News Story

I'm Just a Bill

A sampling of proposed new state laws, as described on MichiganVotes.org

House Bill 5622
(Declare blueberry as the official state fruit)
Introduced by state Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker, R – Lawton

Establishes in law that henceforth the blueberry (Vaccinium Cyanococcus) shall be designated as the official State of Michigan fruit. Note: At present, Michigan does not have an official state fruit. Past bills have proposed designating the cherry as the official state fruit and apple cider as the official state beverage.


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House Bill 4040
(Require state to pay off Detroit schools deficit)
Introduced by state Rep. LaMar Lemmons Jr., D – Detroit

Requires the state to assume the deficit incurred by the Detroit School District during the period prior to 2006 when it was under the control of a state-imposed reform school board. In 2004 the district had a $122 million deficit.


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House Bill 5563
(Establish in law official state “Bo Schembechler Day”)
Introduced by state Rep. Rebekah Warren, D – Ann Arbor

Establishes in law that henceforth the day upon which the first University of Michigan home football game occurs each year shall be designated as the official State of Michigan “Bo Schembechler Day."


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House Bill 5885
(Exempt seniors from “driver responsibility fees”)
Introduced by state Rep. Edward Gaffney, R – Grosse Pointe

Exempts individuals age 62 or older from the “driver responsibility fees” (“bad driver fees”) that are assessed for various violations. These very expensive fees were originally adopted in 2003 to raise revenue so as to avoid spending cuts in that year’s and subsequent state government budgets.


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House Bill 4771
(Impose licensure on interior designers)
Introduced by state Rep. Andy Meisner, D – Ferndale

Imposes licensure and regulation on interior designers, with $70 annual license fees. The bill is part of a legislative package comprised of House Bills 4770 to 4772; this bill establishes the fee.


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House Bill 4133
(Ban implanting microchip in a person without consent)
Introduced by state Rep. Tom Pearce, R – Rockford

Prohibit and provide penalties for implanting a radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip in another person without their consent.


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Senate Bill 943
(Rename portion of M-72)
Introduced by state Sen. Tony Stamas, R – Midland

Rename a certain portion of M-72 as the “Hazen Shirley ‘Kiki’ Cuyler Memorial Highway.”


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House Bill 5207
(Authorize specialty plates for Grand Rapids sports teams)
Introduced by state Rep. Michael Sak, D – Grand Rapids

Authorize specialty license plates for the Grand Rapids Griffins, Grand Rapids Rampage and West Michigan Whitecaps professional sports teams. Proceeds from the sale of the plates for the first two teams would go to the Grand Rapids Griffins youth foundation and from the third team to the YMCA intercity youth baseball and softball programs.

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.