No. 36
STATE OF MICHIGAN
Journal of the Senate
96th Legislature
REGULAR SESSION OF 2011
Senate Chamber, Lansing, Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
10:00 a.m.
The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor Brian N. Calley.
The roll was called by the Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.
Anderson—present Hood—present Pappageorge—present
Bieda—present Hopgood—present Pavlov—present
Booher—present Hune—present Proos—present
Brandenburg—present Hunter—present Richardville—present
Casperson—present Jansen—present Robertson—present
Caswell—present Johnson—present Rocca—present
Colbeck—present Jones—present Schuitmaker—present
Emmons—present Kahn—present Smith—present
Gleason—present Kowall—present Walker—present
Green—present Marleau—present Warren—present
Gregory—present Meekhof—present Whitmer—present
Hansen—present Moolenaar—present Young—present
Hildenbrand—present Nofs—present
Dr. David Walls of First Congregational Church of Traverse City offered the following invocation:
Our Father who art in heaven, I pray on behalf of all those gathered in this place to lead our state and influence our country. I do not pray for their abilities as much as their attitudes of heart. Keep them humble. I do not ask that they be the best leaders in our country or state, but that they become better leaders and people as they move us forward. I do not ask that You shield them from difficulty, but that You bless them with determination and diligence to do Thy will. I do not pray that they will be familiar with their roles, but I do pray for their families. Keep them together and strong in faith. I do not ask that they govern as much as I ask that You guide them well.
I do not ask for injustice to always be made right, but for integrity to shine in this place and the judgments made. I do not ask for king-sized solutions for our complex problems, but I do ask for kindness to clothe those who work here to find those solutions. I do not ask, Lord, that You multiply their influence, but that You magnify Your presence in this place.
Thank you for their labor. Thank You for their loyalty. Thank You for their wisdom. Give them grace, courage, and stamina to bless this state, to bless this country, and to bless our world. I pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, led the members of the Senate in recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Motions and Communications
Senator Hood entered the Senate Chamber.
The following communication was received and read:
Office of the Auditor General
April 27, 2011
Enclosed is a copy of the following audit report:
Financial audit, including the provisions of the Single Audit Act as applicable to the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF), a discretely presented component unit of the State of Michigan, for the period October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2010.
Auditor General
The audit report was referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
The following communication was received:
Unemployment Insurance Agency
February 17, 2011
In accordance with Section 8 of the Michigan Employment Security Act, being Section 421.8 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, the Unemployment Insurance Agency is required to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature any amount, in excess of $1.00, that the maximum weekly unemployment benefit rate would increase if the annual increase in the United States Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) were applied to the maximum weekly benefit rate.
I am therefore transmitting to the Governor, and to the House and Senate for publication along with this letter in the Journals of their respective bodies, the enclosed report showing that since the last increase in the maximum weekly benefit rate to $362.00, the increase in the CPI would result in an increase in the maximum weekly unemployment benefit rate to $436.14.
Respectfully submitted,
Stephen M. Geskey
Director
The communication was referred to the Secretary for record.
Senator Meekhof moved that rule 3.902 be suspended to allow the guest of Senator Hunter admittance to the Senate floor.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
Senator Hunter moved that Senator Johnson be temporarily excused from today’s session.
The motion prevailed.
The Secretary announced that the following House bills were received in the Senate and filed on Friday, April 29:
House Bill Nos. 4361 4362 4479 4480 4481 4482 4483 4484
The Secretary announced that the following official bills and joint resolutions were printed on Thursday, April 28, and are available at the legislative website:
Senate Bill Nos. 347 348
Senate Joint Resolution M
House Bill Nos. 4585 4586 4587 4588 4589 4590 4591
House Joint Resolution U
The Secretary announced that the following official bills and joint resolution were printed on Friday, April 29, and are available at the legislative website:
Senate Bill Nos. 349 350
House Bill Nos. 4592 4593 4594 4595 4596
House Joint Resolution V
Messages from the Governor
The following message from the Governor was received:
Date: April 28, 2011
Time: 2:12 p.m.
To the President of the Senate:
Sir—I have this day approved and signed
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 141 (Public Act No. 23), being
An act to authorize the department of natural resources to accept and convey certain real property in Gladwin county; to prescribe certain conditions for the acceptance and conveyance; to provide for disposition of the revenue derived from the conveyance; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.
