Tuesday, March 19th, 2024

I voted NO on HB 5378 & 5379  (Reps. Prestin & Hill) Would expand the distance from 30 to 50 air miles for what would be allowed under a fuel tax reciprocity agreement. It also corrects the kilogram weight references for qualified motor carriers and clarifies the definition of a “motor carrier.” EXPLANATION: These are government solutions to government made problems. If taxes were cheaper at the pump across the board, Michigan wouldn’t have this problem or any need for this legislation.

PASSED 98-5, FAILED 53-45

I voted NO on HB 4927 (Rep. Arbit) – Would establish May as “Chaldean American Month” in the State of Michigan. EXPLANATION: Continuing to recognize certain groups raises the question of where to draw the line, we definitely don’t have enough days in the year for all of them. These types of ceremonial feel good bills are not what the people sent legislators to work on in Lansing, it does not dignify the work of the legislature.

FAILED 53-44

I voted NO on HB 5527 & 5528 (Reps. Fitzgerald & Carter) Would require all public schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place that includes the use of school personnel to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest on the school’s campus. AEDs would be required to be on-site. Also requires that any public high school athletic coach must be trained and certified in CPR and AED use. EXPLANATION: The unknown increased cost to the School Aid budget would be enormous and school districts should be able to decide on how best to spend the money, with their respective communities. NOTE: I was a NO vote on both of these bills but the presiding officer abruptly closed the board with a reprehensible lack of civility once the passage of HB5527 was imminent, leaving many legislators’ votes unrecorded.

PASSED: 55-29, PASSED 55-41