LANSING, MI – Michigan lawmakers return to the Capitol this week, kicking off the final year of the 2017-2018 legislative session.
Caucus leaders have wide-ranging goals, from water quality to mental health. Here are five issues that are front-of-mind as lawmakers return to session.
1) Driver responsibility fees.
Both the House and Senate have taken swipes at eliminating driver responsibility fees, which require Michigan drivers to pay a fee to have their driver’s licenses reinstated after accumulating a number of points on it or being cited for certain offenses. At that time, they were needed to fill a budget hole.
They’re already being phased out, but the chambers have moved to do so more quickly. But a key difference has emerged, with the House wanting to forgive all driver responsibility fees beginning Oct. 1, 2018 and the Senate wanting to only forgive debt older than six years.
Both House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, and Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, are hopeful they’ll come to common ground on the issue in 2018.
READ MORE AT: http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/01/5_things_michigans_legislative.html#incart_river_index