(Filed with the Secretary of State on April 28, 2011, at 3:38 p.m.)
Respectfully,
Rick Snyder
Governor
The following messages from the Governor were received and read:
April 18, 2011
I respectfully submit to the Senate the following appointments to office:
Construction Safety Standards Commission
Timothy H. Bedenis of 12467 Beach Hill Drive, Plymouth, Michigan 48170, county of Wayne, representing actively engaged construction operations on a management level, succeeding Donald V. Staley, is appointed for a term expiring March 18, 2014.
Mark A. Bulthuis of 1141 West Chippewa Drive, S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506, county of Kent, representing actively engaged construction operations on an employee level, succeeding D. Lynn Coleman, is appointed for a term expiring March 18, 2014.
April 19, 2011
I respectfully submit to the Senate the following appointment to office:
Board of Mechanical Rules
Gerald F. Philo of 16938 White Haven Drive, Northville, Michigan 48168, county of Wayne, representing licensed professional engineers, succeeding Gregory M. Parker, is appointed for a term expiring October 1, 2012.
April 27, 2011
I respectfully submit to the Senate the following appointment to office:
Barrier Free Design Board
Michael F. Harris of 6427 Sheppard Drive, Westland, Michigan 48185, county of Wayne, representing physically limited persons, is appointed for a term expiring October 31, 2013.
April 28, 2011
I respectfully submit to the Senate the following appointment to office:
Michigan Civil Rights Commission
Stephanie A. Comai of 1216 Glen Leven Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, county of Washtenaw, representing Republicans, succeeding Eliya Boji, is appointed for a term expiring December 31, 2014.
Sincerely,
Rick Snyder
Governor
The appointments were referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
Third Reading of Bills
Senator Johnson entered the Senate Chamber.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 92, entitled
A bill to amend 1998 PA 386, entitled “Estates and protected individuals code,” by amending section 5501 (MCL 700.5501).
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Bieda offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 5, line 11, after “(2)” by striking out “AND (3)” and inserting “THROUGH (5)”.
The amendment was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 120 Yeas—38
Anderson Gregory Kahn Richardville
Bieda Hansen Kowall Robertson
Booher Hildenbrand Marleau Rocca
Brandenburg Hood Meekhof Schuitmaker
Casperson Hopgood Moolenaar Smith
Caswell Hune Nofs Walker
Colbeck Hunter Pappageorge Warren
Emmons Jansen Pavlov Whitmer
Gleason Johnson Proos Young
Green Jones
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 12, entitled
A bill to amend 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1, entitled “Michigan employment security act,” (MCL 421.1 to 421.75) by adding section 22c.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 121 Yeas—26
Booher Hansen Marleau Proos
Brandenburg Hildenbrand Meekhof Richardville
Casperson Hune Moolenaar Robertson
Caswell Jansen Nofs Rocca
Colbeck Jones Pappageorge Schuitmaker
Emmons Kahn Pavlov Walker
Green Kowall
Nays—12
Anderson Gregory Hunter Warren
Bieda Hood Johnson Whitmer
Gleason Hopgood Smith Young
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: President
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Protests
Senators Smith, Anderson and Whitmer, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of Senate Bill No. 12.
Senators Smith and Anderson moved that the statements they made during the discussion of the bill be printed as their reasons for voting “no.”
The motion prevailed.
Senator Smith’s statement is as follows:
I rise to oppose Senate Bill No. 12 today. I placed on your desks last week a study done by The Lucas Group. This study was employer-friendly, a bunch of different restrictions and recommendations on claimants involved in the unemployment fund that we currently have in this state. Then we have this bill which is going in the complete opposite direction. I truly think that if we are going to try to push legislation to have different types of restrictions on claimants that we also need to make sure that we are also doing the same for employers, not making it easier for them. I think this legislation does that. I would ask my colleagues to oppose this legislation today.
