Governor Rick Snyder vetoed eleven pieces of legislation on Thursday, including one written by Upper Peninsula State Senator Tom Casperson about the regulation of highway billboards in Michigan.
Senate Bill 964 would have made revisions to the Highway Advertising Act. In his veto letter, Snyder wrote that this bill would increase the number of digital billboards in an already crowded space. He also wrote that more discussion should be had before changing the rules related to how MDOT licenses and approves signs where there is substantial vegetation creating limited sightlines.
Snyder, in his final days in office, vetoed ten other pieces of legislation:
SB 728, sponsored by state Sen. Peter MacGregor, would have modified definitions of the Credit Card Arrangements Act dealing with unsecured loans or lines of credit. In his veto letter, Snyder wrote that an amendment that made this bill retroactive for 30 years would cause a legal challenge with how the Department of Insurance and Financial Services has administered the act for more than three decades.
SB 985, sponsored by state Sen. Joe Hune, would have created an exemption for automobile club contracts from requirements of the insurance code. In his veto letter, Snyder said this bill would allow automobile clubs to provide an array of services without any oversight.
HB 5230 and 5231, sponsored by state Reps. Steve Marino and Thomas Albert, respectively, would have required the state to offer current public school employees with the option to purchase annuities as retirement options. In his veto letter, Snyder wrote that it is inappropriate for the Legislature, which does not have fiduciary responsibility for plan participants, to legislatively decide what options are available to employees.
HBs 5750, 5751, 5953 and 5954, sponsored by state Reps. Bronna Kahle and Daire Rendon, would have modified the Safe Delivery of Newborn Act to allow for surrender to a newborn safety device and revised the reference in Michigan penal code to surrender of a newborn under the newborn safe delivery law. In his veto letter, Snyder wrote that he does not believe it is appropriate to allow parents to surrender a baby by simply depositing the baby into a device, rather than handing the baby to a uniformed police, fire, or hospital employee.
HB 5325 and 5720, sponsored by state Reps. Chris Afendoulis and Rob VerHeulen, respectively, would have revised the Principal Shopping District Act and the modified business improvement zones. In his veto letter, Snyder wrote that while he appreciates the goal of expanding the properties against which special assessments can be levied, he believes this issue merits further discussion and consideration, including whether it is appropriate for residential taxpayers to be assessed in this manner. He encouraged the Legislature and next administration to have a more thorough discussion about this issue.
