The Capitol Report

from Government Relations

September 30, 2008

Community College Training Partnership Passes Senate Committee

Legislation that creates an innovative workforce training program to assist job providers was approved last week by the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee.

The Michigan New Jobs Training Program is a progressive way for community colleges to partner with Michigan companies to get the training they need, create local jobs, and grow their business.  The plan allows community colleges and employers to enter into partnerships to identify training needs and enter into an agreement to train an employer’s new workers.  The program provides a flexible way for northern Michigan and the rest of the state to meet a variety of training and development needs. 

The Chamber supported the legislation in Committee.  Senate Bills 1342-1343 can be found at www.mileg.org.

Great Lakes Compact Adopted by Congress, Off to President

By a vote of 390-25 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the ratification of the Great lakes Compact.  This was the final congressional hurdle as the U.S. Senate passed the resolution last month.  The Compact will be transmitted to President Bush who has indicated he will ratify the Compact. 

The Compact, which will prohibit large-scale removal of water out of the Great Lakes Basin, was adopted by eight Great Lakes states, with similar agreements enacted by Canadian provinces.

It must be noted that northern Michigan’s Rep. Bart Stupak was one of the 25 votes in opposition to the water protection compact.  The vote by Congressman Stupak is contrary to the Chamber and Alliance’s position of support for the Compact.  A copy of Rep. Stupak’s comments in opposition to the Great Lakes Compact can be found here.

Smoking Ban Mandate Defeated in House, For Now

The House held a vote last week on legislation that will mandate a smoking ban in all bars, restaurants and other indoor areas, but did not receive enough votes for passage.  The bill only received 50 ‘yes’ votes, while it takes 56 votes to pass any legislation.  The issue is not completely over in the legislature, however, as the House procedurally allowed for the bill to be brought back for consideration at another time, most likely when the House returns after the election.

The blanket ban laid out in the current version of HB 4163 would shut down specialty bars that cater to cigar or pipe smokers, eliminate the ability for smoking inside tobacco shops, service clubs (VFWs) and eliminate charity events that may have smoking as part of the event, such as a smoker or a cigar dinner. The governor has expressed her intent to sign the bill. 

Many Detroit legislators were advocating the casino exemption be brought back into bill, as Detroit casinos would be subject to the ban, while tribal casinos would be exempt and would continue to allow smoking.  There could be additional amendments or legislation addressing this or other exemptions, such as service clubs and specialized tobacco stores and cigar bars, as part of a lame duck deal.  The bill can be viewed at www.mileg.org.

Voter Registration Deadline Approaches

The last day to register to vote for the General Election is Monday, October 6^th.  You can register to vote for federal, state, and local elections at your county, city, or township clerk's office; or by visiting any Secretary of State branch office.