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Ground breaking Michigan personal property tax...
The Michigan Senate passed legislation to eliminate parts of the personal property tax after adding more protections for local communities and schools that rely on the tax revenues. The bills would phase out the personal property tax (PPT) for industrial properties and provide an exemption for small commercial properties. Republicans amended the package to add more reimbursement funds for bonded indebtedness and voter-approved millages, along...
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Personal Property Tax Debate in Senate
Right now the Michigan State Senate is considering a package of bills (SB 1065-1072) that will provide personal property tax relief to small businesses and manufacturers. This package of bills also provides a reimbursement mechanism for local units of government that are significantly impacted by these changes. Contact your Senator today by using the tool below and tell them what you think of Personal Property Tax reform.
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Bill Would Stop Double Taxation On Businesses
House Bills 4361 and 4362, sponsored by State Representative Jud Gilbert (R-81, Algonac), incorporates changes to Michigan’s Individual Income Tax, as well as a new 6% Corporate Income Tax for business. The Michigan Chamber strongly supports this comprehensive proposal to provide fair, simple and efficient tax reform and create a business tax climate conducive to job growth. Governor Snyder’s proposal eliminates individual, company,...
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US Chamber Message on Investment Income Taxes
MESSAGE FROM US CHAMBER: As the President and the U.S. Senate prepare to extol the virtues of raising the tax rates on investment income (capital gains and dividends), we would like to offer your organizations a chance to weigh in with Congress on the importance of preventing these massive tax increases that would slow economic recovery and cost jobs. Bills have been introduced in the House (H.R. 3091) and Senate (S. 1647) that would...
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Richardville Wants PPT Bills Done By Summer Break
Senate Majority Leader Randy RICHARDVILLE (R-Monroe) said Tuesday he wants the Personal Property Tax (PPT) reform package on the Governor's desk before summer break. "I personally think we shouldn't leave this summer without having that issue addressed completely," Richardville told reporters. "Now does that mean that the Governor signs it before we leave this summer? Ideally, yeah. . . . I know that a lot of people who are pro-business,...
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Governor's Special Message on Public Safety
In keeping with his effort to focus his administration and the Legislature on areas of critical concern to the state, Governor Rick Snyder today presented his Special Message on Public Safety before an audience at the Flint City Hall.The main focus of many of his initiatives will be on the cities of Flint, Detroit, Saginaw and Pontiac. All four cities were recently ranked among the FBI’s ten most violent cities. To the...
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Michigan Budget 2013 Overview
Governor Rick Snyder Fiscal Year 2013 executive budget and Fiscal Year 2014 projected budget The Governor touted the many successes thatMichiganhas accomplished over the past year. The state has eliminated the $1.5 billion deficit, achieved structural balance, reduced $5.6 billion in liabilities and saved $388 million for the future. For the Governor, it’s critical for the state to live within its means and prioritize...
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Planning tool helps midsize, large employers prep...
The Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) released a policy brief that explains the most significant effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on midsize and large employers inMichiganand theUnited States. Many surveys have predicted the likely actions of employers when the ACA goes into full effect in 2014—but the accuracy of those predictions depends largely on how well employers understand the relevant...
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Workers' Compensation Reforms in House
This week, the Michigan House of Representatives will consider reforms to Michigan's Workers' Compensation Act. In August, the state announced the pure premium advisory rates for worker's compensation insurance dropped by an average of 7.4 percent. The goal of HB 5002 is to address problems with the Act, which do not reflect nearly 100 years of legal, economic and medical developments. This proposal...
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New A.G. Coalition Tells Congress: Put Army Corps...
17-State Anti-Invasive Species Coalition Tells Congressional Leaders to Pass Legislation Shaving Three Years Off the Current Plan LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced that the newly formed national coalition of seventeen attorneys general fighting the spread of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species though Chicago waterways have sent a letter to the leaders of three Congressional committees calling for...
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RIGHT TO ORGANIZE: MUST POST BY NOV 17
In some of our workplaces, we have or belong to a union. Most of you do not. As you are aware, union organizing efforts have taken a new direction in the past few years. The hard times, jobs being shipped overseas and smarter employers have limited union successes. Many employees don’t even give a thought to belonging to a union. All that is about to change. Employers must post the attached NOTICE to advise all...
