Lawmakers introduce Flint water, Tesla sales bills

LANSING -- Luxury automaker Tesla wants to sell its pricey cars in Michigan without having to open a dealership and a state representative from Sturgis introduced a bill last week that will try to make that happen.

State law prohibits direct sales of automobiles by manufacturers who don't have any dealerships in the state. That leaves Michigan residents who want to buy a Tesla -- the cars that start at about $100,000 -- searching in nearby states for the vehicles.

“In light of our fast-changing world, I think it’s worth talking about other ways of doing things,” said state Rep. Aaron Miller, R-Sturgis, who sponsored the bill. “Current law is analogous to telling anyone who wants to sell hamburgers they can’t do so unless they enter a franchise agreement like McDonald’s."

Tesla owners — an estimated 400 in Michigan —  also are forced to travel to other states to get their cars serviced, Miller said.

In addition to the Tesla bills, the Flint water crisis continues to dominate action in Lansing. Two bills were introduced last week to set up a revolving fund to deal with the replacement of water infrastructure pipes and another to require testing for lead and other contaminants in the water supply going into schools.

A Tesla fan tones down the cheers

Bills introduced last week:

House bills

HB 5280, 5305-5306: 2016-17 Budget bill for departments of higher education, licensing and regulatory affairs, insurance and financial services. Sponsors: Reps. Michael McCready, R-Birmingham; Chris Afendoulis, R-Grand Rapids Township.

HB 5281: Enact procedures to convey surplus state-owned property to other entities. Sponsor: Rep. Larry Inman, R-Williamsburg.

HB 5282: Specify rainfall levels and what constitutes a defect when determining liability for sewer and drain overflow or backups. Sponsor: Rep. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills.

HB 5283: Provide for the distribution of unclaimed property account information. Sponsor: Rep. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills.

HB 5284: Require that elementary music instruction meet certain requirements. Sponsor, Rep. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor.

HB 5285: Require testing for levels of lead and other contaminants in water supplied to public schools. Sponsor: Rep. Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor.

HB 5286-5287: Require a reduction of air pollution emissions during winter thermal inversion days. Sponsor: Rep. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit.

HB 5288-5289: Give lawyers who are spouses of military members extra time to notify the state Board of Examiners if their residence status changes because of military transfers. Sponsors: Reps. Robert Wittenberg, D-Oak Park; David Maturen, R-Vicksburg.

HB 5290: Require an explanatory statement on a ballot for a proposed millage with a duration exceeding five years. Sponsor: Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township.

HB 5291-5300: 2016-17 Omnibus budget bills for capital outlay, government operations and school aid, higher education and community colleges and 2015-16 supplemental bills for school aid and general expenditures during 2015-16 budget year. Sponsor: Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville.

HB 5301-5204: Repeal the requirement that a concealed weapon carry permit is needed in order to carry a concealed weapon. Sponsors: Reps. Lee Chatfield, R-Levering; Tom Barrett, R-Potterville; Jim Runestad, R-White Lake; Triston Cole, R-Mancelona.

HB 5307: Expand the requirement for vision screening and follow-up examinations in schools to include kindergarten and grades 3, 6 and 8. Sponsor: Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township.

HB 5308: Provide an exemption in the open meetings act for a school board planning for security. Sponsor: Rep. Robert Kosowski, D-Westland.

HB 5309: Exempt the collection of sales tax on higher education books. Sponsor: Rep. Robert Kosowski, D-Westland.

HB 5310: Require a guardian to notify interested persons when a ward is admitted to a hospital. Sponsor: Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township.

HB 5311: Prohibit employers from requiring certain non-compete agreements without written notice. Sponsor: Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township.

HB 5312: Allow ownership of vehicle dealerships by manufacturers, which would allow Tesla dealerships in Michigan. Sponsor: Rep. Aaron Miller, R-Sturgis.

HB 5313: Prohibit utilities from requiring that advanced meters be installed in order to get water or sewerage services. Sponsor: Rep. Henry Yanez, D-Sterling Heights.

HB 5314: Provide for a training program and written clearance form for young athletes who have suffered a concussion. Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Hooker, R-Byron Center.

Senate bills

SB 727: Allow dogs in outdoor seating areas at restaurants. Sponsor: Sen. Margaret O’Brien, R-Portage.

SB 728: Reduce the number of judges in the 51st District Court from two to one when a vacancy occurs. Sponsor: Sen. David Robertson, R-Grand Blanc.

SB 729: Provide for funding for township road construction projects. Sponsor: Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City.

SB 730-731: Allow for the creation a revolving fund to replace private water service lines. Sponsor, Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint.

SB 732: Allow for property tax exemptions for property used by Masonic associations. Sponsor: Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

SB 733: Prohibit the use of eminent domain to take property by emergency managers. Sponsor: Sen. Coleman Young II, D-Detroit.

SB 734: Repeal the emergency manager law. Sponsor: Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights.

SB 735 and 743 and 745: Require the Secretary of State to implement automatic voter registration for people who are eligible to vote and require a declaration of U.S. citizenship on personal identification cards, drivers’ and chauffeur licenses for automatic registration. Sponsor: Sen. Coleman Young II, D-Detroit.

SB 736: Require emergency rooms and urgent care clinics to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Sponsor: Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor.

SB 737: Allow for the recovery of certain fees for recording documents. Sponsor: Sen. Peter MacGregor, R-Rockford.

SB 738: Require an executive summary of annual valuation reports for pension and retiree health care for state employees. Sponsor: Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart.

SB 739: Clarify the permissible uses for a regional transit authority tax. Sponsor, Sen. Wayne Schmidt. R-Traverse City.

SB 740: Allow all judges to perform civil unions. Sponsor: Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor.

SB 741: Eliminate the use of cone-beam dental imaging equipment from the definition of a covered clinical service. Sponsor: Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

SB 742: Make it easier for an attorney licensed in another state to get clearance to practice law in Michigan. Sponsor: Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba.

SB 744: Require advance notice to no-fault auto insurance customers of any rate increases. Sponsor: Sen. Coleman Young II, D-Detroit.

SB 746-747: Create criminal penalties for a child care center licensing violation that results in the death of a child. Sponsors: Sens. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell.

SB 748-749: Revise the fees and examinations of state banks in the banking code and establish state bank regulatory fund. Sponsors: Sens. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, Dale Zorn, R-Ida.

SB 750: Revise the permissible investments by state banks. Sponsor: Sen. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek.

SB 751-752: Allow banks to conduct loan promotion raffles and exclude from gambling and lottery crimes. Sponsors: Sens. Margaret O’Brien, R-Portage, Peter MacGregor, R-Rockford.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 517-372-8661, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal

Find out more

To get information and track the progress of bills, go to www.legislature.mi.gov.

To contact the governor’s office, go to www.michigan.gov/snyder.

To contact legislators, go to www.house.michigan.gov/MHRPublic and www.senate.michigan.gov/senatorinfo.htm