The
next hearing by the House Transportation Committee on Governor's
Granholm's "Fix it First" approach to roads will take
place in Detroit on Monday night at the SEMCOG offices - see below.
Senate
In committee:
Natural
Resources and Environmental Affairs will meet on Tuesday
(4/12) at 3:00 pm for a presentation on land use by Andrea Brown,
AICP, Executive Director of the Michigan Society of Planning
Transportation
will meet on Tuesday (4/12) at 1:00 PM to take up:
HCR 4 - A resolution to memorialize Congress to enact
highway reauthorization legislation with a level of funding
that closes the gap between federal fuel tax dollars paid by
Michigan motorists and dollars received to address Michigan’s
transportation needs.
Appropriations:
Agriculture will meet on Thursday (3/24) at 2:30 pm to take
up the Fiscal Year 2005-06 Agriculture Budget.
Appropriations:
Transportation will meet Tuesday (4/12) at 1:00 PM for a
hearing on the Fiscal Year 2005-06 Transportation Budget
-Intercity bus and rail passenger service
-Aeronautics
House
On the
calendar:
HB 4204
- This bill eliminates the 6 cent sales tax on gas to the extent
that it exceeds $2.30 gallon.
HB 4257
- The bill reduces the taxes that farmers would pay on their
property to $5 acre be providing them a tax credit against their
income or Single Business Tax payment to property taxes paid
above that amount. The program is limited to only 200,000 acres
- in order to limit the the lost tax revenue to the state to
$2-3 million. If applied to all property the bill would cost
the state more than $30 million a year (depending on enrollment).
Unlike the current program (PA 116), this act has does not limit
the property taxes credit based on the income level of the taxpayer.
The bill does not follow the recommendations of the Michigan
Land Use Leadership Council on this point.
In committee:
Agriculture
will meet on Tuesday (4/12) at 2:00 PM or after committees are
given leave by the House to meet, whichever time is later to
take up HB 4235 a bill to require 2% biodiesel to be
included in diesel fuel sold within the state.
Local
Government and Urban Policy will meet on Wednesday (4/13)
at 2:00 PM or after committees are given leave by the House
to meet, whichever time is later to take up:
HB 4572
-- A bill to allow a portion of the Great Lakes water quality
bonds to be expended for grants for engineering and consulting
costs associated with sewage treatment projects.
HB 4573
-- A bill to transfer $100 million dollars in authorized bonds
(from the $1 billion authorized by the voters in 2002) to the
grant program created in HB 4572.
Transportation
will meet Monday (4/11) at 6:00 pm in the SEMCOG Office Buhl
Building 535 Griswold Suite 300 Detroit MI 48226 for a presentation
by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) regarding
the 5-Year Plan and public testimony.
Appropriations:
Environmental Quality will meet on Wednesday (4/13) at 9:00
AM - Agenda FY 2005-06 Budget - Program Review: Priority Setting
- Department of Environmental Quality
- Public Testimony
Appropriations:
Natural Resources will meet on Wednesday (4/13) at 11:00
AM - Agenda FY 2005-06 Budget - Program Review: Priority Setting
- Department of Natural Resources
- Public Testimony
Appropriations:
Transportation will meet on Wednesday (4/13) at 8:30 AM
for a testimony on the 2005-06 Transportation Budget
Appropriations:
Agriculture will meet on Thursday (4/19) at 2:30 pm to take
up the Fiscal Year 2005-06 Agriculture Budget - Emerging Animal
& Plant Diseases.
Submitted
by:
James Clift
Brad Garmon
Michigan Environmental Council
119 Pere Marquette, Ste 2A
Lansing, MI 48912
(517) 487-9539
|
