Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata, and Samantha Gibson of MAC

Topics: In their latest episode, host Stephan Currie and team members Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata, and Samantha Gibson look back on and discuss what happened the last week of regular session as the legislature goes sine die. They also discuss what the legislature will look like as we move into 2024.

Fata reported on the MAC-opposed solar and wind siting legislation. MAC was able to negotiate some amendments to the legislation. The legislation was passed on party lines by both chambers and is headed to Governor's desk in the coming weeks.

Gibson reported on the Juvenile Justice Reform package. 19 of the 20 bills passed both chambers and is headed to the governor's desk. The bill that did not move was the bill to expand MIDC to include Juveniles. Gibson explains why this bill wasn't passed and what that will look like.

Bosworth reported on the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund bills, which passed the House and are in the Senate's Finance, Insurance & Consumer Protection Committee. She also gave an update on the Public Safety Trust Fund, which is also over in the Senate.

Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata, and Samantha Gibson of MAC

Topics: In their latest episode, host Stephan Currie and team members Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson look at what this week looks like as the Legislature enters there last regular week of session before they go sine die.

Bosworth reported the recent movement of the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund Bills, which passed the House last week, almost unanimously, 106 Yeas - 4 Nays. These bills now move over to the Senate's Finance, Insurance & Consumer Protection Committee.

Fata reported on the MAC-opposed solar and wind siting legislation that saw a 1 a.m. vote on the House Floor last Friday morning. There were many last minute amendments to these bills that gives the illusion of locals keeping control but does the opposite.

Finally, Gibson gave an update on the juvenile justice bills that are awaiting votes on the House and Senate floors. She also gave an update on minimum staffing legislation that was voted out of the House Labor Committee, and heads to the Senate.

The shrinking legislative calendar and the maneuvering around state energy policy continue to dominate in the State Capitol, said MAC’s Podcast 83 team this week.

In their latest episode, host Stephan Currie and team members Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson repeatedly noted how uncertain the situation is in Lansing as the Democratic majorities in the Legislature rush to finish work before the expected

Fata and Bosworth reported that the MAC-opposed solar and

There has been “lots of closed-door negotiating,” Fata said,

In more certain news, Bosworth reported that the governor has signed long-sought legislation to create a mechanism to reimburse local governments for revenue losses tied to the expansion of the Personal Property Tax exemption.

Finally, Fata gave an update on the contentious topic of creating a statewide septic code, an idea opposed by dozens of counties. “It’s

As the Legislature prepares for what is expected to be an

Director of Governmental Affairs Deena Bosworth, sitting in for regular host Stephan Currie, leads Samantha Gibson and Madeline Fata of MAC through the hot topics in Lansing, including:

Control over who decides the location and details of solar and wind energy generating facilities remains a contentious issue at the Michigan State Capitol, MAC’s Podcast 83 team reported this week in their newest episode.

Madeline Fata, MAC’s point person on the legislation, was scheduled to testify against bills last week to transfer zoning powers to the Michigan Public Service Commission, but she didn’t get the chance, she told her podcast team members, due to the intense questioning of bill sponsors by committee members.

MAC has long opposed any infringement on local control, and the

Meanwhile, MAC’s Samantha Gibson reports, the MAC-supported

Looming over every issue, though, is the unsettled legislative calendar, with the Democratic majority still expected to adjourn the body in early November in order to bring into force state law on pension tax changes and the presidential primary on schedule in early 2024.

The Podcast 83 team reviews the unsettled legislative

Host Stephan Currie and MAC staffers Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson detail the State Capitol news, including:

- The ongoing march of binding arbitration expansion, despite MAC’s opposition; and

-Continuing work on juvenile justice reform.

Also discussed is the rapidly shrinking legislative calendar for the rest of 2023, with Bosworth expressing concern that the lack of session days could prevent passage of key MAC priorities until calendar 2024.

Currie turned the conversation to next week’s MAC Annual

Legislative work in Lansing is accelerating and MAC’s Podcast

In their newest episode, host Stephan Currie and MAC staffers Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson detail the news, including:

The Michigan Legislature is back in Lansing, which means

In this week’s episode, host Stephan Currie leads the team of Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson across the legislative

Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Topic: MAC's work on a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund.

Among key points made during the discussion, taped July 11, are:

• Legislative term limits have disrupted the institutional knowledge of revenue sharing's purpose in Lansing.
• There is now a strong group of former county commissioners in the Legislature, however, who are well-positioned to aid in the trust fund effort.
• The version of the legislation that has the “most momentum” is in a House committee.
• The only stumbling block, Bosworth says, is the lack of buy-in, so far, from the State Budget Office.

“It’s called revenue sharing for a reason,” Bosworth noted. “They are supposed to be sharing the state revenue. It was established years ago because we gave up our own local taxing authority.”

See video versions of all Podcast 83 episodes on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9K0ge6AvMM2B6vh7oYNn6g

Visit the Podcast 83 page at www.micounties.org

Details about the 2023 Annual Conference in Kalamazoo County are the focus of a special episode of Podcast 83, MAC’s podcast about all things related to Michigan’s 83 counties.

Guest Tammi Connell, MAC’s director of member events, provides a rundown of the conference mechanics, including the timeline for registration, when to show up at the conference venue, the Radisson Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo, and even what music you can expect to hear at the Gala following the traditional President’s Banquet on the night of Monday, Oct. 2.

Deena Bosworth, MAC’s director of governmental affairs, provides more conference details, including on this event’s workshops for county leaders, including a special two-day dive into the exceedingly complicated – and important – road funding formula found in Public Act 51.

See video versions of all Podcast 83 episodes on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9K0ge6AvMM2B6vh7oYNn6g

Visit the Podcast 83 page at www.micounties.org