Senator Anderson’s statement, in which Senator Whitmer concurred, is as follows:
I cannot support binding the powers of the Unemployment Agency to enforce laws against unscrupulous businesses. We do have some in this state. This bill goes far beyond loosening business regulations. This bill says that if the Unemployment Agency’s ruling is overturned by a circuit or appellate court, then the court must award the business court costs and attorney fees. Folks, we are talking about using unemployment dollars that are already strained in this state. Where is this money supposed to come from? It must be the already-depleted Unemployment Trust Fund. I guess we’re assuming that the feds will be okay with us spending our unemployment dollars in this fashion.
This issue came up last session, and my friend Senator Jason Allen had the good sense to see that the benefits of this bill didn’t outweigh the consequences. He refused to see this bill adopted without agreement from the Unemployment Agency, and still no agreement was ever, or possibly could ever, be reached, so the bill died. That’s what we should do today. We should let this bill die. We should reject this bill. I urge members to vote “no” on this legislation.
Senator Jansen asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Jansen’s statement is as follows:
I want to get the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth out on the table. This bill is really responding to a previous administration that handled companies by allowing a department to consolidate their entities, I would consider, unlawfully. They pulled entities together and forced a company to go through a process without allowing a defense. This administration has committed to not do this. What we are trying to say is that we are going to follow federal guidelines and federal law. I think that was the problem here. It was the previous administration that allowed some of their leaders to do things that were very unfair to Michigan businesses.
We aren’t trying to give anybody any special things. Let’s have due process for companies that are in Michigan trying to grow jobs, and allow folks in Michigan to have a job. There are a lot of things being discussed here that are a little bit gray. This is pretty basic. We are just saying that we will follow federal law, and you can’t do this to a company without giving them due process.
General Orders
Senator Meekhof moved that the Senate resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole for consideration of the General Orders calendar.
The motion prevailed, and the President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, designated Senator Hildenbrand as Chairperson.
After some time spent therein, the Committee arose; and, the President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, having resumed the Chair, the Committee reported back to the Senate, favorably and without amendment, the following bills:
House Bill No. 4004, entitled
A bill to amend 1976 PA 295, entitled “State transportation preservation act of 1976,” by amending section 10 (MCL 474.60), as amended by 2008 PA 570.
Senate Bill No. 215, entitled
A bill to amend 1957 PA 185, entitled “An act to authorize the establishing of a department and board of public works in counties; to prescribe the powers and duties of any municipality subject to the provisions of this act; to authorize the incurring of contract obligations and the issuance and payment of bonds or notes; to provide for a pledge by a municipality of its full faith and credit and the levy of taxes without limitation as to rate or amount to the extent necessary; to validate obligations issued; and to prescribe a procedure for special assessments and condemnation,” by amending section 2 (MCL 123.732), as amended by 1987 PA 214.
Senate Bill No. 216, entitled
A bill to amend 1978 PA 566, entitled “An act to encourage the faithful performance of official duties by certain public officers and public employees; to prescribe standards of conduct for certain public officers and public employees; to prohibit the holding of incompatible public offices; and to provide certain judicial remedies,” by amending section 3 (MCL 15.183), as amended by 2009 PA 210.
The bills were placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.
The Committee of the Whole reported back to the Senate, favorably and with a substitute therefor, the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 212, entitled
A bill to provide firefighter training programs to certain individuals; and to provide for certain firefighter examinations.
Substitute (S-1).
The following are the amendments to the substitute recommended by the Committee of the Whole:
1. Amend page 2, line 7, after “16” by striking out the balance of the sentence and inserting “years of age or older.”.
2. Amend page 2, line 10, after “16” by striking out “or 17 years of age” and inserting “years of age or older”.
The Senate agreed to the substitute, as amended, recommended by the Committee of the Whole, and the bill as substituted was placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.
Resolutions
The question was placed on the adoption of the following resolution consent calendar:
Senate Resolution No. 45
Senate Resolution No. 46
The resolution consent calendar was adopted.
Senator Emmons offered the following resolution:
Senate Resolution No. 45.
A resolution to declare May 3, 2011, as Patriot Flag Day in the state of Michigan.
