No. 38
STATE OF MICHIGAN
Journal of the Senate
99th Legislature
REGULAR SESSION OF 2018
Senate Chamber, Lansing, Thursday, April 19, 2018.
10:00 a.m.
The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor Brian N. Calley.
The roll was called by the Assistant Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.
Ananich—present Hood—present O’Brien—present
Bieda—present Hopgood—present Pavlov—present
Booher—present Horn—present Proos—present
Brandenburg—present Hune—present Robertson—present
Casperson—present Jones—present Rocca—present
Colbeck—present Knezek—present Schmidt—present
Conyers—present Knollenberg—present Schuitmaker—present
Emmons—present Kowall—present Shirkey—present
Green—present MacGregor—present Stamas—present
Gregory—present Marleau—present Warren—present
Hansen—present Meekhof—present Young—present
Hertel—present Nofs—present Zorn—present
Hildenbrand—present
Senator Vincent Gregory of the 11th District offered the following invocation:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for this glorious day, we thank You for this glorious week, and we thank You for this glorious year. Thank You for all that You’ve done for us and continue to do for us. Look down upon us and bless us as we go about our daily work. Try to give us direction as we go about trying to do the business for the people, to make sure that we look after them, and do the jobs that we’re supposed to do as lawmakers. We ask that You touch each of us and give us that understanding that only You would have in trying to make decisions that are right. We ask You also, as we go about the business of the rest of the week, that You would look down upon us and make sure that we all are reminded of the jobs and things that we should be doing to make life better for all of us.
We ask this and all things in Your mighty matchless name. Amen.
The President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, led the members of the Senate in recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Motions and Communications
Senators Ananich and Casperson entered the Senate Chamber.
Senator Kowall moved that Senator Emmons be temporarily excused from today’s session.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Hood moved that Senator Young be temporarily excused from today’s session.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Emmons entered the Senate Chamber.
Senator Kowall moved that rule 3.902 be suspended to allow the guests of Senators Hune and Shirkey admittance to the Senate floor, including the center aisle.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
Senator Kowall moved that rule 3.901 be suspended to allow photographs to be taken from the Senate floor.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
Recess
Senator Kowall moved that the Senate recess subject to the call of the Chair.
The motion prevailed, the time being 10:07 a.m.
11:57 a.m.
The Senate was called to order by the Assistant President pro tempore, Senator O’Brien.
During the recess, Senator Hune and Representative Vaupel introduced Adam Coon, NCAA wrestling national champion from the University of Michigan; and presented him with a Special Tribute.
During the recess, Senator Shirkey introduced the finalists for the Governor’s Fitness Awards.
During the recess, Senator Young entered the Senate Chamber.
Senator Kowall moved that the rules be suspended and that the following bill, now on Committee Reports, be placed on the General Orders calendar for consideration today:
Senate Bill No. 897
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of
General Orders
Senator Kowall moved that the Senate resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole for consideration of the General Orders calendar.
The motion prevailed, and the Assistant President pro tempore, Senator O’Brien, designated Senator Robertson as Chairperson.
After some time spent therein, the Committee arose; and the Assistant President pro tempore, Senator O’Brien, having resumed the Chair, the Committee reported back to the Senate, favorably and without amendment, the following bills:
House Bill No. 5238, entitled
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled “The revised school code,” by amending section 1274a (MCL 380.1274a), as amended by 2017 PA 23.
House Bill No. 5463, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 119, entitled “An act to regulate the sale, distribution, and use of certain chemical agents and devices containing certain chemical agents; and to provide penalties,” by amending section 2a (MCL 752.272a), as added by 2000 PA 299.
House Bill No. 5464, entitled
A bill to amend 1967 PA 119, entitled “An act to regulate the sale, distribution, and use of certain chemical agents and devices containing certain chemical agents; and to provide penalties,” (MCL 752.271 to 752.273) by amending the title, as amended by 2000 PA 299, and by adding section 2b.
House Bill No. 5394, entitled
A bill to amend 2001 PA 142, entitled “Michigan memorial highway act,” (MCL 250.1001 to 250.2080) by adding section 9b.
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. 897, entitled
A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled “The social welfare act,” (MCL 400.1 to 400.119b) by adding sections 107a and 107b.
Substitute (S-2).
The following are the amendments to the substitute recommended by the Committee of the Whole:
1. Amend page 6, line 13, after “INCLUDE” by inserting a comma and “BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO,”.
2. Amend page 6, line 13, after “FOLLOWING” by inserting a comma and “AS APPROVED IN THE WAIVER,”.
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
Senator Kowall moved that consideration of the following resolutions be postponed for today:
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 10
Senate Resolution No. 30
Senate Resolution No. 105
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 20
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 21
House Concurrent Resolution No. 15
The motion prevailed.
Senator Meekhof offered the following resolution:
Senate Resolution No. 154.
A resolution to recognize the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment and reaffirm the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States, Michigan, and Israel.
