Senate Shelves Public Worker Retirement Bills
"Senate Republicans' refusal to take up a state and public school employee early retirement plan today doesn't bode well for the caucus' signature 10-point reform plan, Senate Majority Leader Mike BISHOP (R-Rochester) admitted today."
MDOT Budget Crashes
"In the final vote of the night, the House gave a giant raspberry to HB 5889, a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 spending plan for the Department of Transportation (MDOT)."
Senate Sends Texting Ban, House Pushes 'Ignore'
"After months of delay, the Senate today passed a ban on texting while driving, but made it a primary traffic offense, causing it to stall out, once again, in the House."
Gongwer:
M.D.O.T. BUDGET FAILS AS HOUSE OKS FIRST APPROPRIATIONS
Nine hours into session Thursday, the House failed to garner enough votes for a Department of Transportation budget reliant on a gasoline and diesel tax hike to match available federal funds to the state, but mustered the needed number of votes to pass six other budgets.
IN SHIFT, SENATE PASSES PRIMARY BAN ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING
The Senate made a major change Thursday to legislation that would ban motorists from texting while driving as they made the violation a primary offense, allowing police to ticket drivers for texting without having to first pull them over for committing another infraction.
D.C.H. FACING THREE-MONTH BACKLOG ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS
Department of Community Health officials are just getting to applications residents sent in December seeking a medical marijuana card, but are more quickly denying those applications they immediately deem improper, a legislative panel was told Thursday.
HOUSE REPEALS HELMET LAW FOR 21 AND UP
Motorcycle riders could take to the streets helmet-free as long as they are 21 or older and have a $20,000 insurance policy to cover medical benefits under legislation the House dividedly passed on Thursday.
PARK PASSPORT BILLS HEAD TO GRANHOLM
The final bills in a legislative package to allow motorists to pay a $10 fee when they renew their annual vehicle registration to receive a permit to use any state park or boating access site are on their way to Governor Jennifer Granholm.
MELTON: NO VOTE DATE FOR FUND CAP
Rep. Tim Melton, chair of the House Education Committee, said he would continue exploring the idea of capping school district fund balances, but he was not ready to commit to a date the measure might move to the House floor.
Yes, let's bring up the helmet issue again. That's absolutely brilliant. Nothing like a bunch of frivolous, divisive bullshit to distract from the fact that they can't figure out how to fund schools, roads, public safety and health care.