Rep. Harold L. Haughs' Site Feed

State Rep. Haugh Introduces Bills to Improve Michigan Fireworks Safety Act

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:55:06 -0400

LANSING — State Representative Harold L. Haugh (D-Roseville) introduced House Bill 4743 and 4744 today which will make changes to the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act to provide additional local control, more reasonable time limits on usage and to ensure firefighters are receiving the funds necessary for proper training in accordance with the intended purpose of the act.

“After listening to constituents and meeting with all interested stakeholders, I believe that leaving the fireworks ordinance decisions up to the local units of government is the best course of action,” said Haugh.

The legislation will make the following improvements to the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act:

Establishes set hourly parameters and more flexibility at the local level for the discharge or use of consumer grade fireworks via local opt-in. More specifically, local units of government still retain full control over the 335 days they currently have. On the days of, day before, and day after a national holiday (30 days), local units of government may enact an ordinance prohibiting the use of consumer grade fireworks from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. and could also enact an ordinance expanding the hours of usage but not decreasing them on the 30 days.
Ensure that 100 percent of the Fireworks Safety Fee be distributed to the Firefighter Training Council for training purposes and allow local units of government to carry out inspections of consumer-grade firework facilities;
Require retail facilities to display a sign informing customers where to find a copy of state law and to contact their local unit of government for local ordinances;
Require retailers to submit their fireworks safety fees at the same time as their sales tax payments; and
Eliminate the sunset on the application fees for permanent structures and tents, keeping them at current levels.
Address bad actors who try to skirt paying their sales tax and fireworks safety fee yet try to set up shop in a different manner the next year by providing Treasury the authority over the “??collection of all past due money” owed to the state or state departments.

“This bill addresses many concerns raised about the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act, but most importantly, it restores the original integrity of the act by guaranteeing all of the fireworks safety fees go towards fire safety, training and inspections,” continued Haugh. “I am confident that this bill will get broad support once it is taken up by the full House.”

Statement from State Representative Harold Haugh (D-Roseville) on the passage of legislation expanding the Educational Achievement Authority in Michigan:

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:17:29 -0400

“I strongly opposed this legislation as it represents a backward step for our public schools and children. Much like the Emergency Manager law, the EAA legislation takes local and parental control away and shifts these powers to the state and for-profit corporations. The EAA decision making process should be open to the public and the EAA should be held accountable for how these schools are run and the student achievement they do or do not produce.”

House Democratic Leader Greimel Announces New Leadership Positions

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:12:00 -0500

LANSING - House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel (Auburn Hills) today announced that new appointments have been made to the House Democrats’ leadership team. The positions filled include strategic advisor to the Democratic Leader, and assistant floor leaders and assistant whips.

“I’m confident that these additions to our leadership team will put the House Democratic Caucus in an even stronger position to fight for middle-class families, seniors and students,” Greimel said. “From bringing fairness back to Michigan’s tax structure to restoring funding to our schools, there is a lot of work to be done. The House Democratic leadership team is ready for the challenge.”

The new appointments are:

Strategic Advisor to the Democratic Leader: Representative Harold L. Haugh (Roseville)
House Democratic Caucus Assistant Floor Leaders: Representatives Vicki Barnett (Farmington Hills), David Knezek (Dearborn Heights) and Andy Schor (Lansing)
House Democratic Caucus Assistant Whips: Representatives Robert L. Kosowski (Westland), David Rutledge (Ypsilanti) and Dian Slavens (Canton)

Michigan Legislature Passes Haugh Bill Reducing Unnecessary Administrative Burden to Local Governments

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:42:00 -0500

The upcoming tax season will be easier for local governments to manage due to legislation sponsored by state Representative Harold L. Haugh (D-Roseville) and signed into law in late December that reduces some of the unnecessary regulatory burdens it requires local governments to meet. Public Act 461 of 2012 (House Bill 5047) allows a local tax collecting unit to send its settlement tax rolls to the county treasurer in a computerized print format, or a disk, external drive or other electronic data processing format.

“At a time when our local governments are hurting, we need to provide them some flexibility in how they handle their day-to-day operations,” said Haugh. “This legislation would allow cities and townships the option of sending their settlement tax rolls to the county in an electronic format, rather than printing off thousands of pages and then submitting it to the county.”

