05/05/2008
This week in Lansing:
Legislature
Michigan House and Senate
The Michigan House and Senate are in session this week.
IssuesHealth insurance
The Blue Cross/Blue Shield bills that would change the rules for the individual health insurance market were discharged from the Senate Health Policy Committee and passed by the Senate last week. At a last-minute Senate health Policy Committee meeting held Thursday morning (the posted Wednesday hearing was cancelled) committee chair Sen. Tom George introduced a compromise similar to the one he outlined last week that includes elements of both his substitutes and those of Sen. Jason Allen. The new bills did not include a high-risk pool aggressively sought by Blue Cross. In short the bills as passed the Senate would retain the role of the Attorney General in Blue Cross oversight, expedite approval of Blue Cross rate filings, allow Blue Cross to rate-up for certain health behaviors such as smoking, shorten the pre-existing conditions exclusion for commercial carriers to six months. The bills allowing the Blue Cross-owned Accident Fund to sell other forms of insurance were not considered in committee or on the floor. The bills now return to the House where it is expected that Blue Cross will try again to obtain the provisions they did not get from the Senate changes to the original House bills. Evidence that this will be the case became clear on Friday when House Insurance Committee Chair Virgil Smith revealed plans to appoint a work group on the bills rather than convening a conference committee to work out differences in the House and Senate bills.
Taxes
Fallout from the MBT and the associated surcharge continue to be reported in the media and in angry constituent calls to lawmakers. Lawmakers are beginning to learn what they were warned about during hearings and debate last year -- concerning the tax being skewed to help a few large corporations at the expense of the vast majority of Michigan businesses. NFIB will continue to work on corrections to the MBT to help small business.
Senate Republicans have just announced that four statewide hearings have been scheduled around the state to gather input from taxpayers on the impact of the MBT and suggestions for its improvement. Hearings will be held on Thursday, May 8 at 3 p.m. in Grand Rapids; Thursday, May 15 at 3 p.m. in Oakland County; Friday, May 16 in Saginaw; and Monday, May 19 in Traverse City. If you would like more information, send an e-mail to NFIB/Michigan State Director Charles Owens.
NFIB is working with other interested groups in forming a coalition to put a ballot proposal before the voters that would require a two-thirds majority of both chambers before any tax could be increased or a new tax created.
Telecommunication competition
On Monday afternoon, Owens will meet with representatives of the cable TV industry to discuss cable competition with incumbent phone companies for telephone services to business and citizens.
Part-time legislature
NFIB continues to collect signatures for a ballot proposal to move Michigan to a part-time legislature. Turn Michigan Around is a ballot initiative committee supported by NFIB, the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce the Homebuilders Association of Greater Kalamazoo and a grassroots network of citizens represented by the ballot initiative committee Reform Michigan Government out of Clarkston, Mich.
NFIB 2008 agenda
The NFIB Small Business Agenda is available for review. Remember that this is really your agenda as we at NFIB respond to your priorities and concerns via your votes on member ballots and surveys.
PoliticsSupreme Court elections
On Monday, Owens will attend a meeting of the Capitol Club to hear a presentation by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Clifford Taylor. Taylor is up for reelection in the fall, and future control of the Supreme Court will be determined by the outcome. Last week the NFIB/Michigan Leadership Council directed staff to do a fax poll of the members to determine NFIB's involvement in the Supreme Court elections.
Candidates
This week NFIB will meet with candidate for the Michigan House Cindy Pettitt (Montcalm County area).
NFIB membersArea Action Councils - Unemployment Insurance Mini-Seminars
- Escanaba Area, Wednesday, May 7, 7:30 a.m., Comfort Suites-Escanaba
- Marquette Area, Wednesday, May 7, 12 p.m., Country Inn & Suites-Marquette
- Sault Ste Marie Area, Thursday, May 8, 7:30 a.m., Holiday Inn Express-Sault Ste. Marie
- Charlevoix Area, Thursday, May 8, 12 p.m., Edgewater Inn-Charlevoix
For more information contact our office at 517-485-3409 or e-mail Amanda Radaz.
2008 National Small-Business Summit in Washington, D.C.
Join other small business owners from around the country at the 2008 National Small-Business Summit in Washington, D.C., June 8-10.
For more information, please visit www.NFIB.com/summit.