Whereas, On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition British Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and Arab state, a decision welcomed by Jewish leadership and rejected by the Arab world; and
Whereas, On May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of the sovereign and independent state of Israel, and the United States government established full diplomatic relations after Israel’s first election in 1949; and
Whereas, The desire of the Jewish people to establish an independent modern state of Israel is directly linked to the existence of the historic kingdom of Israel established in the Land of Israel 3,000 years ago, with the city of Jerusalem as its capital both then and now; and
Whereas, For over 2,000 years, Jews living in other parts of the world maintained a profound spiritual and emotional connection to the Land of Israel, and there has been continuous Jewish presence in the land comprising the modern state of Israel; and
Whereas, The establishment of the modern state of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people followed the destruction of much of European Jewry during the Holocaust; and
Whereas, Since its establishment 70 years ago, the modern state of Israel has rebuilt the nation, forged a new and dynamic society, and created a thriving economic, political, cultural, and intellectual life despite the heavy burdens of war, terrorism, and unjustified diplomatic and economic boycotts against the people of Israel; and
Whereas, The people of Israel, in the spirit of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, have established a vibrant, pluralistic, democratic political system, which includes freedom of speech, association, and religion; a vigorously free press; free, fair and open elections; the rule of law; a fully independent judiciary; and other democratic principles and practices; and
Whereas, Israel has developed some of the world’s leading universities; and
Whereas, The country of Israel has also developed an advanced, entrepreneurial economy, as being among the world’s leaders of the high-tech industry, and is at the forefront of research and development in the fields of renewable energy sources and medicine; and
Whereas, Israel regularly sends humanitarian aid, search and rescue teams, mobile hospitals, and other emergency supplies to help victims of disasters around the world; and
Whereas, Israel has also taken in millions of Jews from countries throughout the world and sought to fully integrate them into Israeli society; and
Whereas, With courage and high ethical standards, Israel has defended itself from repeated attacks since its independence, including terrorist adversaries such as Hamas and Hezbollah that violate international law by using civilians as human shields; and
Whereas, Israel has also established peaceful, bilateral relations with Egypt and Jordan and has sought to achieve a secure peace with the Palestinians and Israel’s other Arab neighbors; and
Whereas, For seven decades, the United States, Michigan, and Israel have maintained a special relationship based on mutually shared democratic and moral values, common strategic interests, bonds of friendship, and mutual respect; and
Whereas, In January 2017, Michigan became the 16th state to enact laws condemning and outlawing discrimination against Israel and Israelis; and
Whereas, Michigan organizations have made efforts to strengthen business ties between Michigan’s automotive and defense industries as well as Israel’s innovation and technical expertise; and
Whereas, Programs have consistently sought to bring members of the Michigan Jewish community to Israel, as well as Israelis to Michigan, in order to create new relationships and strengthen Jewish identity; and
Whereas, Michigan universities, such as the University of Michigan, have partnered with those in Israel, including Ben Gurion University in the Negev and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, to support and foster research, innovation, and collaboration; and
Whereas, The American people and people of Michigan feel a strong affinity for the Israeli people based on common values and shared cultural heritage; and
Whereas, The United States and Michigan continue to regard Israel as a trusted ally and vital strategic partner in the volatile Middle East; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That we recognize the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment and reaffirm the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States, Michigan, and Israel; and be it further
Resolved, That Michigan:
• Recognize the historic significance of the 70th anniversary of the reestablishment of the sovereign and independent state of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people;
• Reaffirm the bonds of friendship and cooperation which have existed between the United States, Michigan, and Israel for the past 70 years, and commit to strengthening those bonds;
• Commend the people of Israel for their remarkable achievements in building a new state and a pluralistic, democratic society in the face of terrorism, as well as hostility, ostracism, and belligerence from many of their neighbors;
• Reaffirm its support for Israel’s right to defend itself against threats to its security and existence;
• Reaffirm its enduring support for Israel as Israel pursues peace with its neighbors; and
• Extend the warmest congratulations and best wishes to the state of Israel and Israeli people for a peaceful and prosperous future.
Pending the order that, under rule 3.204, the resolution be referred to the Committee on Government Operations,
Senator Kowall moved that the rule be suspended.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The resolution was adopted.
Senators Ananich, Bieda, Booher, Brandenburg, Casperson, Colbeck, Conyers, Emmons, Green, Gregory, Hansen, Hertel, Hood, Hopgood, Horn, Hune, Jones, Knezek, Knollenberg, Kowall, MacGregor, Marleau, Nofs, O’Brien, Pavlov, Proos, Robertson, Rocca, Schmidt, Schuitmaker, Shirkey, Stamas, Warren, Young, Zorn and Hildenbrand were named co‑sponsors of the resolution.
Introduction and Referral of Bills
Senator Jones introduced
Senate Bill No. 954, entitled
A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled “Michigan vehicle code,” by amending sections 40b, 310, and 314 (MCL 257.40b, 257.310, and 257.314), section 40b as amended by 2012 PA 498, section 310 as amended by 2016 PA 219, and section 314 as amended by 2011 PA 159, and by adding section 310f.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Senator Jones introduced
Senate Bill No. 955, entitled
A bill to amend 1972 PA 222, entitled “An act to provide for an official personal identification card; to provide for its form, issuance and use; to regulate the use and disclosure of information obtained from the card; to prescribe the powers and duties of the secretary of state; to prescribe fees; to prescribe certain penalties for violations; and to provide an appropriation for certain purposes,” by amending sections 1a and 2 (MCL 28.291a and 28.292), section 1a as amended by 2008 PA 31 and section 2 as amended by 2017 PA 31, and by adding section 2a.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Senator Jones introduced
Senate Bill No. 956, entitled
A bill to amend 2008 PA 23, entitled “Enhanced driver license and enhanced official state personal identification card act,” (MCL 28.301 to 28.308) by adding section 4a.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Senators Horn, Zorn, O’Brien, Jones, Knollenberg, Kowall and Booher introduced
Senate Bill No. 957, entitled
A bill to amend 2013 PA 183, entitled “An act to create the student safety act; to provide for confidential reports of potential harm or criminal activities directed at school students, school employees, and schools; to establish a hotline for filing those reports; to create the student safety fund and to provide for contributions to and expenditures from that fund; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state officials and departments; to provide for procedures for the release of certain confidential information; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by repealing enacting section 1.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
Senators Booher, Jones, Kowall and Horn introduced
Senate Bill No. 958, entitled
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled “The revised school code,” (MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1308a.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Senators Zorn, Jones, Knollenberg, Kowall, Booher and Horn introduced
Senate Bill No. 959, entitled
A bill to amend 1965 PA 203, entitled “Michigan commission on law enforcement standards act,” by amending section 9 (MCL 28.609), as amended by 2017 PA 198, and by adding section 9e.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
House Bill No. 4115, entitled
A bill to amend 1933 PA 167, entitled “General sales tax act,” by amending section 4o (MCL 205.54o), as amended by 2016 PA 503.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and ordered that it be given immediate effect.
The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of
Messages from the House
Senator Kowall moved that consideration of the following bills be postponed for today:
Senate Bill No. 35
Senate Bill No. 551
The motion prevailed.