Whereas, The people of Michigan are grateful for the public safety personnel who protect us and are willing to risk their lives daily for their fellow citizens; and
Whereas, The citizens of this great state recognize the brave and heroic acts of firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians who made the ultimate sacrifice to save an estimated 25,000 people during the attacks on America and the world on September 11, 2001; and
Whereas, The World Memorial has been successful in “keeping the memories alive” and helping people to never forget the loss we as a nation and the world suffered in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001; and
Whereas, The World Memorial has traveled across this great country to execute their task and complete their mission and has honored the citizens of Michigan by displaying the Patriot Flag here; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this legislative body declare May 3, 2011, as Patriot Flag Day in the state of Michigan. We honor the victims of September 11, 2001, and the first responders of our state for their service to our citizens.
Senator Meekhof moved that rule 3.204 be suspended to name the entire membership of the Senate and the Lieutenant Governor as co‑sponsors of the resolution.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
Senator Meekhof offered the following resolution:
Senate Resolution No. 46.
A resolution recognizing May 1-7, 2011, as Michigan Charter Schools Week.
Whereas, Michigan’s charter schools law was enacted 17 years ago, enabling charter schools to be locally established and founded in communities across the state; and
Whereas, Charter schools provide new educational opportunities to 110,000 students and their families; and
Whereas, These schools give all parents more choices in their children’s education; and
Whereas, Michigan’s 247 charter schools and their dedicated staff continue to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to K-12 education; and
Whereas, Charter public schools encourage competition and are accountable to the public through public universities, community colleges, and local and intermediate school districts that help establish and oversee these schools; and
Whereas, Charter schools are making great progress in closing the achievement gap for urban, minority, and at-risk children across the state; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That we hereby recognize May 1-7, 2011, as Michigan Charter Schools Week in honor of their successes and the important role they play in educating Michigan’s young people; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Michigan Association of Public School Academies
By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of
Introduction and Referral of Bills
Senators Proos, Pappageorge, Hildenbrand, Meekhof, Marleau, Hansen, Jones and Kahn introduced
Senate Bill No. 351, entitled
A bill to amend 1933 PA 167, entitled “General sales tax act,” by amending section 25 (MCL 205.75), as amended by 2010 PA 160.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Transportation.
Senators Jones, Meekhof, Green, Booher, Nofs, Hune, Pavlov and Robertson introduced
Senate Bill No. 352, entitled
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “Public health code,” by amending sections 12603 and 12905 (MCL 333.12603 and 333.12905), as amended by 2009 PA 188, and by adding section 12603a.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
Senators Robertson, Colbeck, Pappageorge, Proos and Brandenburg introduced
Senate Bill No. 353, entitled
A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled “Michigan vehicle code,” by amending section 625 (MCL 257.625), as amended by 2008 PA 463.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Senator Jones introduced
Senate Bill No. 354, entitled
A bill to amend 1994 PA 295, entitled “Sex offenders registration act,” by amending section 35 (MCL 28.735), as amended by 2005 PA 322.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Statements
Senators Meekhof, Hopgood, Whitmer, Emmons, Gleason, Young and Johnson asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Meekhof’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to briefly reflect on the news of Sunday evening. Nearly ten years after the terrible attacks on September 11, Osama bin Laden has been brought to justice. The operation to bring bin Laden to justice was skillfully planned by our military leaders, authorized by President Obama and executed by two dozen brave Navy SEALs.
I want to thank those military leaders for persevering in their fight against terrorism. Our world is a safer place because of them. I want to thank President Obama for having the courage to continue with an unpopular war against terror in Afghanistan and for authorizing this dangerous mission. Most of all, I want to thank our brave service men and women who put their lives on the line daily in defense of our nation and our freedom.
I, like many others, have had a hard time trying to decide how I should feel about bin Laden’s death. It doesn’t seem appropriate to rejoice in someone’s death, yet that is the reaction that many of us were drawn to. Rather than rejoicing in the death of our enemy, I encourage you to rejoice in the justice that has been done.
I’d like to close my remarks with a verse from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 21:15, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to the evildoers.”
Senator Hopgood’s statement is as follows:
Today, I rise to speak about the tax proposal that was passed by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate for consideration. First, I think that it is important that the Senate not rush through this proposal for the sake of getting it done, but rather give these tax bills the thoughtful consideration and debate they deserve.
