Michigan Legislative Roll Call: Senate votes to let minors to stock liquor shelves

House Bill 4996, Require governor announce legislative vacancy election date within 30 days: Passed 23 to 14 in the Senate To require the governor to announce the election dates to fill a vacancy in the legislature within 30 days of the seat becoming open. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 Senate Bill 744, Authorize subsidies to shipping and port interests: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate To add a selective state subsidy program that would give private developers and corporations $2.5 million in “Great Lakes Maritime” grants for a variety of improvements and uses related to port facilities, including pursuing more business. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 House Bill 5696, Let minors age 16 stock liquor store shelves: Passed 34 to 1 in the Senate To permit minors age 16 and older to stock shelves and do related functions in a business that manufactures or sells liquor. Current law prohibits this for anyone under age 18. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 House Bill 4884, Revise governor removal of corrupt or neglectful school board members: Passed 61 to 43 in the House To revise provisions of the state school code that prescribe a process for a governor exercising the authority granted by the state constitution to remove a local public official from office, in cases when that official is school board member or intermediate school board member. House Bill 4883 would amend the process for removing other local officials, which is authorized for neglect, corruption or malfeasance. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 Y Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 Y Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 House Bill 4416, Remove restrictive covenants from condo and homeowner association deeds: Passed 105 to 0 in the House To make it unlawful to record in the county deeds office a property owners’ or condominium association’s governing documents that contain a “restrictive covenant” that violates the federal Civil Rights Act, and establish that existing ones are void and unenforceable. The bill would also require associations that receive a member request to delete the restrictive covenants to act on it, and empower courts to enforce this. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 Y Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 Y Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 House Bill 5560, Revise domestic violence confidentiality detail: Passed 105 to 0 in the House To establish that a police officer or a prosecuting attorney may provide a domestic or sexual violence service agency with the name and pertinent information of a victim of domestic violence for the purpose of offering supportive services. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 Y Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 Y Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 House Bill 6013, Give teachers stipend for “mentoring” colleagues: Passed 101 to 4 in the House To give $1,000 annual stipends to public school “mentor teachers” as defined in the bill, and also give $90 daily stipends to prospective teachers who are filling the teacher licensure requirement to obtain a prescribed number "apprenticeship and internship" hours. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 Y Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 Y Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 House Bill 6108, Raise age to buy tobacco: Passed 79 to 26 in the House To raise the minimum age to buy tobacco in Michigan, from 18 to 21. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 N Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 N Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 House Bill 5681, Permit remote courtroom victim rights statements: Passed 105 to 0 in the House To revise a law that permits a crime victim to appear and make an oral impact statement at the sentencing of the defendant, by also allowing this to be done from a remote location. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 Y Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 Y Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, nonpartisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, nonpartisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Permission to reprint this legislative summary in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that www.MichiganVotes.org is properly cited. Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting