Sarah Cambensy (D- Marquette)
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Would create the Renewable Energy Facilities Payment in Lieu of Tax Act, which would allow the owner or lessee of a qualified renewable energy facility to obtain a property tax exemption and instead make an annual payment in lieu of tax (PILT). Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Curt VanderWall (R- Ludington)
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Would amend the General Property Tax Act to provide an exemption for a facility that has received a renewable energy facilities exemption certificate described in SB 1105. It provides that only the facility would be exempt, not the land on which the facility is located. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Kevin Daley (R- Lum)
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Would amend the Public Health Code to create a 28-day limit on emergency orders issued to control an epidemic unless a request from the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to extend the order was approved by resolution of both houses of the Legislature. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Lana Theis (R- Brighton)
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Would create the Pandemic Health Care Immunity Act, which would provide immunity from liability for health care facilities for any injury, including death, sustained by an individual in relation to the provision of COVID-19-related services during the period from late October 2020 – mid-February 2021. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Curt VanderWall (R- Ludington)
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Would enter Michigan into the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact and amend the Public Health Code accordingly, thereby giving the commission the authority to promulgate rules that would have the effect of law in Michigan. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Peter MacGregor (R- Rockford)
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Would allow airport authority officers to seize property and subject it to forfeiture without an associated criminal conviction. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Curt VanderWall (R- Ludington)
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Would repeal the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act, 1945 PA 302, MCL 10.31 to 10.33, which authorizes the governor to proclaim a state of emergency and gives them the power to promulgate reasonable orders, rules, and regulations as they deem necessary in response to that emergency. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Tom Barret (R- Charlotte)
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Would transfer the Office of Children’s Ombudsman to the Legislative Council. Click here to view the veto letter.
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Senator Peter MacGregor (R- Rockford)
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