The need for the bill was brought to Haugh’s attention by Roseville City Treasurer Catherine Haugh and Deputy City Treasurer Joan Logghe. Before Public Act 461, under the General Property Tax Act, local government tax-collecting units were required to send their final tax rolls to their respective county treasurers in a computer printout. The settlement tax rolls are used to record changes made in the assessed valuation of properties and equipment. According to the Roseville City Treasurer’s Office, a city employee had to print off more than 10,000 pages and then submit this massive printed document to the county.

“This bill allows the use of technology to save taxpayers money by streamlining what is currently a costly and time-consuming process,” said Haugh. “This much-needed update of the law would help free up staff time to meet the other needs of the citizens of that municipality.”

Haugh is the minority vice chairman of the House Regulatory Reform Committee and the Elections and Ethics Committee, as well as a member of the House Tax Policy Committee.

Reps. Haugh, Switalski and Roberts Announce House Committee Assignments

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:52:00 -0500

State Representatives Harold Haugh (D-Roseville), Jon Switalski (D-Warren) and Sarah Roberts (D-St. Clair Shores) announced today that they have received their committee assignments. Rep. Haugh will serve as the Democratic vice chairman for both the committees on Elections and Ethics and Regulatory Reform and sit on the Tax Policy Committee. Rep. Switalski will be the Democratic vice chairman of the Commerce Committee and will also sit on the Tax Policy Committee. Rep. Roberts with serve on the House Appropriations Committee, as the minority vice chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Military and Veterans Affairs and the Department of Environmental Quality and serve on the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee.

“I am looking forward to using my experience in the public and private sector to address the challenges Michigan faces,” said Haugh. “Serving as minority vice chairman of two important committees allows me to be an active participant in this goal.”

Rep. Haugh is a former member of the Roseville Planning Commission and the Roseville City Council, chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and mayor of Roseville. He also retired from GM after working there for more than 40 years and looks forward to using his experience there as an assistant director for international regulation as the vice chairman of the Committee on Regulatory Reform. He is serving his third term representing state House District 22.

Rep. Switalski is also serving his third term and represents House District 28. He is a former Macomb County Commissioner and U.S. congressional aide.

“The Commerce Committee is integral to doing what we, as Democrats, have been pushing all along: getting Michigan back to work. So I am honored to have a major role in reaching that goal,” said Rep. Switalski. “Serving on the Tax Policy Committee will also allow me the chance to do what I can to stop the disproportionate middle-class tax burden created the last two years.”

Rep. Roberts formerly served on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners for two years representing the northern portion of St. Clair Shores and previously served as a state representative from 2008 to 2010.

“As a state representative with experience at the county and state level and former community organizer with Clean Water Action, I look forward to serving as the Democratic vice chairwoman on two appropriations subcommittees and ensuring that we invest taxpayer dollars wisely on the programs and services that our residents care about,” said Rep. Roberts. “I’m particularly excited to be the minority vice chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Environmental Quality because I know our district cares deeply about our waterways and not nearly enough is being done to protect them. At the core of that is making sure we have the money to protect our greatest resource.”

Rep. Haugh Opposes Education Budget that Hurts Children, Families

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:40:00 -0400

LANSING - State Representative Harold L. Haugh (D-Roseville) joined his Democratic House colleagues on April 26 in opposing an education budget for the upcoming fiscal year that fails to provide sufficient resources or support to Michigan’s struggling K-12 schools, community colleges and higher education institutions.

“I could not support a budget that places our children’s future at risk,” said Haugh. “The Michigan Legislature, despite my objections, continues to cut funding to what is always referred to as a priority. This disinvestment in our children’s futures shows the exact opposite. We need to invest properly in education to create the conditions for business growth and Michigan’s economic rebirth.”

While Republican leaders and the governor have been touting the education budget as containing a 2.5 percent increase, total recommended expenditures decline from Fiscal Year 2012 to 2013 and continue to decline in Fiscal Year 2014, making the budget a net loss for Michigan’s kids. House Bill 5372 provides for no increase in the per-pupil foundation allowance. Additional money is only made available to schools that meet vaguely defined `best practices’ which limits local control and the flexibility to determine how best to run their operations with community input. The budget also continues to divert School Aid Fund money to higher education, including nearly $200 million to fund community colleges, resulting in the School Aid foundation allowance to be at its lowest level since 2006.

