LANSING – An agreement to wait until September 1 for the repeal of the state’s item-pricing requirement to take effect ensured enough votes to resolve a mini-standoff on the bill in the Senate and send it to Governor Rick Snyder.
Twice, the Senate had fallen one vote short of the two-thirds majority necessary to give the bill immediate effect because of opposition from Sen. Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights), who also voted against the bill (HB 4158 ).
Without giving the bill immediate effect, it would not take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die in December, meaning it would not have gone into effect until sometime in March 2012.
Finally, on Thursday, the Senate, which had passed the bill Tuesday, decided to hold a revote on the bill itself, but before doing so, amended the legislation to set a September 1 effective date.
The bill then received immediate effect, getting 31 votes, enabling the law to take effect on September 1. Five Democrats joined all 26 Republicans for immediate effect.
The House swiftly concurred in the Senate change, 69-41, sending the bill to Snyder for his signature.
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