HB 4842:  Would amend 1964 PA 183, which regulates the State Building Authority, to eliminate the requirement that pools of obligations issued by the authority be fully payable to the creditor or creditors within five years.

Sponsor:  Rep. Price (D)                

Passage:  83-22 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: This should have been done sooner if it will save the state money.

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HB 5534:  Would create a new act titled as the “Trial Court Funding Act of 2024.” The bill would grant new powers to the State Court Administrative Office to determine the amount of court costs that can be imposed on a criminal defendant at time of sentencing. The bill would also plan for and recommend creation of a centralized state system for collecting court costs imposed by local trial courts. Finally, the bill would plan and recommend creation of a new system for redistributing funds from local courts that operate in the black to other local courts that operate in the red.

Sponsor:  Rep. Breen (D)                              

Passage:  58-47 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted NO: Local control over the operations and funding of the trial courts should not be shifted from local elected officials to unelected Lansing bureaucrats.

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HB 5392:  Would extend the sunset date on trial courts’ ability to impose court costs when sentencing a criminal defendant. Currently, the sunset date is May 1, 2024. If the Legislature does not extend the sunset provision, trial courts would lose a significant amount of revenue. The amount of revenue fluctuates each year, but has ranged between $30 and $40 million per year statewide.

Sponsor:  Rep. Lightner (R)                         

Passage:  99-6 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The trial courts collect between $30 and $40 million per year through the imposition of court costs allowed by this statutory section. The current revenue stream should be maintained so that local trial courts can remain operational. Therefore, extending the sunset is necessary.