Legislative Update 9-29-23

Written by Derek Melot on September 29, 2023. Posted in Blog, Events, Legislative, MAC news, MACSC, Marketing, NACo

Juvenile justice reform package clears House, Senate committees

A 20-bill package to reform juvenile justice work in Michigan cleared House and Senate committees this week. Senate Bills 418–437 and House Bills 4624–4643 are a result of the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform’s recommendations provided last July.

The Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform was established in 2021 to assess Michigan’s juvenile justice data and identify ways to improve the system. The bipartisan group was led by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and included members from all three branches of government, as well as state and local level juvenile justice leaders and advocates. Two county commissioners served on the task force, each nominated by MAC. Alisha Bell of Wayne represented a county with a population over 100,000, while Marlene Webster of Shiawassee represented a county under 100,000 in population. Rep. Sarah Lightner, a former county commissioner, also served on the group.

The task force discovered several challenges to strengthening public safety and improving outcomes for youth. Those challenges, however, led to the set of thirty-two recommendations provided to the legislature last year. The recommendations are set to improve community safety, reduce disparities, and improve youth outcomes. Six priority areas have been identified and translated into the 20-bill package.

Senate Bill 418, by Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Wayne) and House Bill 4624, by Rep. Christine Morse (D-Kalamazoo), enhance the County Child Care Fund (CCF) by establishing a minimum framework of juvenile justice best practices statewide, including the use of risk screening and assessment tools. The best practices will be supported by an increase in the reimbursement rate for community-based services from 50 percent to 75 percent, including 17-year-olds. These changes are essential for ensuring counties have the resources to implement and utilize these approaches. The reimbursement rate for residential services will be 50 percent, including the 17-year-old population.

SBs 419–423 require the consistent use of validated screening and assessment tools to enable more objective decision-making and allow agencies to better match youth to appropriate supervision and services, reducing their likelihood to recidivate. The bills also expand the Diversion Act so that all offenses, with an exception for youth committing a specified juvenile violation, are eligible for pre-court diversion, based on the use of a risk-screening tool and other factors and limit the time that a youth can be placed on pre-court diversion, unless the court determines that a longer period is needed. While diversion eligibility would be expanded, judicial discretion remains.

SB 424 and HB 4630, by Sen. Sue Shink (D-Washtenaw) and Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Jackson), would expand the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission to include development, oversight and compliance with youth defense standards in local county defense systems. MAC has worked to ensure there would be no increase in the local share for MIDC services, that 40 percent of the total grant amount would be received upfront and that partially indigent reimbursements will remain.

MAC supports this package and has worked alongside legislators, state departments and other stakeholders to ensure our concerns were met.

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

Changes to disabled veterans tax exemption sent to governor

Three policy bills aimed at alleviating some of the administrative problems for disabled veterans and their spouses passed the Legislature and are now headed to the governor for her signature.

Senate Bill 176, by Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Wayne), will allow 100 percent disabled veterans to file for the property tax exemption one time and eliminate the need to apply for the exemption each year. The bill also will allow the surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran to continue to receive the exemption after the veteran passes, so long as the surviving spouse continues to use the home as a homestead and is the sole person remaining on the deed. The exemption would remain in perpetuity until rescinded by the veteran or their spouse.

SB 330, by Sen. Mary Cavanaugh (D-Wayne), establishes the procedure for the recission of the exemption within 45 days of either a change in the status of eligibility or if the property was no longer being used as a homestead. The bill also requires a local assessing unit to establish a procedure for auditing exemptions through guidance provided by the State Tax Commission. The bill also prohibits an audit more than once every three years, unless there is reason to believe that circumstances have changed.

SB 364, by Sen. John Damoose (R-Emmet), allows for the local board of review to consider the denial of an eligible surviving spouse a qualified error and allows for the exemption to be granted in such circumstances.

MAC was neutral on these policy changes but remains diligent in expressing the need for reimbursement of the property tax losses from the State for such losses.

There are six bills in the House and Senate that set up a process to reimburse local governments, but those bills have not seen any movement due to opposition from the Department of Treasury. MAC will continue to work to resolve the financial losses for counties as the session continues.

For more information on this issue, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.

Bill to allow opioid fatality review teams advances

A bill to allow a county or group of counties to establish an Opioid Fatality Review Team, by creating the Overdose Fatality Review Act, was approved by the Senate Committee on Health Policy this week.

Senate Bill 133, by Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo), says, if a county chooses, an opioid fatality review team would consist of county officials, individuals from law enforcement and those from public health agencies. The main goal of a team would be to identify potential causes of drug overdose in their community and recommend law or policy changes for the prevention of those causes and overdoses.

MAC supports this legislation.

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

MAC has concerns on new court reporter fee legislation

A bill to boost wages for court reporters and recorders has been filed in the Michigan House.

House Bill 5046, by Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Macomb), 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.

MAC has not yet taken a position on this legislation; however, we do have concerns and will work alongside the bill sponsor to address issues this bill may pose for county budgets.

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

Annual Conference starts on Sunday, Oct. 1

MAC’s 125^th Anniversary celebration continues on Oct. 1 with the opening of the 2023 Annual Conference in Kalamazoo County.

More than 300 county elected officials, staffers and others are expected to attend the event at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo.

Among the association activities at the conference:

MAC members will re-elect four members to the Board of Directors, including 2023-24 President Jim Storey of Allegan County. (Incumbents in Regions 1, 2 and 3 and for an at-large seat are all running unopposed.)
Storey will be sworn in as MAC’s 115^th president and give his inaugural remarks at the President’s Banquet on the night of Oct. 2.
MAC members will review and approve policy platforms to guide the association’s work in 2023-24 during the Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 3.

Digital registration has closed, but MAC members may register at the conference site, with the on-site Registration Desk opening on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Following the conference, MAC will post presentations from plenary and workshop sessions, along with some video content.

Podcast 83: What policy trend ‘fascinates and terrifies’?

In their last episode prior to MAC’s 2023 Annual Conference, the Podcast 83 team reviews the unsettled legislative situation in Lansing and previews the conference offerings in Kalamazoo Oct. 1 -3.

Host Stephan Currie and MAC staffers Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson detail the State Capitol news, including:

The ongoing march of binding arbitration expansion, despite MAC’s opposition; and
Continuing work on juvenile justice reform.

Also discussed is the rapidly shrinking legislative calendar for the rest of 2023, with Bosworth expressing concern that the lack of session days could prevent passage of key MAC priorities until calendar 2024.

Currie turned the conversation to next week’s MAC Annual Conference, which will feature policy presentations on road funding, the affordable housing crisis and a topic that “fascinates and terrifies” Currie: AI developments.

View the full video of the episode, recorded on Sept. 26, by clicking here.

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

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

Treasury sets Oct. 5 webinar for local leaders

The Michigan Department of Treasury is pleased to announce its next Chart Chat webinar at 2 p.m. on Oct. 5.

The Chart Chat webinar series provides local governments with critical information related to accounting and auditing topics, measuring local government fiscal health, and other important updates from Treasury.

Topics covered will include:

Fiscally Ready Communities
ELITE System Updates
Treasury Resources for Local Governments
Uniform Reporting Format
Statutory Revenue Sharing Updates

Participants can register and submit questions prior to the webinar at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wKYuUiLtRyKtyP1hxbn3QQ#/registration

Presentations and recordings from this webinar, along with previous webinars, can be found at TREASURY – BLGSS Learning Center. Utilize TREASURY – Contact Information for support related to Treasury’s local government services.