LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan Senate passed a bill including tax cuts for low income workers and retired workers sending the package to the governor’s desk for consideration, the contents of which will take several years to take full effect. 

Part of House Bill 4001 required immediate effect in order for Michigan tax filers to get $180 inflation relief checks, $90 each if you are a joint filer. As of now, the bill passed without immediate effect, though some are discussing altering the language of the bill to allow for immediate effect. 

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The Senate passed the bill by a margin of three votes, 20 – 17, with Senator Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) not voting due to his absence.  Though Senator Lauwers (R-Brockway Township) raised a Point of Order stating that the conference committee the report violates the Joint Rule 8 which states “The conference committee shall not consider any matters other than the matters of difference between the two houses,” because the Senate voted on several sections that were never considered in either the House or Senate passed versions of House Bill 4001 according to Lauwers.  The presiding officer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II ruled that the conference report was not in violation of the joint rule because the conference report can include amendments to effect its agreement according to Joint Rule 8.  

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) also issued a statement on the bill’s passing. 

“I understand that originally this bill was supposed to provide real, immediate relief for struggling families. This could have been done in a broad, bipartisan way, a way that we could have had the Earned Income Tax Credit signed a few weeks ago into law and done in a bipartisan way. Some of these retirement pension exemptions, though not perfect, is a bit better than how they were, that could have been done in a bipartisan way and signed into law weeks ago also,” Senator Nesbitt said, “Instead, the Governor and the Democratic majority seems intent on stopping a tax cut for all working families and all seniors, everybody that pays taxes in the state of Michigan. Instead, they are trying to concentrate on having automatic funding for corporate handouts to some of the most profitable multinational corporations in the world, and put that in automatic funding for the rest of the Governor’s administration. So we could have had some bipartisan consensus early on, a few singles, instead they’re trying to get a home run to cut the legs out of the legislature and also try to attempt their stop of an income tax rollback that could help all working families.”

The House passed the bill just less than a week ago with a vote of 56-53.  Though some Republicans in the House have taken objection to the vote from Feb. 9. 

“Republicans have tried relentlessly to object many of the rules that Lansing Democrats have broken, and our voices have been actively silenced. Notably, last week, my good friend and colleague Rep. Angela Rigas, of Caledonia, was denied her ‘point of order’ to speak, and had her microphone turned off as the Democrats wrongfully rammed through a corporate welfare bill that they purposely gave Republicans little to no opportunity to mull over,” Representative Neil Friske (R- Charlevoix) said in a statement, “What is the point of having a Legislature if one side isn’t allowed to speak, or voice dissent? What has happened to the values of the Republic on which we were founded?” 

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Meanwhile, Majority Leader in the Senate, Senator Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), introduced Senate Resolution 12 to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate which would allow for the electronic voting system “may” instead of “shall” be used to determine the question before the body when the vote is taken by roll call or by division and shall display the votes of each Senator.  Rather, the presiding officer could call for a vote by roll call orally.  If passed, a roll call vote could be used to reconsider the vote regarding the “immediate effect” on House Bill 4001.