A Message from your NFIB Michigan State Director

Date: June 13, 2017

House and Senate Leadership and Governor Snyder have agreed on a path forward for closing the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MSPERS). You can read more about that HERE. The tentative agreement has also ended the stalemate between legislative leadership and the Governor on finalizing the 2018 budget. If everything moves along smoothly we should have substantive pension reform and the Legislature will recess for summer before July.

Once again our good friends in local government have indicated they don’t have enough to do by finding new ways to micro-manage your business. NFIB testified in support of Senate Bill 353 (sponsored by Senator John Proos) that would prohibit local units of government from adopting an ordinance or policy regulating information an employer must provide or exclude on an application for employment or during the interview process. The purpose of the legislation is to head off local efforts like the one in the city of Philadelphia that would ban private-sector employers from asking job applicants about their salary history. The bill was reported out of the Committee and is awaiting further action on the Senate floor. More on this issue HERE. You can view NFIB’s testimony in front of the committee HERE at the 24:28 minute mark on the video.

In 1994, Michigan voters approved “Proposal A,” amending the Michigan Constitution to reduce school property taxes and limit the taxing authority of local school districts.  Since then, numerous attempts have been made to erode what Proposal A accomplished when it came to reigning in property taxes. Despite NFIB opposition, Senate Bill 384 sponsored by Republican Senator Dale Zorn was reported out of committee last week to the full Senate. The bill would allow bonding under school sinking funds to be used for the purchase of school buses. The bill is nothing more than a creative solution to push more school operating expenses onto local taxpayers, exactly the problem Proposal A was meant to fix. NFIB will continue to work for the defeat of this bill. More on this issue HERE.

Lastly, the package of bills dubbed the “good jobs” bills opposed by NFIB were the subject of a hearing in the House Tax Committee this week. The bills have already passed the Senate and would allow big businesses that promise new jobs to keep a percentage of their employees’ personal income tax withholdings. NFIB informed the Committee that our members oppose big corporate handout schemes reminiscent of the failed MEGA program from the Granholm years. The bills are still in the Committee pending further hearings. You can read more about this HERE.

NFIB will be on guard to be sure your life, liberty, and property, are safe in the remaining weeks before the legislature recesses for summer. We hope you and your family find some time to enjoy the short Michigan summer!

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