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MiMfg Magazine
January 2019
Significant Legislative Victories for
MFG as 99th Legislature Adjourns
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)
MMA’s Government Affairs team worked
tirelessly on the behalf of manufacturers
during Lame Duck this past December.
• 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)
Learn more about MMA’s advocacy efforts at
mimfg.org and see page 12 to read about the 2019-
2020 Michigan Manufacturing Legislative & Regulatory
Agenda — MMA’s comprehensive guide to the most
important issues impacting your bottom line.
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