This article appeared in the January 2019 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

As the 99th Legislative Session concluded in December, it is important to highlight some of the legislative and regulatory victories achieved by MMA during the 2018 Lame Duck session.

Since the November general election, MMA worked with the outgoing Snyder Administration and legislative leaders to achieve several victories both through the passage of pro-manufacturing legislation and the successful blocking of anti-competitive bills. These victories include signed-into-law legislation on:

• Paid Medical Leave: Constrain out-of-state efforts to damage Michigan’s business climate through paid medical leave reform (Senate Bill 1175, Public Act 369 of 2018; effective 3/28/19)
• No Stricter than Federal: Limit agencies from proposing administrative rules more stringent than federal, unless the agency can provide clear and convincing evidence (House Bill 4205, PA 602 of 2018)
• PPT Late Payment Death Penalty: Streamline and protect the process for manufacturers to claim their Personal Property Tax (PPT) exemption by amending the existing State Essential Services Assessment (SESA) Act (HB 6054, PA 505 of 2018; HB 6053, PA 541 of 2018)
• Going PRO Talent Fund: Earmarked more than $29 million toward skilled trades workforce development through the Going PRO Talent Fund, formerly the Skilled Trades Training Fund (SB 601, PA 618 of 2018)
• Tunnel for Line 5: Ensure the ongoing operation of Line 5 by building a tunnel under the Mackinac Straits (SB 1197, PA 359 of 2018)
• Minimum Wage: Modify Michigan’s new minimum wage law, adopted in September (SB 1171, PA 368 of 2018)
• Usage of Drones for Enforcement: Place limitation on agency use of unmanned aircraft systems or drones for enforcement while ensuring manufacturers are made aware of investigations into their facility (SB 1233, PA 442 of 2018; effective 3/21/19)
• Part 201 Standards: Set clear standards for environmental cleanup (SB 1244, PA 581 of 2018)
• Ballot Initiative Limitation: Prevent election fraud and better inform Michigan voters (HB 6595, PA 608 of 2018)
• Soo Locks Funding: Maintain Michigan’s role as a global transportation hub through the dedication of more than $32 million toward the construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie (SB 601, PA 618 of 2018)

Many manufacturing victories prevented anti-competitive legislation from being passed, which included:

• Data Breach Bill Blockage: Prevent unnecessarily onerous data breach notification requirements (HB 6405)
• Preventing an Oral Chemo Mandate: Block attempts to drive up health care costs by mandating cost parity for chemotherapy treatments and arbitrarily cap patient co-pay amounts (SB 492)
• Halting Additional Regulatory Burdens: Halt efforts to stifle innovation and investment in Michigan by forcing pharmaceutical manufacturers to reveal sensitive company trade secrets (HB 5223)
• Blocking Proposed Property Tax Increase: Deter efforts designed to limit the ability of commercial and industrial property owners to appeal property tax assessments (HB 4397)
• Avoiding Increased Water Fees: Cease action on the implementation of a new fee on water bills to pay for water infrastructure (HB 5898)
• Avoiding Increased Tipping Fees: Block a push to substantially increase the state’s existing landfill tipping fee (SB 943)

See the 2019-2020 Michigan Manufacturing Legislative & Regulatory Agenda for more about the most important issues impacting your bottom line.