Legislation increases transparency of MCCA
Analog to digital switch ta kes place in February
‘Pure Michigan’ campaign best in the nation
Working to Protect Michigan’s Natural Resources
Eliminating the vehicle registration signature requirement
Hire Michigan First
Plan Will Give Relief to Home Sellers
House Votes to Expand No Worker Left Behind
Dear friend,
As your State Representative, it is a privilege to serve you and act as your voice in Lansing. I believe it is important for us to keep the lines of communication open. I am sending you this newsletter to keep you informed of the legislative news from the Capitol, as well as some of the activities that I have been spearheading in the district. I hope you find the information in this newsletter interesting and useful.
I always welcome hearing comments, ideas and questions from members of my community so that I can stay in touch with the people I represent. After all, I am here to work on your behalf.
Please do not hesitate to contact me, toll-free, at (888) 663-4031 if I can ever be of assistance or answer any questions you may have. My staff and I are ready to listen and help in any way we can. You can also e-mail me at mikelahti@house.mi.gov.
Together, we can build a stronger Michigan.
Sincerely,
Mike Lahti
State Representative
110th District
Bill will allow residents to protect livestock from wolves
Make no mistake about it – the gray wolf has made a comeback in the Upper Peninsula. The wolf reintroduction has been so successful in the U.P. that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed it from the endangered species list in Michigan, meaning that we have the ability to manage the wolf population.
As wolves grow more comfortable in the U.P., they are becoming less and less afraid of contact with human society – particularly, farmers and their livestock. That’s why it’s long overdue that our residents have the ability to capture or kill wolves when they attack their livestock. Under my bill, HB 5686, residents will be able to do just that. My bill also requires that residents who capture or kill a wolf report it to the DNR within 24 hours, which will protect against pointless wolf killings.
The gray wolf is no longer an endangered species in Michigan, but we still must take steps to control the population. We all have the right to protect our personal property and defend our loved ones, and this bill will keep our property and families safe.
Legislation increases transparency of MCCA
In a move that should help provide more public oversight, I supported a plan that will increase transparency of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA). The plan requires the MCCA, an independent insurance fund that reimburses nofault auto insurers for benefits that exceed $400,000, to comply with the Open Meetings Act, add public members to the board and open its records to annual audits.
Speaking from insurance experience, I feel this is definitely good policy. These bills will provide transparency that is good for the state of Michigan, its residents and insurance businesses.
Michigan is the only state that offers unlimited personal injury protection benefits, and the MCCA was created as a means of spreading the costs for these benefits equally across all Michigan motorists. The MCCA board, comprised of five representatives from insurance companies, has raised its annual rates from $14.41 in 2001 to $123 in 2007, and those increases have been passed on to consumers.
The public deserves a seat at the table. Every driver in Michigan is required to have auto insurance and pay MCCA rates, so it’s only fair that the public be allowed to know where the MCCA money is invested and how rates are determined.
Analog to digital switch takes place in February
For the estimated 566,100 Michigan households receiving television channels through the use of antennas, the picture will no longer come in beginning February 17, 2009. On that date, all analog, over-the-air television broadcasting will cease and must be converted to digital format in order to be broadcast and received. This will render many television sets unusable without a special “Q-card” for most sets manufactured after 1996 or a cable adaptor box.
To transition from analog television to digital television in time for the February 17, 2009 switch, you can do any of the following:
- If you have an analog TV set, purchase a DTV converter box that will enable you to watch digital television on an analog set. Coupons will be offered to consumers to help with the cost of the converter box. For more information on these coupons, go to www.dtv2009.gov or call toll-free 1-888-DTV 2009.
- You can purchase a digital TV set, which will be able to receive the digital signal.
- You can subscribe to a video service provider to get the digital signal on an analog TV set. If you ever any questions on this switch, please feel free to contact my office.
www.dtv2009.gov or (888) DTV-2009
‘Pure Michigan’ campaign best in the nation
As anyone who’s lived in Michigan can tell you, tourism is one of the driving forces of our economy. Tourism in Michigan generates $17.5 billion a year, contributes more than $900 million in state tax revenue and supports more than 200,000 jobs. These are jobs that can never be outsourced – just like Michigan’s plentiful natural resources, they are here to stay.