Senate Bill No. 290, entitled
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled “Michigan election law,” by amending sections 867 and 881 (MCL 168.867 and 168.881), as amended by 2014 PA 406.
The House of Representatives has substituted (H-1) the bill.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill as substituted (H-1), ordered that it be given immediate effect and pursuant to Joint Rule 20, inserted the full title.
Pending the order that, under rule 3.202, the bill be laid over one day,
Senator Kowall moved that the rule be suspended.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The question being on concurring in the substitute made to the bill by the House,
The substitute was concurred in, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 214 Yeas—27
Booher Hildenbrand Marleau Rocca
Brandenburg Horn Meekhof Schmidt
Casperson Hune Nofs Schuitmaker
Colbeck Jones O’Brien Shirkey
Emmons Knollenberg Pavlov Stamas
Green Kowall Proos Zorn
Hansen MacGregor Robertson
Nays—10
Ananich Gregory Hopgood Warren
Bieda Hertel Knezek Young
Conyers Hood
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: O’Brien
The question being on concurring in the committee recommendation to give the bill immediate effect,
The recommendation was concurred in, 2/3 of the members serving voting therefor.
The Senate agreed to the full title.
The bill was referred to the Secretary for enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor.
Third Reading of Bills
Senator Kowall moved that the rules be suspended and that the following bill, now on the order of Third Reading of Bills, be placed on its immediate passage:
Senate Bill No. 897
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
Senator Kowall moved that the following bills be placed at the head of the Third Reading of Bills calendar:
Senate Bill No. 887
House Bill No. 4628
House Bill No. 4945
Senate Bill No. 897
The motion prevailed.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 887, entitled
A bill to amend 1937 PA 94, entitled “Use tax act,” (MCL 205.91 to 205.111) by adding section 4ee.
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. 215 Yeas—37
Ananich Hansen Knollenberg Robertson
Bieda Hertel Kowall Rocca
Booher Hildenbrand MacGregor Schmidt
Brandenburg Hood Marleau Schuitmaker
Casperson Hopgood Meekhof Shirkey
Colbeck Horn Nofs Stamas
Conyers Hune O’Brien Warren
Emmons Jones Pavlov Young
Green Knezek Proos Zorn
Gregory
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: O’Brien
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
The following bill was read a third time:
House Bill No. 4628, entitled
A bill to amend 2001 PA 142, entitled “Michigan memorial highway act,” (MCL 250.1001 to 250.2080) by adding section 17a.
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. 216 Yeas—37
Ananich Hansen Knollenberg Robertson
Bieda Hertel Kowall Rocca
Booher Hildenbrand MacGregor Schmidt
Brandenburg Hood Marleau Schuitmaker
Casperson Hopgood Meekhof Shirkey
Colbeck Horn Nofs Stamas
Conyers Hune O’Brien Warren
Emmons Jones Pavlov Young
Green Knezek Proos Zorn
Gregory
Nays—0
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: O’Brien
The question being on concurring in the committee recommendation to give the bill immediate effect,
The recommendation was concurred in, 2/3 of the members serving voting therefor.
Pursuant to Joint Rule 20, the full title of the act shall be inserted to read as follows:
“An act to consolidate prior acts naming certain Michigan highways; to provide for the naming of certain highways; to prescribe certain duties of the state transportation department; and to repeal acts and parts of acts and certain resolutions,”.
The Senate agreed to the full title.
The following bill was read a third time:
House Bill No. 4945, entitled
A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled “Michigan vehicle code,” by amending section 657a (MCL 257.657a), as added by 2014 PA 491.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Casperson offered the following substitute:
Substitute (S-1).
The substitute 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. 217 Yeas—35
Ananich Gregory Knollenberg Robertson
Bieda Hansen Kowall Rocca
Booher Hertel MacGregor Schmidt
Brandenburg Hildenbrand Marleau Schuitmaker
Casperson Hopgood Meekhof Shirkey
Colbeck Horn Nofs Stamas
Conyers Hune O’Brien Young
Emmons Jones Pavlov Zorn
Green Knezek Proos
Nays—2
Hood Warren
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: O’Brien
The question being on concurring in the committee recommendation to give the bill immediate effect,
The recommendation was concurred in, 2/3 of the members serving voting therefor.
The President pro tempore, Senator Schuitmaker, assumed the Chair.
Pursuant to Joint Rule 20, the full title of the act shall be inserted to read as follows:
“An act to provide for the registration, titling, sale, transfer, and regulation of certain vehicles operated upon the public highways of this state or any other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles and distressed vehicles; to provide for the licensing of dealers; to provide for the examination, licensing, and control of operators and chauffeurs; to provide for the giving of proof of financial responsibility and security by owners and operators of vehicles; to provide for the imposition, levy, and collection of specific taxes on vehicles, and the levy and collection of sales and use taxes, license fees, and permit fees; to provide for the regulation and use of streets and highways; to create certain funds; to provide penalties and sanctions for a violation of this act; to provide for civil liability of manufacturers, the manufacturers of certain devices, the manufacturers of automated technology, upfitters, owners, and operators of vehicles and service of process on residents and nonresidents; to regulate the introduction and use of certain evidence; to regulate and certify the manufacturers of certain devices; to provide for approval and certification of installers and servicers of certain devices; to provide for the levy of certain assessments; to provide for the enforcement of this act; to provide for the creation of and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies; to impose liability upon the state or local agencies; to provide appropriations for certain purposes; to repeal all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act or contrary to this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on a specific date,”.
