This year will be remembered as one of the busiest, and longest lame ducks in Michigan history. In the flurry of the final weeks, there were a record number of bills that made it through the legislature, and a few notable proposals that stalled out. 

Here’s a snapshot of what the legislature passed, and is headed to the governor: 

•  SB 601 – A bill making $1.25 billion of supplemental appropriations, including $114 million for roads and $100 million to the Budget Stabilization Fund 
• SB 822 – Gubernatorial Memorandum’s of Understanding will apply after the governor leaves office 
• SB 844 – Extends the Criminal Justice Policy Commission to 2019 
• SB 1176 – Shields nonprofits from disclosing their donors 
• SBs 1238 – 1242 – Proposal 3 implementation, which was approved by voters and makes changes to election laws, including no-reason absentee voting 
• SB 1244 – Requires the Department of Environmental quality to use federal standards for toxic cleanup 
• SB 1249 – Changes the statute of limitations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act 
• HB 4205 – Prohibits the state from making rules stricter than federal rules
•  HBs 5017 & 5018 – Makes cyber bullying a crime 
• HB 5526 –Creates an A-F grading system for public schools 
• HBs 5750, 5751, 5953, 5954 – Allows parents to give up their newborn children in a specifically designed box 
• HB 5778 – Allows for breeding licenses for large carnivores 
• HB 5939-5941 – Places limits on when commercial grade fireworks can be used 
• HB 6052 – Requires the state to hire an independent outside contractor to evaluate and recommend changes to the state’s economic incentive programs 
• HB 6553 – Allows the legislature to intervene in certain court cases 
• HB 6595 – Places limits on how many ballot petition signatures can be collected from any one congressional district 
• Legislation authorizing internet gambling and fantasy sports

For various reasons there are always proposals that never quite make it through both chambers in the final weeks, including: 

• SB 1022 – Allows moving campaign committee balances from a Senate to a House committee account to pay off debt 
• SB 1250 – Removing campaign oversight from the Secretary of State’s office and placing it with a FEC style commission  
• SB 1254 – Sets guidelines on the Independent Redistricting Commission, which was passed by voters as Proposal 2 and sets up guidelines for the Secretary of State 
• No-fault auto insurance reform 

Passed during lame duck, signed by the governor: 

• HBs 5836, 5988, 5989 – Allows boaters to present electronic proof of their boater safety certificates when stopped by law enforcement 

As this year marks the end of the 2017-2018 legislative session, any legislation that wasn’t passed by both chambers, and signed by the governor, will need to be re-introduced next session which will be marked as the 100^th Legislature.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.