Michigan Retail Hardware Association
Serving the Hardware, Home Center & Lumber Industry Since 1895.
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Michigan House Votes to Raise Property Taxes!
 

Despite strong opposition by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, House lawmakers on Tuesday passed House Bill 4313, a bill that would allow for the levy of billions of dollars more in property taxes by expanding the definition of allowable uses of school sinking funds.

With unemployment rising above 11%, and homeowners paying higher taxes on lower property values, this property tax increase is completely irresponsible. All of our children deserve equitable school funding, but passage of HB 4313 ensures that Michigan will return to the old inequitable system of school finance where the rich districts get richer.

School lobbyists and administrators worked overtime to convince legislators that, despite record funding, they don't have enough money. The truth is, since 1994, school enrollment is up 2% but school funding for operations is up 99% and school debt funding (like sinking funds) is up 269%! It seems logical that administrators should be able to run their districts without trying a sneak attack on taxpayer's wallets. Instead of asking taxpayers for more money, legislators should focus on real reforms; measures that will raise student achievement and ensure our schools are run efficiently and with transparency.

Thirty-five State Representatives stood up for job providers and taxpayers and voted "NO" on House Bill 4313; 74 State Representatives voted in favor of this anti-taxpayer, job-killing legislation. Following is the voting record of House lawmakers on this bill. If your State Representative is among the 35 lawmakers who voted against HB 4313, we encourage you to contact him/her and thank them for standing up for Michigan's job providers. For assistance in locating you lawmaker, visit the Michigan Chamber's online Legislative Action Center and click on "Find Your Legislator."

"NO" Votes
Dave Agema (R-Grandville)
Justin Amash (R-Kentwood)
James "Jase" Bolger (R-Marshall)
Brian Calley (R-Portland)
Bill Caul (R- Mt. Pleasant)
Hugh Crawford (R-Novi)
Kevin Daley (R-Lum)
Cindy Denby (R-Fowlerville)
Larry DeShazor (R-Portage)
Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Kewadin)
Robert "Bob" Genetski (R-Saugatuck)
Kevin Green (R-Wyoming)
Martin Griffin (D-Jackson)
Gail Haines (R-Waterford)
Joseph Haveman (R-Holland)
Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell)
Kenneth Horn (R-Frankenmuth)
Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge)
Robert Jones (D-Kalamazoo)
Marty Knollenberg (R-Troy)
Eileen Kowall (R-White Lake)
Kenneth Kurtz (R-Coldwater)
Pete Lund (R-Shelby Twp.)
James "Jim" Marleau (R-Lake Orion)
Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills)
Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive)
Kim Meltzer (R-Clinton Twp.)
Tim Moore (R-Farwell)
Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham)
Phillip J. Pavlov (R-St. Clair)
Bill Rogers (R-Brighton)
Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City)
Jim Slezak (D-Davison)
Jim Stamas (R-Midland)
John Walsh (R-Livonia)

"YES" Votes
Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee)
Richard Ball (R-Laingsburg)
Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills)
Joan Bauer (D- Lansing)
Doug Bennett (D- Muskegon)
Timothy Bledsoe (D-Grosse Pointe Farms)
Darwin Booher (R-Evart)
Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield)
Terry Brown (D-Pigeon)
Pam Byrnes (D-Chelsea)
Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga)
Ed Clemente (D-Lincoln Park)
Bob Constan (D-Dearborn Heights)
Marc Corriveau (D- Plymouth)
Andy Coulouris (D-Saginaw)
George Cushingberry, Jr. (D-Detroit)
Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids)
Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.)
Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak)
Fred Durhal, Jr. (D-Detroit)
Kate Ebli (D-Monroe)
John Espinoza (D-Croswell)
Dougle Geiss (D-Taylor)
Lee Gonzales (D-Flint)
Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield)
Jennifer Haase (D-Richmond)
Richard E. Hammel (D-Flushing)
Geoff Hansen (R-Hart)
Harold Haugh (D-Roseville)
Mike Huckleberry (D-Greenville)
Bert Johnson (D-Highland Park)
Andrew Kandrevas (D-Southgate)
Deb Kennedy (D-Brownstown Twp.)
Michael Lahti (D-Hancock)
Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland)
Gabe Leland (D-Detroit)
LaMar Lemmons, Jr. (D-Detroit)
Steven Lindberg (D-Marquette)
Ellen Cogen Lipton (D-Huntington Woods)
Lesia Liss (D-Warren)
Matt Lori (R-Constantine)
Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City)
Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard)
Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing)
Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills)
Fred Miller (D-Mt. Clemens)
David Nathan (D-Detroit)
Judy Nerat (D-Wallace)
Andy Newmann (D-Alpena)
Paul Opsommer (R-Dewitt)
Tom Pearce (R-Rockford)
Gino H. Polidori (D-Dearborn)
John M. Proos (R-St. Joseph)
Sarah Roberts (D-St. Clair Shores)
Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights)
Roy Schmidt (D-Grand Rapids)
Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton)
Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit)
Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc)
Dan Scripps (D-Northport)
Kate Segal (D-Battle Creek)
Joel A. Sheltrown (D-West Branch)
Mike Simpson (D-Jackson)
Dian Slavens (D-Canton Twp.)
Alma Wheeler Smith (D-South Lyon)
Dudley Spade (D-Tipton)
Woodrow Stanley (D-Flint)
Jon Switalski (D-Warren)
Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit)
Sharon Tyler (R-Niles)
Mary Valentine (D-Muskegon)
Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor)
Jimmy Womack (D-Detroit)
Coleman A. Young II (D-Detroit)
 
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