The Travel Industry Association of America last year awarded “Pure Michigan” – a campaign that kicked off in select national markets in April – with the Mercury Award for Best State Tourism Campaign. Our state’s tourism Web site, Michigan.org, is consistently among the top-ranked state tourism sites for the Web traffic it spurs, according to the international tracking company Hitwise. An estimated 190,000 jobs in our state are directly related to tourism.
From the Porcupine Mountains to our hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, the hardest part about vacationing in the Upper Peninsula is trying to decide which of the many destinations to choose. It’s important to have effective campaigns that reach out to vacationers around the United States and Canada, and the ‘Pure Michigan’ campaign has done that.
Working to Protect Michigan’s Natural Resources
Recently, I had the great privilege of being honored by the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) for my support of natural resource conservation in Michigan.
Michigan’s conservation districts are unique local units of state government that utilize state, federal and private resources to solve conservation problems. The guiding philosophy of all conservation districts is that decisions on conservation issues should be made at the local level, by local people, with technical assistance provided by government.
I have always been a strong supporter of conservation districts. Their efforts go a long way in helping private land owners effectively develop their resources. Conservation districts are a valuable resource to our state, and I look forward to continuing to work with MACD to protect our land, air and water.
Eliminating the vehicle registration signature requirement
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has signed a bill that will eliminate Michigan’s law requiring residents to sign their vehicle registrations. Under the former law, the recommended fine for a vehicle owner not having a valid signed registration was $18, while court costs were recommended to be $35 to $53, and a justice system assessment of $40 was required.
This was an obvious example of an outdated law that needed to be stricken from the books. A driver carrying a valid registration absolutely should not be ticketed for failing to sign the registration. I supported this bill in the House, and I am pleased that it has been signed into law.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen thousands of jobs outsourced or downsized in Michigan. Our economy has lagged due to the loss of our manufacturing sector. That’s why I support the ‘Hire Michigan First’ plan, which awards economic development funds first to those companies that employ the most Michigan workers. Not only will our job-creation plan help jumpstart our economy, but it will also level the playing field for Michigan’s working families.
The “Hire Michigan First” plan...
- Gives companies that hire the most Michigan workers priority in the awarding of tax breaks and other economic development tools. This rule would apply to projects handled by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and certain state-funded programs, including the Strategic Fund Act and the Transportation Economic Development Fund.
- Requires companies that take economic development incentives to report on who they are hiring to ensure that Michigan workers are put first, encouraging transparency and accountability.
- Requires businesses with contracts for construction of state buildings to hire 100 percent of their workers from Michigan, strengthening the current requirement of 50 percent.
- Cracks down on companies that exploit illegal immigrant workers by canceling their state contracts and tax incentives. The plan would require them to pay back incentives already received and bar them from future contracts. When companies take advantage of tax breaks or state economic development programs, Michigan workers deserve the first crack at those jobs. Michigan tax dollars should not fund grants or tax incentives for businesses that hire people from other states and countries when Michigan residents have the training and expertise and need those jobs. When we invest in Michigan workers, we invest in the future of our state.
Plan Will Give Relief to Home Sellers
We all know that Michigan’s housing market has suffered. Our home values and property values have fallen because of the glut of houses on the market. Homeowners whose houses have been on the market for months need relief.
That’s why I support a plan that will allow a homeowner to claim an additional principal residence exemption for a house that they are trying to sell, so long as the house is vacant and it was previously exempt as the seller’s main residence.
A home-seller who is stuck with two homes is under a considerable financial burden, and this plan would serve to partially alleviate that burden from the owner. Residents looking to find their piece of the American Dream need relief now before they decide to look outside of Michigan’s borders.
House Votes to Expand No Worker Left Behind
House Democrats have passed a plan to expand Michigan’s program to retrain thousands of displaced workers so they can land good-paying jobs available now in high-demand fields. The plan invests $40 million in the No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program, which will significantly increase the state’s capacity to match Michigan residents with available jobs.
As we work to create more good-paying jobs in the Western Upper Peninsula, I also want to make sure we’re providing our displaced workers with the targeted training they need to move into good-paying jobs that are already available. This $40 million investment is the best way to get our workers back on the job. It will also provide our businesses with the well-trained workforce they need to contribute to local and regional economic growth.
The additional NWLB money would come from the refinancing of state bond debt, not from new taxpayer dollars. Through NWLB, eligible Michigan workers can attend a community college or university for two years tuition-free to upgrade their skills so they can get good-paying jobs available in highdemand fields.