*SENATE BILL No. 929
21ST CENTURY JOBS FUND/Modifying 1984 Bill
February 7, 2012, Introduced by Senator Kowall*
This bill would make changes to give the Michigan Strategic Fund board greater flexibility in the administration of 21st Century Investment and other programs, including tourism promotion and marketing, competitive edge technology grants and loans, etc.
The modifications could reduce the MSF’s administrative costs and the overall costs used for the program, which include annual budget and the Jobs for Michigan Investment Fund.
*House Bill 5393
Revised school code
February 9, 2012, Introduced by Reps. O’Brien, Heise, Price, Kowall, LaFontaine, Horn, Lori, Foster and Genetski*
The board of each school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy shall provide at least 30 hours of teacher professional development.
To provide a system of public instruction the laws relating to elementary and secondary education; to provide for the organization, regulation and maintenance of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts and other public school entities.
*House Bill 5392
February 9, 2012, Introduced by Reps. O’Brien, McMillin, Nesbitt, Shaughnessy, Price, Lyons, Franz, MacGregor, Hooker, Pscholka and Genetski
Revision of the state school aid act of 1979.*
To be eligible to receive state aid under this act, no later than the fifth Wednesday after the student starts and no later than the fifth Wednesday after the supplemental count day, each district superintendent shall submit to the center and the intermediate superintendent, in the form.
In providing the minimum number of hours and days of student instruction required, a district shall use the following guidelines, and a district shall maintain records to substantiate that a student must be scheduled for at least the required minimum number of hours of instruction, excluding study halls. Or at least the sum of 90 hours plus the required minimum number of hours of instruction, including up to two study halls.
*Senate Bill 0930
Tobacco tax
February 7, 2012, Introduced by Senators Kahn, Pappageorge, Proos and Jones*
The digital cigarette tax stamps bill would require are estimated to cost more than the current heat-applied stamps. The current stamp contract (which expires during FY 2012-13) provides for the state to purchase stamps at 87 cents per 1,000 stamps.
Digital stamps, depending on the features of the stamps and the details of the contract, could cost between five and eight dollars per 1,000 stamps, according to the Department of Treasury. Currently the state’s cost of cigarette tax stamps is about $450,000 per year.
With digital stamps, the cost would be in the range of $2.6 million to $4.1 million per
year, assuming the number of stamps purchased remained the same.
The department would incur additional costs to issue the request for proposals to acquire
and use digital stamps by Mar. 1, 2012, and for information technology improvements to gain access to and use the increased data on the movement and sale of cigarettes, which would be useful in enforcing the cigarette tax. The amount of additional revenue from the improved tax enforcement is unknown.
Under the bill, the state would reimburse stamping agents for the costs of digital stamping equipment and related technology upgrades. The total reimbursement costs are estimated to be between $3.0 million and $6.0 million depending on the technology adopted and the final costs involved.
Stamping agents would be authorized to increase their allowable deductions from the cigarette tax revenue remitted to the state. Machine purchases would be reimbursed over 18 months, and the cost of other technology and equipment upgrades would be reimbursed through deductions of 0.5 percent of tax revenue collected, which the stamping agents would retain until those costs had been fully reimbursed. Also, licensees would be authorized to retain an administrative fee on untaxed cigarettes sold to Indian reservations. The department estimates this change would reduce state revenue by approximately $60,000 per year.