One aspect of this legislation that deserves our utmost attention is the tax increase on citizens collecting pensions. If you are going to raise taxes on seniors living on fixed incomes, then you should do so knowing that it is the best way to preserve critical services and is done in a manner that is fair. The administration has tried to sell this proposal to the Legislature as an issue of shared sacrifice and simplifying our tax code. However, the tax bills now before the Senate fail to meet either criterion.
Governor Snyder has insisted that we make Michigan’s tax structure simple, fair, and efficient; yet the legislation sent over from the House has a three-tiered system based on an individual’s current age and changes as a person gets older. I fail to see how anything about this proposal is fair. It certainly isn’t simple, and unstable tax rates are not efficient.
The pension tax is full of sacrifices, but it is a one-sided sacrifice. The plan asks seniors to pay more, make painful decisions about their fixed income, and receive few services. While Michigan’s retirees are giving more of what little they have, businesses will receive nearly $2 billion in tax breaks. Even with this generous break for businesses, the administration cannot promise us that this plan will create jobs.
Again, I ask that we proceed slowly with this proposal and take our time to craft legislation that moves our state forward without unfairly shifting a burden onto our seniors.
Senator Whitmer’s statement is as follows:
I rise because I am so proud of our troops who have long labored to bring bin Laden to justice. We stand in awe of the skill and dedication shown by our military, in particular the Navy SEALs, as they worked for months to complete this mission. I want to praise the President for his vision in seeing it through. This operation shows the world that we are committed to the cause of freedom and to the principle that we never rest until justice is done.
While we certainly have our differences and difficulties here at the state level, they pale in comparison to the sacrifices made every day by our military families. For them, this is a defining moment, but they also know that the fight continues. Our thoughts are with them and so is our gratitude.
Senator Emmons’ statement is as follows:
If you notice to the east of the Capitol, you will see one of the largest flags I have ever seen, one of the largest United States of America flags. It is commemorative of our first responders throughout the state and throughout the nation.
Today, we honor the victims of September 11 and the first responders of our state for their service to the citizens of Michigan. It is Patriot Flag Day, and it is a time to remember the bravery of the public safety officers who make the sacrifices and the first responders who are there every day. We are indebted to all the people who put our communities, state, and country ahead of their own lives. This is a way for us to show our tremendous gratitude.
This brings additional significance today as we followed the brave actions on Sunday bringing to justice the terrorist responsible for murdering nearly 4,000 Americans. That was a victory, but every day we have heroes who respond first and foremost for us, our families, and for the well-being of our good. We hold this as a sacred day to remember them.
Senator Gleason’s statement is as follows:
Well, it has been a long decade. I would like to begin my remarks by thanking Senator Judy Emmons. When this decade began over in the Middle East, my brother and sister-in-law lost their son, Scott Sather. He was one of the first killed in the Iraq War. I introduced a piece of legislation to outlaw the demonstrations at our veterans’ and our citizens’ funerals.
There were some attempts to pull some shenanigans and remove that bill from my name. At that time, Representative Emmons thought it was appropriate that the Gleason name stay on that legislation because of the tremendous loss of our family member in the Iraq War. So I would like to begin my remarks by thanking her. That occurred at the start of the Middle East conflict. You are a lucky Senator if you have not stood up over the last few years, or a lucky Representative for a longer period of time, if you have not stood up and read one or more memorial tributes to our brave men and women who serve our country from this state.
Sunday evening was a compelling moment for our family’s life. Only days before, we had celebrated Easter dinner with my brother and sister-in-law, and even though it has been ten years and longer since they lost their son in Iraq, it is still a burden that they bear every single day. Every time they watch the news and every time they read the paper, that death re-arises in that mother and that father. So that was a significant event in our family’s life.
Now some will say Obama got him and President Bush didn’t, but the important thing to understand is that America did get the No. 1 terrorist in the world. A lot of those names that we are reading, we raise our tributes up to them because of that man.
Now I know times have changed. I think in years passed if we were having a discussion about the bravery of our young men and women, every person in this room would think it would be important and that would be the only voice that you would hear. But I would like to offer at this time a token of our appreciation on behalf of all the tributes that we have read and all the families we have recognized. I would like to give our country at this time an appropriate standing ovation on behalf of all the men and women who have served in uniform and on behalf of all the mothers and fathers who have lost their family—if we could give a standing ovation on behalf of our country and the men and women who serve at this time.
