MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE

SB 219 (Pappageorge)

SB 219 would exclude from the income tax base of the Michigan Business Tax certain royalty and interest payments made to a foreign person.

• IE was ordered

SB 428 (Allen)

SB 428 would revise the “local development financing act” which authorizes certain targeted tax breaks to be granted by local governments, so as to shift decision-making authority for certain required state approvals from the Michigan Economic Development Corporations to the Michigan Strategic Fund, which is another arm of the state’s selective tax-break granting bureaucracy.

• IE was ordered

THIRD READING

SB 2 (Sanborn)

The bills (SB 2 and SB 340) would create an Office of Business Ombudsman as an autonomous entity within the Strategic Fund, empowered to investigate and review the actions of Michigan regulatory agencies. Senate Bill 2 (S-2) would require the Business Ombudsman to be appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate, and allow the Governor to remove the Ombudsman for cause. It would provide that the individual serving in the capacity of Business Ombudsman on the bill's effective date would have to continue serving in that capacity, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, and it would require the Office to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints and disputes from businesses against departments and agencies of the State; and specify additional powers and duties of the Office and the Ombudsman.

• SB 2 was passed [RC 453: 21 yes, 13 no, 3 excused]

SB 340 (Birkholz)

Senate Bill 340 (S-2) would require all departments, agencies, boards, committees, commissions, or officers of the State or any political subdivision of the State to give any assistance requested by the Office of Business Ombudsman in the performance of its duties, and allow the Office to bring an action in circuit court to enforce the proposed chapter. Furthermore it would require the Ombudsman, after an investigation, to present any conclusions and recommendations to the department or agency involved; and require the department or agency, at the Ombudsman's request, to inform the Ombudsman about the actions taken on the recommendations or the reasons for not complying with them. Finally, the bill would also permit the Ombudsman to submit his or her conclusions or recommendations to the Legislature, the Governor, a grand jury, the public, or any other appropriate authority and require that information obtained by the Office from businesses to be held in confidence, to the extent authorized under the Freedom of Information Act.

• SB 340 was passed [RC 454: 20 yes, 14 no, 3 excused]