The Senate agreed to the full title.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 897, entitled
A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled “The social welfare act,” (MCL 400.1 to 400.119b) by adding sections 107a and 107b.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Warren offered the following amendments:
1. Amend page 3, line 24, after the first “OF” by striking out “29” and inserting “20”.
2. Amend page 6, line 16, after the first “OF” by striking out “29” and inserting “20”.
The amendments were not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Gregory offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 6, following line 11, by inserting:
“(xiii) A RECIPIENT WHO IS A VETERAN.”.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 218 Yeas—16
Ananich Hertel Knezek Rocca
Bieda Hood Knollenberg Warren
Conyers Hopgood Nofs Young
Gregory Horn O’Brien Zorn
Nays—21
Booher Hansen MacGregor Robertson
Brandenburg Hildenbrand Marleau Schmidt
Casperson Hune Meekhof Schuitmaker
Colbeck Jones Pavlov Shirkey
Emmons Kowall Proos Stamas
Green
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
Senator Warren offered the following amendments:
1. Amend page 5, line 7, after “OF” by striking out “6” and inserting “13”.
2. Amend page 7, line 26, after “OF” by striking out “6” and inserting “13”.
The amendments were not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendments were not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 219 Yeas—13
Ananich Hertel Knezek Warren
Bieda Hood O’Brien Young
Conyers Hopgood Rocca Zorn
Gregory
Nays—24
Booher Hansen Kowall Proos
Brandenburg Hildenbrand MacGregor Robertson
Casperson Horn Marleau Schmidt
Colbeck Hune Meekhof Schuitmaker
Emmons Jones Nofs Shirkey
Green Knollenberg Pavlov Stamas
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
Senator Knezek offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 6, following line 11, by inserting:
“(xiii) A RECIPIENT WHO IS UNEMPLOYED DUE TO A SEASONAL JOB THAT WAS RECENTLY TERMINATED.”.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 220 Yeas—13
Ananich Hertel Knezek Schmidt
Bieda Hood O’Brien Warren
Conyers Hopgood Rocca Young
Gregory
Nays—24
Booher Hansen Kowall Proos
Brandenburg Hildenbrand MacGregor Robertson
Casperson Horn Marleau Schuitmaker
Colbeck Hune Meekhof Shirkey
Emmons Jones Nofs Stamas
Green Knollenberg Pavlov Zorn
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
Senator Ananich offered the following amendments:
1. Amend page 2, line 20, after “DIVORCE” by striking out “OR” and inserting a comma.
2. Amend page 2, line 21, after “VIOLENCE” by inserting a comma and “OR MISCARRIAGE OR OTHER PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS”.
The amendments were not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendments were not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 221 Yeas—15
Ananich Hertel Knezek Warren
Bieda Hood Knollenberg Young
Conyers Hopgood O’Brien Zorn
Gregory Horn Rocca
Nays—22
Booher Hansen Marleau Robertson
Brandenburg Hildenbrand Meekhof Schmidt
Casperson Hune Nofs Schuitmaker
Colbeck Jones Pavlov Shirkey
Emmons Kowall Proos Stamas
Green MacGregor
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
Senator Warren offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 10, following line 6, by inserting:
“(7) THE DEPARTMENT MUST CONTRACT WITH 1 OF THE STATE’S RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS TO EXECUTE A COMPREHENSIVE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS. IF AT ANY TIME, THE COST OF ADMINISTERING THE WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS UNDER THIS SECTION IS GREATER THAN THE SAVINGS REALIZED BY THE WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS UNDER THIS SECTION, THOSE WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS ARE TERMINATED AND SECTIONS 107A AND 107B NO LONGER APPLY.” and renumbering the remaining subsections.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 222 Yeas—12
Ananich Gregory Hopgood Rocca
Bieda Hertel Knezek Warren
Conyers Hood O’Brien Young
Nays—25
Booher Hildenbrand MacGregor Robertson
Brandenburg Horn Marleau Schmidt
Casperson Hune Meekhof Schuitmaker
Colbeck Jones Nofs Shirkey
Emmons Knollenberg Pavlov Stamas
Green Kowall Proos Zorn
Hansen
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
Senator Hertel offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 11, following line 3, by inserting:
“(11) BEGINNING ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AMENDATORY ACT THAT ADDED THIS SECTION, LEGISLATORS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND AN AVERAGE OF 29 HOURS PER WEEK IN SESSION DAYS. AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, “SESSION DAY” MEANS A DAY IN WHICH BOTH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE CONVENE IN SESSION AND A QUORUM IS RECORDED.”.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 223 Yeas—15
Ananich Hertel Knezek Warren
Bieda Hood O’Brien Young
Conyers Hopgood Rocca Zorn
Gregory Jones Schuitmaker
Nays—22
Booher Hansen MacGregor Proos
Brandenburg Hildenbrand Marleau Robertson
Casperson Horn Meekhof Schmidt
Colbeck Hune Nofs Shirkey
Emmons Knollenberg Pavlov Stamas
Green Kowall
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
Senator Bieda offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 2, line 4, after “107B(1)(F)(v)” by inserting a comma and “OR AN INDIVIDUAL CARING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE AND ELDERLY OR MEDICALLY FRAIL”.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor.
Senator Hood requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 224 Yeas—17
Ananich Hood Knezek Rocca
Bieda Hopgood Knollenberg Warren
Conyers Horn Nofs Young
Gregory Jones O’Brien Zorn
Hertel
Nays—20
Booher Green MacGregor Robertson
Brandenburg Hansen Marleau Schmidt
Casperson Hildenbrand Meekhof Schuitmaker
Colbeck Hune Pavlov Shirkey
Emmons Kowall Proos Stamas
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
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. 225 Yeas—26
Booher Hildenbrand Marleau Rocca
Brandenburg Horn Meekhof Schmidt
Casperson Hune Nofs Schuitmaker
Colbeck Jones Pavlov Shirkey
Emmons Knollenberg Proos Stamas
Green Kowall Robertson Zorn
Hansen MacGregor
Nays—11
Ananich Gregory Hopgood Warren
Bieda Hertel Knezek Young
Conyers Hood O’Brien
Excused—0
Not Voting—0
In The Chair: Schuitmaker
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Protests
Senators Young, Warren, Hopgood, Hood, Hertel, Gregory, Bieda and Conyers, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of Senate Bill No. 897.
Senators Young, Warren, Hertel, Gregory, Bieda and Conyers moved that the statements they made during the discussion of the bill be printed as their reasons for voting “no.”
The motion prevailed.
Senator Young’s statement is as follows:
Colleagues, I rise in opposition to this Medicaid legislation. This is my “no” vote explanation.
