House Bill 4360: sponsored by State Representative Peter Lucido (District 36), would prohibit a local government or law enforcement agency from operating a “motor vehicle storage facility,” or accepting financial consideration from a private vendor that has such a facility. This bill would protect the private towing and storage industry from unfair competition arising from local governments using taxpayer resources to provide a service already available in the private sector. Local governments that already have an existing storage facility or vendor contracts in place would be grandfathered.

House Bill 5090: sponsored by Rep. Scott VanSingel (District 100), clarifies that small trucks and dual axle trucks towing utility trailers are exempt the requirement to stop at a weigh station. It would also amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to change bypassing or failing to stop at a weigh station or scales from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction and to remove “commercial vehicle with other vehicles or trailers in combination” from the definition of a commercial vehicle that is required to stop at a weigh station. This legislation is consistent with our support of House Bill 4713 passed in 2015 (now Public Act 250 of 2015) that decriminalizes unintentional violations of state regulations and law.

Four NFIB backed bills moving through the Legislature highlight the importance of regulatory reform and protecting small business from unfair competition.

Senate Bills 757 and 758: sponsored by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (District 13), would amend the Skilled Trades Regulation Act and the Single State Construction Code Act, respectively, to make exceptions from permitting requirements for the installation, maintenance, replacement, or servicing of a low-voltage electric fence. Without this change, small business that install low voltage fences (such as those used to confine pets to the property) would have to get a permit and have the installation done by a licensed electrician.