In addition, Michigan has dropped to 43rd out of 50 states in what is allocated towards higher education funding. Michigan is providing $163 per capita support for higher education vs. the national average of $233. This comes at a time when these institutions are even more critical for preparing students to compete in today’s globalized world.

“Job providers seek a well educated population,” said Haugh, who worked over 40 years at General Motors before retiring as Assistant Director of International Regulations. “This proposed budget impacts all levels of education in Michigan negatively by raising the costs for pursuing an education that is necessary for Michigan’s students to compete globally. I will do my best to fight for education as the budget process continues. “

House Bill 5372 passed the Michigan House with a 56-54 vote and will now head to the Michigan Senate for further consideration.

Haugh Opposes Destructive Budget That Fails to Create Jobs or Ease Burden on Seniors and Families

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:46:00 -0400

LANSING - State Representative Harold L. Haugh (D-Roseville) joined his fellow members of the House Democratic caucus on April 25 to oppose a Republican-backed omnibus budget that continues the trend of placing the burden squarely on the backs of seniors, children and working class families who are struggling with an increased tax burden and budget cuts that negatively impact job creation efforts. House Bill 5365 passed the Michigan House by a largely partisan 58-52 vote.

“This budget lacks the shared sacrifice,” said Haugh. “It places the burden squarely on the same individuals and families that were negatively impacted from last year’s budget: our kids, our seniors, middle-class and working families and our local units of government.”

House Bill 5365 eliminates hundreds of jobs, including more than 485 in the Michigan Department of Corrections, which on top of additional cuts in revenue sharing, raises significant concerns over the safety of Michigan’s residents while increasing the likelihood of bringing our communities closer to bankruptcy or emergency manager status. The budget also reduces job creation efforts that contain important accountability mechanisms and instead focuses on corporate giveaways.

“As a former mayor and city councilman, I could not support disinvesting in public safety and the programs that are important to our citizens’ well-being including our safety net at a time when the economy is still sluggish,” said Haugh. “I will continue to oppose budgets that negatively impact our local units of government and the hard working citizens and seniors of Michigan.”

House Bill 5365 places all departmental budgets, with the exception of education-related budgets, into one large bill, as opposed to budgets that were done individually in the past. Omnibus bills don’t allow for a transparent review or for the public to understand the merits and problems of individual departmental bills like Corrections, Human Services and Community Health. They are designed to confuse and provide cover and mean less accountability of government operations.

Response from House Democratic Leader Richard E. Hammel (Mt. Morris Township) to the Governor's 2012 State of the State Speech

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:14:00 -0500

Good evening.
I’m Rick Hammel, Democratic Caucus Leader in the Michigan House of Representatives.
In his State of the State speech, Gov. Snyder talked about his vision for Michigan.
We all want to get Michigan’s economy going and make our state great again.
The problem is that the Governor’s vision leaves far too many people behind.
The people of Michigan deserve solutions that work for everyone, not just a few.
Instead, our state has seen corporations get a $1.7 billion tax break that lets 95 percent of corporations off the hook and puts the burden on our students, seniors and working families.
That burden came with no accountability for corporations, and in fact we have not seen the jobs that were promised.
What we DID see is a $1 billion cut to our kids’ education that was totally unnecessary
We saw our seniors pensions’ taxed for the first time
ever
We saw unprecedented cuts to unemployment benefits removing the safety net that our struggling workers and families depend on.
We saw our residents’ constitutional rights violated with “referendum-proof” laws and the unprecedented emergency manager law that strips residents of their voice
And we saw the middle class lose even more ground with attacks on collective bargaining and the demonizing of teachers, police and other public employees.
All of these actions go against the values that Michigan residents believe in.
Yet despite massive objections by residents from all over the state and without allowing Democrats in the Legislature to have a seat at the table â?¦ these policies and other harmful bills were signed into law.
We cannot move our state forward with a one-sided government that does not respect the voices and rights of its citizens.
We have a Legislature that is too often focused on passing laws that are just mean-spirited and don’t produce results for our residents.
Make no mistake when you look at the numbers - unemployment is down only because these workers have given up on finding another job.
As long as the Legislature and the Governor continue to ignore the needs of our residents, Michigan will not truly move forward.
The successes we have seen both in the private and public sector come from collaboration.
In fact, the recent good news about Michigan’s economy is largely due to the hard work between labor and management in the auto industry and the bipartisan work done by others in the past.
And this is how things SHOULD be done - as a partnership working toward a common goal.
Michigan needs a vision that we can all share: a new direction built on a partnership between public and private sectors, between workers and business, between Republicans and Democrats
Our invitation to Governor Snyder stands, as it has on day one
House Democrats invite the Governor and Republican leaders to listen to the people of Michigan, and work with us as their representatives
rather than shutting out and over-ruling the very people our government is supposed to serve.
We know that residents want surplus dollars put back in to the classroom - and House Democrats will fight to make that happen.
Our children need and deserve a world-class education so they can succeed - and Michigan needs world-class workers for our economy to thrive.
We are working to support the creation of good-paying jobs, through infrastructure projects including the New International Trade Crossing, more investments in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and other high-tech sectors.
We are working to create safe, vibrant communities that enable healthy families to thrive and attract talented young people.
House Democrats are working to make Michigan welcoming to business by reducing red tape, streamlining
government processes and reforming licensing and regulation in order to help businesses prosper
And we are working to reform government, cut waste and provide the accountability and transparency that residents deserve.
This year, I sincerely hope the Governor, the Speaker, and the Majority leader will listen to the people and work to improve Michigan for all residents, not just improve profits for CEO’s.
And this year, more than ever, House Democrats will fight to put the PEOPLE of Michigan FIRST at the Capitol.
And we will fight to make Michigan great again as a place where everyone has the opportunity to learn, work and succeed.
Thank you.

