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Electrical Deregulation package scheduled for a hearing on August 4th. No actions scheduled on budgets yet. __________________ Conference Committees SB 1066 -- MDEQ Budget - fiscal year 2004-05, the House
approved a budget for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ)
that reinstated the Hazardous Waste Management Program, but retained
reductions in staffing levels
by 8%, and reduces general fund support for the department by 15%. (f) That liability for response activities to address environmental contamination should be imposed upon those persons who are responsible for the environmental contamination. The use of CMI money to pay for a study to benefit the Dow Chemical Company is an inappropriate use of those funds - and breaks a promise to voters who supported the CMI bonds.At the same time, no new sites of environmental contamination are being addressed by the state due to budget shortfalls. MDEQ Budget Conference Committee Named - Senate - Senators McManus, Goschka, Barcia - House - Representatives Pastor, Moolenaar, Brown SB
1068 -- MDNR Budget for fiscal year 2004-05 -
The House
version removes travel cuts made by the Senate, removed timber cut
mandate language and returned to a version closer to that recommended
by the administration. Senate conferees: Sens.McManus, Johnson, Barcia
- House conferees - Reps. Pastor, Walker and Brown Senate On the calendar: Recycling bills: SB
790 –
Establishes the recycling advisory council. The Senate
Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee reported SB
790 on Tuesday. The council would "study" the issue some more
including whether to "change" the bottle bill. The Michigan
Environmental Council thinks this area has been "studied" enough - and
would rather see "action" to fund recycling programs or expand the
bottle bill. SB 532 and SB 533-- anti-littering legislation SB 853 -- Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-river program SB 854 - creates statewide recycling coordinator position SB 855 - Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-shoreline program SB 856 - Requires the state to conduct a comprehensive study on littering and create a marketing program to reduce litter SB 857 - Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-trail program SB 858 - Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-park program SB 860 - Establishes a 1-800 number for reporting littering violations SB 861 - Sets statewide goals for recycling rates (30% by 2009, 50% by 2014) Senate Energy and Technology will meet on Wednesday (8/4) to take up SB 1331-1336 regarding the regulation of electrical margets. Bills also address energy efficiency and renewable energy. House Passed: HB 6074 - This bill extends the sunset on
the regulatory fee (7/8 of one cent on each
gallon of gasoline) used to fund the cleanup of underground storage
tanks. This fee would raise about $60 million a year. A portion of the
money in the first year could be used to help balance the budget. HB 5870 – Implements HJR Z to constitutionally protect conservation funds if approved by the voters. HJR Z – Would place before the voters a constitutional amendment to protect conservation related restricted funds – thereby preventing the legislature from using those funds for other purposes.HB 5055 - Limits the collection of fees under the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control provisions of NREPA to those instances in which a permit is required. HB 6047 - Amends the joint planning act to clarify that every municipality that participates in joint planning is not required to allow every use authorized within the joint plan within its borders as long as the use is provided for somewhere within the joint plan. On the calendar: SB 757 - This bill places penalties on landloads that fail to remediate known lead paint hazards in rental units. SB 722/723 - Expands the eligible businesses for pollution prevention loans and increases the size of the available loans. HB 5441 – a bill to clarify when "feasible and prudent" alternatives should be considered to a project that will impact wetlands. An amendment was added in committee regarding when the MDEQ must issue a permit that may jeopardize Michigan's delegation of the Clean Water Act - section 404 program. HB 4106 -- Provide for state real estate transfer tax on transfer of certain manufactured homes. HB 4879 -- Provide for exemption from sales tax on used
manufactured
homes. HB 4882 -- Eliminate use tax on manufactured home sales. HB 4880 -- Create and implement a manufactured housing
specific
tax. HB 5844 -- Include for homestead property tax credit
calculation
amounts paid for Michigan manufactured housing specific tax. HB 4111 -- Exempt from property taxes manufactured housing
subject
to specific tax. HB 4868 -- Create a mobile homes manufactured home owners
residency
act. HB 4869 -- Establish and clarify owners rights under the
manufactured
home owners association act. HB 5035 -- Revise membership of the mobile home commission. HB 5034 -- a bill to access mobile homes as real property. HB 4358 -- To increase the length limit for trucks to 65 feet. SB 510 -- a bill to establish stormwater fees. HB 5312 -- allows hunters to donate an additional $1.00 when purchasing hunting or fishing licensing to support the sportsmen against hunger program SB 193 -- Provides for a specialty license plates for ducks unlimited Submitted by: James Clift
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