21 days to the end of the fiscal year – no budget – no plan.
The next three weeks will be very informative. Will our leaders step up and address the current budget crisis through a mixture of revenues and reforms – or will it be more smoke, mirrors and rhetoric?
Are they willing to invest in Michigan? The Senate’s action to pass budgets with no money in them last week is not a good sign.
SENATE
Passed:
The Senate passed the DNR and MDEQ budget with total authorizations of $100 and new boilerplate language. By failing to include appropriations the Senate is avoiding how they would balance the budget without raising new revenues.
HB 4354 – DNR Budget for FY 2007-08
This budget included boilerplate that stated:
“Sec. 707. The department shall work with the natural resources commission to create a plan for generating at least $5,000,000.00 in annual corporate sponsorship revenue for state parks operations. The department shall inventory all state park assets and determine a plan for attracting sponsorships of those assets in a tasteful and appropriate manner without detracting from the image of the park itself. The plan shall be submitted to the state budget director, the senate and house appropriation subcommittees on natural resources, and the senate and house fiscal agencies by January 31, 2008.”.
HB 4358 - MDEQ budget for 2007-08
This budget includes boilerplate language which prohibits the department from enforcing a new rule (336.1640) that would require reductions in VOC emission from the Holcim Cement Kiln in Dundee, Michigan. This amendment by reference to another law does not belong in a budget bill.
On the floor:
SB 502: A bill to require a complainant to provide his or her name to the department of environmental quality when submitting a complaint concerning a farm.
HB 4597: A bill to provide for hunting on Department of Natural Resources controlled land.
In committee:
The Commerce and Tourism committee will meet Tuesday at 2:30 pm to take up SB 757, a bill to revise the definition of an “economically efficient functional condition” and require certain notice be given when proposing terminating plant rehabilitation district or industrial development district. (The Committee will also take up HB 4673, a bill dealing with “going out of business sale” licenses, and SR 96, a resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to extend the H2B returning worker exemption permanently.)
HOUSE
Passed:
HB 4711-13: Bills to amend the brownfield redevelopment act to allow more costs to be covered by captured tax revenues and change the MDEQ approval process for some of those costs.
On the floor:
SB 350: A bill to create an animal welfare fund.
In committee:
The Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources committee will meet Tuesday at 10:30 am for a presentation by Michigan Magazine.
The Transportation: Public Transit committee will meet Wednesday at 9 am for a presentation by Hayes Jones, General Manager of SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation).