Michigan House Passes Haugh Bill That Reduces Unnecessary Administrative Burden to Locals

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:31:00 -0500

LANSING - The Michigan House unanimously passed legislation on Tuesday, sponsored by State Representative Harold L. Haugh (Roseville), that reduces some of the unnecessary regulatory burdens it requires local governments to meet by a 108-0 vote. House Bill 5047, if signed into law, would allow a local tax collecting unit to send its settlement tax rolls to the county treasurer in a computerized print format, or a disk, external drive or other electronic data processing format.

“At a time when our local governments are hurting, we need to provide them some flexibility in how they handle their day to day operations,” said Haugh. “My bill would allow local units of government the option of sending their settlement tax rolls to the county in an electronic format, rather than printing off thousands of pages and then submitting it to the county.”

Currently, under the General Property Tax Act, local government tax-collecting units must transmit their final tax rolls to their respective county treasurers in a computer printout. The settlement tax rolls are used to record changes made in the assessed valuation of properties and equipment. According to the Roseville City Treasurer’s Office, a city employee must print off over 6,000 pages and then submit this massive printed document to the county.

“House Bill 5047 allows the use of technology to save taxpayers money by streamlining what is currently a costly and time-consuming process,” said Haugh. “This much needed update of the law would help free up staff time to meet the other needs of the citizens of that municipality.”

House Bill 5047 will head to the Michigan Senate for further consideration.

Governor Signs Fireworks Bills

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:50:00 -0500

LANSING - Michigan residents will now be able to enjoy the 4th of July holiday by purchasing and using consumer grade fireworks under legislation signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder today. House Bill 4293, sponsored by State Representative Harold L. Haugh (Roseville), and Senate Bill 194, sponsored by State Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), legalizes the same type of fireworks Michigan residents currently travel to Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin to purchase and use in Michigan.

“These bills would allow for the sale, use, and transportation of consumer grade fireworks in Michigan and carefully balances public safety concerns with the prospects of economic development for our state,” said Haugh. “I have watched for years as many Michigan residents travel out of state to purchase consumer grade fireworks and in the process, funding schools and services, and creating jobs in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. With the signing of these bills today, it places Michigan on an equal playing field and generates much needed revenue and jobs to our state.”

To promote public safety and accountability, House Bill 4293 requires retailers who want to sell consumer grade fireworks to pay an annual application fee, creates a fireworks safety fee to fund firefighter training and enforcement activities, provides for a rigorous inspection and permitting process, establishes stringent liability insurance requirements, and calls for the creation of a Web site that lists every entity that is issued a consumer grade firework certificate. Senate Bill 194 establishes criminal sentencing guidelines for violations of the proposed laws.

“It has been a tough path to get to this point,” said Haugh. “This issue has been discussed for more than 10 years and I have been working on it for the past three years. These bills reflect a true, bipartisan effort.”