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker. But whoever is kind to the needy, honors God. We have a very rare opportunity for what we do politically to line up with what we should do spiritually, which is to serve the least of these. Now, I don’t know why you got elected, but I serve, and I wanted to be elected so that government could do for those who cannot do for themselves and that we protect the least of these. And when you have this policy, which I think is insidious and wrong, that goes against the very heart of what that scripture says, we have lost our way in this state.
Seventy percent of the people who receive Medicaid in this state, work—70 percent. That is more than the national average of 40 percent. This bill is a solution looking for a problem that does not exist. If you are concerned about the poor, if you are concerned about the unemployed, let’s fix our roads and create some jobs and put them back to work. That is what we should be doing. Not mandating that they work jobs to receive health care when most people who are working poor already are working. This makes no sense.
Nowhere in the Bible does it teach us that because I got mine, you better get yours. Nowhere in the Bible does it teach us to get down or lay down policy. You know what I’m talking about Madam President? To get down to lay down policy? You’re either going to get down on my program or I will lay you down on my program? That’s not in the Bible. That’s not spiritual, that’s not moral, and that’s not ethical, that’s just wrong. It is despicable to take away the only health care that many Michiganders have means to access.
We received testimony in committee this week from a grandmother who said, “If you were to ask me to get a paid job for my grandkids and do voluntary work, I would choose to go without health insurance.” Does this sound like the embodiment of a Michigan family and a Michigan resident? I, for one, am envious of her children and grandchildren. These are the people who we should be helping. Think about the millions of people in this state who we will deprive from the basic, fundamental right of health care. It is wrong. And what is the purpose of gaining the whole world and being up here in Lansing if you lose your soul and you can’t serve the people who are most hurting? This is wrong. It’s deplorable and it’s demented and it does not belong in this state and it’s not needed.
It’s an insult to the thousands of constituents who I represent, who wake up every morning and take three or four bus transfers just to get to a job that pays them $15,000 or less. If we cared about raising the poor out of poverty, we would raise the minimum wage to $15.00. It makes no sense what we are doing. We should not be punishing the least of these, we should be passing policies that uplift the least of these, through jobs, through investing in our education, and through investing in health care. That’s what we need. We need to expand Medicaid. We need to expand the health care programs that we have today, not cut them. And we need to tell the federal government to bring back the individual mandate so that 13 million Americans can get health care, because it’s a fundamental right, not a privilege. There are constitutional concerns with this, but regardless of where you’re at and regardless of how this cuts—black, white, blue, green, we are all part of one race, the human race and this is an affront and a threat to people’s basic humanity. I represent a city that has the lowest level of life expectancy in the nation. And the reason why that is, is because people do not have access to fundamental health care.
Madam President, and my colleagues, I’m begging you, I am imploring you for the sake of our residents in this state, do not do this. This will have catastrophic effects across the board, whether it is children who are living in poverty, whether it’s 35 percent of the folks who live in poverty in my city—and more than 70 percent of them live above of the rate of poverty but still cannot afford basic needs. If we want to protect the least of these, we need to provide the social safety net for them, not cut it, and not eliminate it. This is wrong, and I refuse to block access to health care with this bill. So I thank you Madam President, and for the sake of Michiganians everywhere, I would like everyone to vote “no” on this bill. Thank you.
Senator Warren’s statement, in which Senators Hopgood and Hood concurred, is as follows:
I also rise to give my “no” vote explanation. Fundamentally, I believe that access to health care is a right that should be protected for all of our citizens, which is why I was a strong supporter of the Healthy Michigan program from the outset. From my perspective, the right to access health care should not be predicated on the number of hours a person works per week. But, if we are determined to attach a work requirement to this program—as it seems that we are—then I believe that it is critical that we are thoughtful about it, that we do it in the best way we can, and cause the least amount of harm to as few people as possible.
According to the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, about three in four of all Medicaid recipients in Michigan are already working. Of the remaining one in four, when asked why they were not working, one-third said they themselves were in fair or poor health, two-thirds said that they had a chronic physical illness, one-third said they had been diagnosed with a mental illness, and one-quarter said that they had a physical or mental impairment that interfered with their ability to function in at least half of the days in the last month.
Let’s remember a little bit about the jobs that we’re talking about. The nearly 2.5 million Michiganders who are receiving Medicaid and Medicaid-expansion benefits in our state are eligible for these programs because their incomes fall below 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. That’s approximately $15,800 for an individual and $32,300 for a family of four. We know that the jobs at this income level often come with irregular and erratic schedules, which create even more challenges for these individuals. When asked, more than two-thirds of people working variable schedule jobs reported that the schedule interferes with their family life. Over 40 percent reported that the unpredictability causes issues with their child care or parenting responsibilities, and 63 percent say that their scheduling issues cause negative health impacts, which—I think it is fair to assume—would only be exacerbated by a loss, or threatened loss, of their health care coverage. This is what we know about the people who will be affected by the policy changes before us today.
Colleagues, here is what we don’t know: we don’t how much this policy is going to cost us to implement. We don’t know how much it’s going to cost our state budget annually once it goes into effect. When we implemented the Health Michigan plan, we included a provision that said, if and when its cost exceeds savings, it should be dissolved. I would argue that the same should be expected for work requirements. If they ultimately are not saving the state money, they should be discontinued.
What we have found is that providing people access to health insurance has not just improved health, it saved them money. It saved hospitals and health systems money because they aren’t having to offer as much uncompensated charity care. It saved our state money, because ensuring that people can get to the doctor before they have an advanced-stage health care crisis, turns out to be a pretty good deal for us.
I am disappointed that we’re about to partially renege on that deal today by implementing work requirement programs without ensuring that the barriers that keep people from the ability to meet those requirements are being addressed. Unless and until we tackle the challenges of child care access, transportation, job training, work placement, and so much more, what we’re doing is setting up a system that’s not designed to keep people healthy, and it’s not designed to put people to work. It’s just designed to keep them from accessing health care.
It’s for all these reasons that I will be voting “no” today, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Senator Hertel’s statement is as follows:
I rise to give my “no” vote explanation on Senate Bill No. 897.
