Sept. 11 Michigan Legislature Roll Call Report

To allow election clerks in larger communities (above 25,000) to begin opening and processing absentee ballots the day before an election under rules prescribed by the bill. Senate Bill 757.

To require a state children's ombudsman's office to release redacted reports of investigations into alleged child abuse or neglect. This office is tasked with monitoring agencies that serve children including private child placement and child care institutions along with foster care and adoptive homes; and also with improving the care of children subject to the authority of any of these entities. House Bill 5248.

To require the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget to develop processes and procedures for tracking state information technology vendor contracts that exceed $250,000. This includes identifying cost overruns and change orders, accounting for projects that exceed one fiscal year, communicating processes and defined roles to involved parties, tracking spending, keeping the legislature informed and more. There have a number of major state information technology contract debacles over the past 30 years. The Senate also passed House Bill 5495, to require the state auditor general to validate state departments' compliance in these matters. House Bill 5494.

To authorize repayment from state vendors who breach their contract with the state, and require agencies to use this method to enforce contracts. House Bill 5053.

To modify the unsuccessful bidder protest policies and procedures in the state law that prescribes practices for government contracting. The bill specifies which actions do or do not constitute a valid reason for a protest, but would also permit officials to deny a contract protest for reasons of "policy" that are not specified in law. House Bill 4954.