2007 Senate Bill 235 / Public Act 126

Appropriations: 2006-2007 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs budget

Introduced in the Senate

Feb. 21, 2007

Introduced by Sen. Valde Garcia (R-22)

To provide the “template” or “place holder” for a Senate Republican version of a Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs budget. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them. Note: The governor's proposed budget is contained in <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2006-SB-259">Senate Bill 259</a>, and is premised on the legislature adopting a 2 percent tax on services which along with other tax increases and a proposed reduction in business taxes represents a net tax hike of approximately $1 billion.

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

May 1, 2007

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Aug. 22, 2007

Substitute offered

To adopt a version of this budget that expresses spending level and policy differences between the Republican-majority in the Senate and Governor Jennifer Granholm on certain spending items and funding sources. See Senate-passed version for more, and for details see the Senate Fiscal Agency analysis (link available through the “Text and Analysis” tab at the top of this bill’s MichiganVotes page.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Passed in the Senate 20 to 18 (details)

The Senate version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007-2008 Department of Military Affairs budget. This appropriates $127.8 million in gross spending, compared to $122.9 million, which was the FY 2006-2007 amount enrolled in 2006, and $127.8 million proposed by Gov. Granholm (see <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2006-SB-259">Senate Bill 259</a>). Of this, $39.9 million will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2006-2007 amount of $40.6 million.

Motion to reconsider by Sen. Alan L. Cropsey (R-33)

The vote by which the following bill was passed.

Consideration postponed

Withdrawn

The motion to reconsider the final passage vote.

Received in the House

Aug. 23, 2007

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

Sept. 5, 2007

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Sept. 6, 2007

Substitute offered

The version of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs budget reported by the House Appropriations Committee. This budget expresses the will of the House Democratic majority, but it was subsequently replaced by a version that zeros out all line items as a way to accelerate House-Senate budget negotiations (see LeBlanc substitute). This version would appropriate $129.9 million in gross spending, compared to $122.9 million, which was the FY 2006-2007 amount enrolled in 2006, and $127.8 million proposed by Gov. Granholm (see <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2006-SB-259">Senate Bill 259</a>). Of this, $40.9 million will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2006-2007 amount of $40.6 million.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jacob Hoogendyk (R-61)

To require the department to post on the internet every expenditure it makes, including a description of the purpose of the expenditure.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Substitute offered by Rep. Richard LeBlanc (D-18)

To adopt a version of the bill that essentially strips out all of the appropriations of the previous version, which is basically a procedural method of launching negotiations to work out the differences between the House and Senate budgets.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Richard Ball (R-85)

To require the department to implement continuous improvement efficiency mechanisms that increase efficiency and reduce expenditures in its programs, and to report back to the legislature on these every six months.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 62 to 45 (details)

To send the Department of Military Affairs budget back to the Senate "stripped" of all actual appropriations, and $100 “placeholders” in their place. These and some changes in the remaining “boilerplate” language prescribing policies the department must follow establish “points of difference” with the Senate version, the presence of which makes them subjects for negotiation between the bodies. This vote is basically a procedural method of launching negotiations to work out the differences between the House and Senate budgets.

Received in the Senate

Sept. 6, 2007

To concur with a House-passed version of the bill. The vote sends the bill to a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences.

Failed in the Senate 0 to 37 (details)

Sept. 11, 2007

Received

Received in the House

Sept. 11, 2007

In the Senate

Oct. 29, 2007

Passed in the Senate 35 to 3 (details)

The House-Senate conference report for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007-2008 Department of Military Affairs budget. This appropriates $129.4 million in gross spending, compared to $122.9 million, which was the FY 2006-2007 amount enrolled in 2006, and $127.8 million proposed by Gov. Granholm (see <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2006-SB-259">Senate Bill 259</a>). Of this, $40.3 million will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2006-2007 amount of $40.6 million. Like most other most other budgets this one would require the department to reduce administrative costs by 2.5 percent, but reportedly that will cause no layoffs in the department.

In the House

Oct. 29, 2007

Passed in the House 101 to 8 (details)

Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm

Oct. 31, 2007