I first want to say that I do appreciate the work that my colleague from the 16th District did put on this bill, and I do believe the substitute is a dramatic improvement to the way the bill was originally introduced. That being said, I still believe it is terrible policy. I cannot support legislation that ties a basic human right like access to health care to employment.
To quote the former State Budget Office Director and former State Representative Al Pscholka, “I don’t know how anyone can consider themselves pro-life and then take someone else’s health insurance away from them.” This bill operates on the assumption that those on Medicaid want to be reliant on the state, that they are choosing their current conditions, and that people choose to be poor. Do you actually believe that people choose to live in communities with high unemployment, poor schools, dangerous neighborhoods, zero grocery stores, and limited pathways to economic stability? Would you want that for your family? People don’t choose to be poor.
This bill is an insult to the working poor—and yes, they are working—who often work multiple jobs to not even come close to making ends meet. Frankly, they work a lot harder than many of us in this chamber, and when given the opportunity to put those rules on yourselves—to require you to work as hard as you want them to work, the same amount of hours you expect them to work—you refused to do so.
I would also like to point out that it’s not just the inner city that is covered by this bill. The problem is largely a rural one. The majority of those on Medicaid live in your districts, not mine. What do you say to the man in the Upper Peninsula who works 40 hours per week when jobs are plentiful in the summer but is unable to find work in the off-season? Nothing in this bill protects them. In fact, in Iron County between July and January of this year, unemployment nearly doubled. It is not that man’s fault that unemployment doubled. What magical job is he supposed to find when those jobs go away in the off-season? Why would you take his healthcare away just because of that? We all enjoy the amenities at the Mackinac Policy Conference where we get to hobnob with big, fancy people. Should the employees running that island lose their health insurance once the summer ends and once those jobs go away? Many of these jobs that get people 30 hours per week simply do not exist in that off-season. I think it’s cruel to punish people for that.
This bill gives exemptions for those with substance abuse disorders but not those with mental illness. It gives no exemption for those doing seasonal work but gives exemptions for those who just got out of prison. A guy who plays by the rules his whole life and happens to live in a county with seasonal employment has less access to health care than someone who committed a crime. It frankly makes no sense. You are picking winners and losers. I think Republicans love to talk all the time about not picking winners and losers when it comes to business, but they are always fine doing it when it comes to the working poor. You’re more acceptable and you get this. You don’t.
Basically, for the working poor, they’re a giant social-engineering experiment for Republicans, and, frankly, somebody to attack. OK, too many people are on food stamps. Let’s say they’re buying Skittles and lobster. Let’s drug-test them and see if that gets them out of poverty. Let’s take away their right to govern themselves and see how that works. Let’s make them buy their clothing from their clothing allowance at a thrift store. The idea that if we just find that secret sauce, if we just embarrass them enough, and if we just take enough away from them, they will find some way to choose to stop being poor. All of this, a massive social-engineering experiment, because you cannot look yourself in the mirror and say the simplest of truths: That you have failed.
You created an economy where the average CEO makes 300 times more than the average worker, where people can find a job but they can’t find a job that actually pays their bills, and where a study was done in Michigan and half the population is living in an unsustainable condition. Fifty percent of the people in my county—fifty percent of the people in your districts—cannot survive based on the incomes we have. For all the talk about how the economy has gotten better, the average wage—the median income—is the exact same as it was a decade ago. Your policies have failed. They have not worked, and by just putting this into law is not going to make people choose not to be poor any longer.
This Legislature talks a lot about problems of big government, yet this bill proposes to balloon government significantly through increased reporting, oversight, and expenses, rather than spending millions of dollars to track the hours and work of everyone on or trying to get Medicaid, which again will not boost productivity or make jobs magically appear for people. And then, you’re going to subject them to random audits that worked so well in the unemployment agency where 93 percent of the people were accused falsely.
We should be investing in job training programs. If you want people to be able to find a job, invest in job training, invest in child care, transportation, and wraparound services. We should be investing in people. We need to equip people with the skills they need to qualify for good-paying jobs that offer sustainable, predictable hours. We need to make it easier for people to engage in healthy behaviors, and actually you’re darn right, none of this is in this bill. None of the things I’m talking about that we should have put in this bill are there. We need to make it easier for people to engage in healthy behaviors by ensuring their access to nutrition, education, and social support aren’t based entirely on what zip code they live in.
In reality, it’s not any of us in this chamber who are out there facing these struggles day in and day out, trying to find pathways to economic stability. That is not us. We don’t live like that. It’s easy for those who are the haves to tell the have-nots how they’re supposed to live. We all have the immense privilege to be here to represent the best interests of our constituents. So how can we sit here and tell these people—these people who we represent, who are trying and fighting to get by every day—that they’re just not working hard enough?
This bill is morally wrong, fiscally irresponsible, and willfully ignorant of the economic conditions that your policies have put this state in. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and vote “no” on this bill.
Senator Gregory’s statement is as follows:
I rise to offer my “no” vote explanation and also to stand with my constituents against unnecessary bureaucracy and this attempt to hold health care hostage.
The ability to be granted a so-called exemption from work requirements may be difficult for some folks to get. For people who are considered medically frail, the narrow language of this definition will result in individuals losing their coverage. The proposed work requirements would heap on piles of paperwork, burdening the people who need the most help. The process of obtaining medical records, physician statements, or other documents to prove exemptions can be a difficult task for anybody to get done. It’s even more difficult for individuals without a health insurance program. And, if just one box on the form is filled out incorrectly, these families will lose access to health care for an entire year.
This also undercuts all of the work we’ve done to expand Medicaid and Healthy Michigan, which, by the way, has more than 683,000 residents as of today. Ultimately, this plan takes Michigan residents back off of health care, back away from health care, which will cost the state money in operations and emergency room costs. Simply put, this bill will create sicker people and higher insurance costs for working families in the state of Michigan.
Therefore, I cannot with good conscience support this attempt to undercut the hard work we’ve done to expand access to health care in this state for all residents.
