Legislative Update 11-1-24

Written by Derek Melot on November 1, 2024. Posted in Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

NACo releases opioid settlement ‘quick guide’ on monitoring spending

The National Association of Counties, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, released The Principles Quick Guide to Monitoring Opioid Settlement Spending. This quick guide is one of many released to assist local governments in implementing The Principle for Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation, national guidance around the use of funds.

The guide points to how counties can maximize the impact of opioid settlement funds through a structured five-step process. First, they should establish a strategic plan based on recent needs assessments, outlining specific objectives that ensure new resources enhance existing efforts. Next, counties should match priorities with funding opportunities, aligning available sources with key interventions and care components in various settings, such as schools, jails and hospitals.

Once priorities are set, it is essential to select activities to fund, focusing on evidence-based and promising practices. The fourth step is to monitor the success of funded activities by establishing clear indicators and communicating data requirements to partners for accountability. Finally, counties should regularly evaluate community needs and program outputs, allowing for adjustments to strategies and budgets as necessary.

The guidance document also outlines how to use Opioid Settlement Principles Resource and Indicators (OSPRI) tool to determine the best indicators for the programs or activities counties choose to fund.

For more information or for assistance utilizing The Principles for Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation in your county, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

Court reporter fee increase legislation gets hearing in Senate

A bill to increase court reporter and recorder fees received a hearing this week in the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

Amendments made to House Bill 5046 in 2023 to address concerns about “double dipping” with county-employed court reporters or recorders producing transcripts have shifted MAC from opposition to support of the legislation.

Sponsored by Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Macomb), the bill would increase the amount a court reporter or recorder would receive from $1.75 to $3.75 per page on an original transcript, and 90 cents per page for each copy.

The amendments include updates to what the county and court reporters or recorders shall provide in the capture and production of transcripts, and the prioritization of court-funded transcripts and transcripts produced on county time.

For more information on this issue, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org.

ICYMI: Pundits discuss prospects for Michigan House elections

In a recent Podcast 83 episode, Adrian Hemond of Grassroots Midwest and John Selleck of Harbor Strategic handicap what appears to be a historically close 2024 General Election in Michigan. Hemond and Selleck focused on some key state House races, the open U.S. Senate seat and a few U.S. House races, delving in to what potential outcomes could mean for Michigan.

Hemond gave an overview of what he believes are the five most crucial state House races in November, commenting, “From my perspective, both sides have got plenty of seats that are in play this time.”

With a two-seat Democratic House Majority, Selleck added, “It’s an uphill battle for Democrats, and frankly the place we could end up that we have now started talking about is 55-55 (in the Michigan House).”

Click here to view the episode, recorded on Oct. 21.

Previous episodes can be seen at MAC’s YouTube Channel.

And you always can find details about Podcast 83 on the MAC website.

Treasury seeks feedback on accounting, auditing documents

The Michigan Department of Treasury guides local governments on accounting and auditing through Numbered Letters and Michigan Committee on Governmental Accounting and Auditing (MCGAA) Statements. To keep this information relevant, we are updating and removing documents from 1993 to the present, aiming to refresh 20% of these publications annually. This process will include formatting updates and verifying all web links, with some documents potentially needing significant revisions or removal. The Local Audit and Finance Division is currently inviting public comments on selected Numbered Letters, which can now be submitted in writing until Dec. 2, 2024.