LANSING – The Michigan Senate is planning to pass legislation cutting small business taxes and earmarking funds for the Budget Stabilization Fund when it comes back into session this week.
That would keep with the schedule that Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema (R-Wyoming) and House Speaker Craig DeRoche (R-Novi) announced when they outlined their first priorities for 2006 at a press conference last week.
The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday on SB 957, which would cut the rate on the Single Business Tax’s alternative tax charged small businesses from 2 percent to 1 percent. The committee will also report out HB 5355, HB 5356, HB 5357, HB 5358, HB 5359, HB 5360 and HB 5361, the so-called Job Provider Bill of Rights package that would cut bureaucratic red tape on some decisions and lengthen the time taxpayers could appeal some issues.
And the Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet on SB 956 that would earmark $118 million to the Budget Stabilization Fund. The money is part of the surplus from the 2004-05 fiscal year, but State Budget Director Mary Lannoye said the state is already several hundred million dollars short on the 2006-07 budget and cannot afford to have the funds locked into the BSF.
Once the bills are reported from committee, Ari Adler, spokesperson to Sikkema said the full Senate would act on them Thursday.
The House Commerce Committee also will hold a hearing on legislation banning a promulgation of a rule regarding ergonomics (HB 5447). The House is also supposed to act on the Republican agenda, if it has not already done so, next week.
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