Senator Bieda’s statement is as follows:
I’m going to join with some of my colleagues in some of the previous comments, but I wanted to stand here and also bring out a portion of this bill that I don’t think many members of this chamber have considered, and that is that it is fiscally irresponsible.
We are rushing a bill out of this chamber that was literally just reported out of committee yesterday. A bill that its own sponsor—and I commend the sponsor for the amazing amount of work that he’s done—has still publicly admitted that more work needs to be done on this. Among the many issues with this bill, is that it is fiscally irresponsible. Just this week, Michigan residents finished their tax returns and then sent them to the state and federal government. The way the system works is that the federal government will then send some of our money back to us for social programs, roads, and many other things. But if we take people off of Medicaid with this mandate before us, Michigan is going to lose a lot of money from the federal government. We’re talking about a loss of $1.87 in federal matching funds for every $1 the state cuts from its Medicaid budget. I don’t know about you, but even the greatest financial planners can’t get a nearly 200 percent rate of return. These federally matched funds are from the pockets of Michigan taxpayers.
So where does the money go? It definitely won’t be coming back into Michigan’s economy. My colleagues from across the aisle are telling us, with this bill, that they’d rather throw away those federal funds and let them be disbursed to other states. How is this fiscally responsible?
Not to add on, but to make matters even worse, the current estimates are that the administrative costs to implement changes under this bill would be to the tune of $20 million to $30 million, and that’s a conservative ballpark estimate. I’ve seen others that have predicted the plan would cost us more than $100 million. You would think with a price tag this high, we would be able to solve a lot of other problems. But instead, we are literally tearing away the only safety net that some families have against illness, and that is completely unacceptable to me. Such fiscal irresponsibility should never be brought to the floor of a state as great as ours. But here we are, wasting money that could be spent to fix our crumbling infrastructure.
Proponents of this legislation will say that we are putting people back to work and helping businesses, but that’s simply not true. Instead, businesses all over the state will be inundated with bureaucratic paperwork to solve their employees’ status. Businesses are going to get stuck footing the bill for the extra time and money it takes to process this mound of paperwork. Will they have to lay off other workers in order to fulfill more government mandates? And who processes the applications for the state? We all know bureaucracy isn’t free. Taxpayers will end up forking out a significant amount of money to process the stacks and stacks of paperwork that this bill will require. That is one of the reasons I cannot support such a fiscally irresponsible bill. Let’s put people to work, but let’s do it the right way.
Senator Conyers’ statement is as follows:
I rise for my “no” vote explanation.
It seems that Senate Bill No. 897 is an example of “first you take the name, and then you change the meaning.” It’s not a social welfare act but another social welfare attack. It’s an attack on working families, it’s an attack on rural families, it’s an attack on urban families, and it’s an attack on those with an intellectual disability. Amendment No. 1, Amendment No. 2, Amendment No. 3, Amendment No. 4, Amendment No. 5, and Amendment No. 6—each of those was an opportunity to put a sense of light inside of a bill that’s so fundamentally wrong. When we look at those working families, if we can’t make the financial imperative to you, then let us make the moral imperative. Criminalizing the poor is wrong.
I urge a “no” vote from my colleagues.
Senators Gregory, Ananich, Hertel, Bieda and Shirkey asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Gregory’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to offer an amendment to Senate Bill No. 897.
Serving our country is a noble form of work. The men and women who have fought for our country should have health insurance, period. My amendment would exempt veterans from Medicaid work requirements. Let’s not forget that a disproportionate number of veterans, in particular minority veterans, live in poverty and face numerous barriers to our social systems.
We can let them know that we have their backs with this amendment, and I look forward to your support for this amendment.
Senator Ananich’s statement is as follows:
My amendment expands the temporary good cause exemption to include miscarriage or other pregnancy complications. With roughly 50 percent of births in Michigan paid for by Medicaid, there are often complications, and even worse, the babies don’t always survive. We need to consider this complete devastation women and families experience when they lose a child. It’s one of the most traumatic experiences a mother can go through, often resulting in years of severe depression and anxiety. How can we expect these women to simply toughen up and get a job under these circumstances? That would be just cruel. Bills such as the stillbirth tax credit recently passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, and these are examples of us showing deference to this particular situation.
I’m hoping that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will vote “yes” on this commonsense amendment.
Senator Hertel’s statement is as follows:
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. With this legislation, we are telling citizens that they must work 29 hours per week and then they would qualify for government-paid health benefits. Well then, we should do the same for ourselves. If we’re going to qualify 29 hours as full-time work, then it would be the height of hypocrisy to take government-paid health care ourselves when we ourselves are not working 29 hours. That would mean that during winter break, spring break, Mackinac break, summer break, election break, or hunting break, we would not get taxpayer-funded health care.
If it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander. Why tell working poor people that they have to live at a different standard than we in this lavish building do? I’m asking you to support this amendment—take away your own health care when you don’t work 29 hours per week—and then at least you won’t be a hypocrite in this process.
Senator Bieda’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to offer an amendment to Senate Bill No. 897.
Going through the bill, there are three types of vulnerable populations in our state: children, the elderly, and the disabled. That’s why I’m offering an amendment to expand the definition of caretaker to include those who are taking care of an elderly family member. In an economy that has struggled to rebound, more and more people are leaving their jobs to take care of aging family members instead of paying for a professional caretaker. We need to take this into account and codify exemptions for family members who make that difficult decision.
I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.
Senator Shirkey’s statement is as follows:
I’m not here to do my “no” vote explanation. I’m here to do my “yes” vote exhortation. I’ve heard a lot of comments today about fiscal irresponsibility. I want to remind this chamber that we proudly have spent just shy of $1 billion in IT and information systems upgrades in the departments in the last seven years, for the strict and specific purpose of making sure these kinds of things can be integrated in a painless and less bureaucratic way. This is not about taking things away from people. As a matter of fact, there’s nothing about this bill that removes access to Medicaid.