Mr. Lieutenant Governor, I would like to ask for that token of appreciation at this time because of the significance of what has happened on Sunday evening, so if you would all join us together.
Senator Pappageorge stated that had he been present on April 28 when the vote was taken on the passage of the following bill, he would have voted “nay”:
Senate Bill No. 265
Senator Pappageorge stated that had he been present on April 28 when the votes were taken on the passage of the following bills, he would have voted “yea”:
Senate Bill No. 218
Senate Bill No. 219
Senate Bill No. 220
Senate Bill No. 318
Senator Young’s statement is as follows:
I would like to start with a quote: “We ought to attend to the rights of every class of people, and provide no less carefully for the happiness of the lowest than that of the highest order of citizens,” George Mason. I rise today to speak in opposition to the tax on pensions that is now being considered by the Senate. No matter how you package it, this is a tax increase on seniors, some of our most vulnerable citizens, and individuals living on a fixed income.
Despite what we’ve been told, this is not an issue of shared sacrifice. The revenues raised from this tax increase will not go to protect existing services. The revenue raised by this tax increase on seniors also will not be used to fill our existing budget deficit. This tax increase will go to filling a new budget hole, a budget deficit by choice, created by Governor Snyder’s proposal to give corporations a tax break. That is not only the height of fiscal irresponsibility, but I think it is grotesque economic policy.
The Governor’s proposed corporate income tax will leave our state with a $1.8 billion hole, which he proposes to fill, in part, with more than $300 million in taxes on pensions. The people collecting these pensions have worked hard their whole lives. They’ve paid into the system, and they continue to pay other taxes.
This tax increase on seniors is to pay for tax cuts for businesses that have no guarantee of creating jobs. We already know how this tax increase will affect those collecting pensions. It means they will spend less, and it means a decrease in economic activity. Given the current economic challenges facing Michigan, should we really be considering legislation that will have such a direct, negative impact on consumer spending?
I feel this body should remain focused on jobs and job creation and putting Michiganders back to work. That is something my colleagues must pursue with legislation to achieve that goal. I urge my colleagues who are considering supporting this tax increase to think about what this will mean to seniors in their districts. Think about what this tax will do to their bottom line.
Senator Johnson’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to make a couple of quick points regarding the Governor’s proposed pension tax. Seniors around the state have expressed their outrage over Governor Snyder’s pension tax proposal and voice their opposition to having their retirements taxed. The Republican response to the outcry over the tax is to make it more confusing for our seniors and spread the pain even more unequally among them to continue to pay for corporate tax breaks.
The revised, three-tiered plan only perpetuates the strategy of picking winners and losers, and it does little to remedy the fatal flaw of the proposal—raising taxes on our seniors. They are trying divide and conquer, hoping to win favor for this proposal through piecemeal appeal to different age groups. But seniors and retirees from around this state are not going to stand for this bait and switch and neither will the Senate Democrats. We will continue to stand up for our seniors and fight any proposal that wants to place an inordinate tax burden on our retirees to pay for a nearly $2 billion tax break for big business.
Scheduled Meetings
Appropriations - Wednesday, May 4, 2:00 p.m., Senate Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building (373-1760)
Subcommittee -
Capital Outlay - Thursdays, May 5 (CANCELED), and May 12, 9:00 a.m., House Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building (373-8080)
Education - Wednesday, May 4, 12:30 p.m., Room 100, Farnum Building (373-5314)
Families, Seniors and Human Services - Wednesday, May 4, 3:00 p.m., Room 210, Farnum Building (373-5312)
Health Policy - Thursday, May 5, 2:30 p.m., Senate Hearing Room, Ground Floor, Boji Tower (373-5314)
Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes - Thursday, May 5, 8:30 a.m., Room 210, Farnum Building (373‑5323)
Redistricting - Wednesday, May 4, 3:00 p.m., Senate Hearing Room, Ground Floor, Boji Tower (373-5307)
Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing - Wednesday, May 4, 8:30 a.m., Rooms 402 and 403, Capitol Building (373‑5324)
Senator Meekhof moved that the Senate adjourn.
The motion prevailed, the time being 10:48 a.m.
The President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, declared the Senate adjourned until Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.
CAROL MOREY VIVENTI
Secretary of the Senate
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