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NLRB Action Alert
From SHRM: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently issued a proposed rule changing the Board’s procedure for union election campaigns. The proposal shortens the time frame for union election campaigns and makes other changes to the unionization process. The proposed rule contains a number of provisions of concern including: • Shortened Timeframe. Because unions can prepare their entire unionization...
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2012 Interior Appropriations Bill
In total, the bill includes $27.5 billion in spending – a reduction of $2.1 billion below last year’s level and $3.8 billion below the President’s budget request. Overall, this funding level is $106 million below fiscal year 2009 spending levels. The legislation also includes a total cut to climate change programs of $83 million – or 22% – from last year, and decreases land acquisition funding by $239 million...
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SB348 Creates New Tax on Medical Services Health...
SB348: Introduced by Sen. Roger Kahn (R) on April 27, 2011, to repeal a 6 percent use tax on medical services health care providers, and replace it with a 1 percent tax on health insurance claims. These taxes are designed to “game” the federal Medicaid system in ways that result in higher federal payments to Michigan’s medical welfare system. This bill creates the new tax. The House Appropriations Committee will discuss this...
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Jackson County to Challenge City's Stormwater...
Jackson County will explore challenging the legality of the city’s stormwater fee, which it considers a tax.The county Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to direct administration and its legal counsel to work to oppose the fee, after discussing the issue during an almost hour-long closed session.The board called the fee an illegal tax that should be voted on by residents before it is levied.“The city should put it on...
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PA 312 Compromise Passed
Thursday evening on a 107-1 vote, the House passed a compromise on long-disputed police and firefighter collective bargaining (P.A. 312) reforms. The bill (HB 4522) garnered the support of labor and appears to represent most of what the Michigan Municipal League (MML) wanted. It would create a bargaining system that would be based on the following: - The municipality's "ability to pay" must be weighted heavier than any other consideration; -...
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Redistricting Plans Move Despite Reformer...
By Derek Melot | Published: June 22, 2011 Maps that redraw election districts for Michigan’s U.S. House members and members of the state Legislature were advancing rapidly in the Republican-controlled Legislature this week, despite protests by minority Democrats and others such as the Michigan Redistricting Collaborative. “We are disappointed that the Legislature decided to fast-track the redistricting process, even after...
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State Redistricting Maps Released
A new Kalamazoo County-only district would be created and all sitting Senate members would have districts to run in as part of 2011-2020 redistricting maps Senate Republicans are preparing to release.The biggest change will impact Sen. Tonya SCHUITMAKER (R-Lawton), who will be forced to choose between moving into the new Kalamazoo County-only district, an area she currently represents, or staying in Van Buren County and running in a new 26th...
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Governor & Leadership Broker Budget Agreement
An agreement on spending targets by the governor and legislative leaders has been reached, and it paves the way for the earliest completion date of the state budget in years. Governor Snyder, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and House Speaker Jase Bolger emphasized that while much work remains, the setting of spending targets at this point in the year is a welcome change that will prevent the budget process from dragging into the...
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MBT Repeal: Bullet Points
The Chamber thanks Senators Nofs and Richardville and Representatives Poleski and Shirkey for their vote on HB 4361-2, which eliminates the Michigan Business Tax and replaces it with a flat corporate income tax. Here are bullet points on the bill from Representatives Poleski and Shirkey.* This plan is a net tax cut of $700 million over three years for Michiganders. * Seniors who are 67 or older in 2012 do not see a change to...
Current Issues
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Michigan...
Thank you to Senate Majority Leader Richardville, Senator Nofs, Representative Poleski and Representative Shirkey for their votes in...
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High Speed Rail...
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, has announced that Michigan will be the recipient of $200 million in high-speed rail...
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US Congressional...
U.S. Reps. Mike ROGERS and Thaddeus McCOTTER would be redistricted into the same seats and U.S. Rep. Candice MILLER would need to move a few miles...
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