When talking to people about Medicaid—and I’m talking specifically about those who are able-bodied—with the long list of exemptions that we’ve contemplated, and asked them the question: “Is having Medicaid an important asset to you or your family?” Almost without doubt and without question, the answer is “yes, it’s an important asset.” Then the next question is: “Then why? Why would you allow it to lapse?” Engaging in workforce engagement—which includes not just working, but training and education—we have proudly—this chamber and the other chamber at the other end of Capitol—have provided millions and millions of dollars of systems to help people in education, seeking work, and finding opportunities to upgrade themselves. We have the systems in place. Medicaid, its fundamental, original definition, was to help those who are exceedingly low income, elderly, disabled, and children. Also, ostensibly, Medicaid is intended to either help people increase or improve their health, or maintain their health. Study upon study supports the notion that one of the best things a person can do for their own health and in particular, one of the best things a person can do for their family’s health, is to be productively engaged in work.
There are a lot of comments regarding Healthy Michigan. I would maintain that yes, in fact, we do have a cost requirement hurdle in the statute for Healthy Michigan. I still maintain what we did in expanding eligibility was the right thing to do given the circumstances presented to us as that time. This kind of legislation, now that the economy and the environment have changed, is precisely what we need to do to allow Healthy Michigan to survive. Because if we don’t, it won’t. You go find me a business, anywhere, that doesn’t have a “For Hire” sign up. I think it is an obligation of the Legislature to always be reviewing their laws, their statutes, their rules, their regulations, and etcetera, to make sure there are no unintended disincentives involved in artificially holding back a growing economy.
There are 2.4 million people in Michigan who are enrolled in Medicaid. This bill, based on information from the department, will likely impact about 300,000 of them. There are 700,000 people enrolled in Healthy Michigan, so we’re talking less than that. We’re also talking that less than half the people enrolled in Healthy Michigan are working enough to qualify for this requirement. My colleagues are probably tired of hearing me say often and frequently and emphatically that you always find what you’re looking for. You always find what you’re looking for. Those who are standing opposed to this legislation that encourages and enables somebody on Medicaid to go find work or go find education or go find training and still remain eligible for Medicaid, are the ones who are purposely looking for reasons to be obstructive, and to prevent people from enjoying the joy of work.
By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of
Statements
The Assistant President pro tempore, Senator O’Brien, resumed the Chair.
Senators Bieda, Schuitmaker and O’Brien asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Bieda’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to recognize Desiree Linden. She is the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985. A California native, but now a proud Michigander, Desiree moved to Macomb County to train in the Hansons-Brooks elite development running group alongside some of the greatest runners from around the country. She braved some of the worst weather in the race’s history—down-pouring rain, winds in excess of 30 miles per hour, and temperatures hovering around freezing, or, as we like to call it, just another day in Michigan.
Her finishing time was 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 54 seconds, but her running record doesn’t end there. She also has represented our great country in the marathon in two Olympic Games, coming in seventh place in the Rio Games. We are proud of Desiree and look forward to seeing more great accomplishments from her.
Senator Schuitmaker’s statement is as follows:
Thank you so much, Madam President. I have a special guest up in the west Gallery. His name is Tristan McCune and he’s been a wonderful intern for me and my office serving the residents of the 26th District, which is comprised of Van Buren, Allegan, and Kent Counties. I just would like the members help thank him for his unbelievable service. He was always on time, always willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, and to meet the constituent’s needs of the 26th District. So if the members would thank him for his service.
Senator O’Brien’s statement is as follows:
I would just like to mention that today is the last day for my intern, Andre Taylor. He’s not in here right now, he is working in my office. We also appreciate his efforts to the Senate.
Announcements of Printing and Enrollment
The Secretary announced that the following House bill was received in the Senate and filed on Wednesday, April 18:
House Bill No. 4115
The Secretary announced that the following bills were printed and filed on Wednesday, April 18, and are available at the Michigan Legislature website:
Senate Bill Nos. 950 951 952 953
House Bill Nos. 5825 5826 5827 5828 5829 5830 5831 5832 5833 5834 5835 5836
Committee Reports
The Committee on Michigan Competitiveness reported
Senate Bill No. 897, entitled
A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled “The social welfare act,” (MCL 400.1 to 400.119b) by adding sections 107a and 107b.
With the recommendation that the substitute (S-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect.
Mike Shirkey
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Shirkey, Stamas, Robertson and Proos
Nays: Senator Warren
The bill and the substitute recommended by the committee were referred to the Committee of the Whole.
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Committee on Michigan Competitiveness submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 8:30 a.m., Room 1100, Binsfeld Office Building
Present: Senators Shirkey (C), Stamas, Robertson, Proos and Warren
The Committee on Natural Resources reported
Senate Resolution No. 150.
A resolution to endorse continued investment in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and to encourage a partnership between the state of Michigan and Cleveland-Cliffs to support Cliffs’ reinvestment in the Empire Mine in Richmond Township.
(For text of resolution, see Senate Journal No. 34, p. 523.)
With the recommendation that the resolution be adopted.
Thomas A. Casperson
Chairperson
To Report Out:
Yeas: Senators Casperson, Pavlov, Robertson, Stamas and Warren
Nays: None
The resolution was placed on the order of Resolutions.
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT
The Committee on Natural Resources submitted the following:
Meeting held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 12:30 p.m., Room 1300, Binsfeld Office Building
Present: Senators Casperson (C), Pavlov, Robertson, Stamas and Warren
Scheduled Meetings
Judiciary - Tuesday, April 24, 3:00 p.m., Room 1300, Binsfeld Office Building (373-5323)
Natural Resources - Wednesday, April 25, 12:30 p.m., Room 1300, Binsfeld Office Building (373-5312)
Senator Kowall moved that the Senate adjourn.
The motion prevailed, the time being 1:24 p.m.
The Assistant President pro tempore, Senator O’Brien, declared the Senate adjourned until Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
JEFFREY F. COBB
Secretary of the Senate
584 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 585
586 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 587
588 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 589
590 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 591
592 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 593
594 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 595
596 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 597
598 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 599
600 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 601
602 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE [April 19, 2018] [No. 38
No. 38] [April 19, 2018] JOURNAL OF THE SENATE 603
604