HB 5845:  Requires that all electronic poll book flash drives used at any primary or election must be carefully preserved for 22 months in alignment with the federal schedule for data retention.

Sponsor:  Rep. Wortz (R)                           

Passage:  62-45 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Printed records are not sufficient and there are additional records retained on the flash drives that are important to retain.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5456-5457:  HB 5456 would create the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Pilot Program Act.

HB 5457 would establish the fund to be used for grants made available under the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Pilot Program Act.

Sponsor:  Rep. Schmaltz (R)                   

Passages:  65-42 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: In recent years, usage of Hyperbaric Treatment for PTSD and TBI’s among veterans has increased significantly. Anecdotally, the treatment has shown a level of effectiveness not seen by other forms of treatment.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5983-5984:  HB 5983 H-2 (Wilson) and HB 5984 H-1 (DeBoer) allows a public school to operate a public innovative program that offers a competency-based education to K-12 students.

Sponsors:  Reps. Wilson (D) & DeBoer (R)                        

Passages:  107-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This legislation allows schools to define student success by skills mastered rather than hours logged.

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HB 5069:  Bans the sale of foods that contain certain additives.

Sponsor:  Rep. Outman (R)                      

Passage:  56-51 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The adverse health effects from these additives puts strain on the healthcare and social benefit system in our state.

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HB 5712:  Clarifies that an opinion issued by the attorney general is only advisory and does not have legal authority.

Sponsor:  Rep. Kuhn (R)                             

Passage:  58-49 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill prevents the attorney general from unilaterally making far-reaching, irreversible decisions.

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HB 5814:  Limits retroactive Medicaid coverage to one month for the Healthy Michigan Expansion and two months for traditional Medicaid, in accordance with the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Sponsor:  Rep. Maddock (R)                    

Passage:  57-50 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Under the added provisions, MDHHS would be prevented from circumventing the new federal provisions on retroactive coverage.

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BILL PACKAGE HBs 5779-5783:  HB 5779 (Harris) would amend the requirements to apply to form a domestic credit union to include verification that the prospective credit union has a firm commitment from a federally authorized insurer or a private insurer. HB 5780 (McFall) would amend the requirements for a credit union converting a mutual savings bank or association to include qualification for private insurance. HB 5781 (Schuette) would update the criteria that the Director of DIFS is to use when considering a foreign credit union’s application. HB 5782 (H-1) (Lightner) would ensure that domestic credit unions, that are not corporate credit unions, are permitted to use private share and deposit account insurance from a qualified private insurer. HB 5783 (B. Carter) would permit the Director of DIFS to share documents related to credit union oversight with private insurers of those credit unions.

Sponsors:  Reps. Harris (R), McFall (D), Schuette (R), Lightner (R), & B. Carter (D)                       

Passages:  107-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Private insurers can offer different coverage than the federal government does. For instance, the NCUA $250,000 coverage is limited to per member, per ownership category, while ASI offers $250,000 per account. Therefore, a single member with multiple accounts in the same ownership category would have more comprehensive coverage.

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HB 5645:  Places sole regulatory authority for privately owned cervid operations under the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD).

Sponsor:  Rep. Green (R)                          

Passage:  103-4 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Centralizing authority under agriculture department improves efficiency and accountability.

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HB 6038:  Provides a deadline for EGLE to require changes to wetland permit applications.

Sponsor:  Rep. DeBoyer (R)                     

Passage:  61-46 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Limiting department revisions of permit applications to changes requested by the permit holder stops the department from continually moving the goalposts on a project.

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HB 5551:  Modifies requirements for backflow prevention testing.

Sponsor:  Rep. Tisdel (R)                           

Passage:  58-49 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This corrects an overzealous departmental ruling where a dubious interpretation of the law led to previously credentialed backflow prevention inspectors no longer being eligible to perform testing.

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HB 5506:  Prohibits local officials from lobbying outside of the function of their local office.

Sponsor:  Rep. Kuhn (R)                             

Passage:  98-9 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: If a county official can lobby their own county (for a third party), this is a clear conflict of interest and reduces trust in that local government.

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HB 5081:  Requires public school districts, intermediate school districts (ISDs), and public school academies to employ at least 1 teacher who is tasked with assisting students with dyslexia and has received training in Orton-Gillingham approach principles.

Sponsor:  Rep. Schmaltz (R)                   

Passage:  66-40 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Orton-Gillingham is an evidence-based teaching method that can help students struggling with dyslexia.

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HB 5646:  Requires educator preparation program instructors to receive science of reading training.

Sponsor:  Rep. Kelly (R)                             

Passage:  104-2 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The bill will fix the teacher pipeline at the source, giving teachers the tools needed to teach students how to read and increase reading scores.

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HB 5697:  Requires K-5 public school teachers to receive science of reading training.

Sponsor:  Rep. DeBoer (R)                        

Passage:  104-2 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: Results from other states have shown LETRS training gives teachers the tools needed to teach students how to read and increase reading scores.

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HB 5957:  Extends nonrenewable temporary teaching certificates for out-of-state teachers to 3 years.

Sponsor:  Rep. DeBoer (R)                        

Passage:  105-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This bill will give out-of-state teachers time to complete science of reading training while still being able to teach.

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HB 6016:  Eliminates a sunset on a provision allowing individuals to gain interim teaching certificates for special education via an alternate route.

Sponsor:  Rep. Koleszar (D)                     

Passage:  105-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This bill would allow an effective process that has been happening since 2021 to continue to exist.

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HB 5989:  Would rename a portion of M-40 in Allegan County as the Chief David Haverdink Memorial Highway.

Sponsor:  Rep. Smit (R)                             

Passage:  105-0 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: This highway naming allows us to express our gratitude and appreciation for Chief Haverdink and his service to the State of Michigan.

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HB 5931:  Creates an online submission option for cigar bar exemption renewal applications.

Sponsor:  Rep. Aragona (R)                      

Passage:  99-7 with Immediate Effect

Why I voted YES: The department currently has no timeframe for when they have to review an application and send approvals/denials. Putting a 30-day window for application review helps provide more certainty to cigar bar owners.