Michigan Bills
When Michigan legislators are in session they introduce an average of more than one bill a day affecting your car, your driver's license, and your rights to the road.
We have compiled a list of motorist bills to watch as well as a list of all current motorist legislation.
Be sure to let your elected representatives know how you feel about these issues. This list is updated every week or so as a service to Michigan voters. For actual bill language, and up-to-date information on the status of any bill, go to the Michigan legislature's web site at www.MichiganLegislature.org and enter the bill number."
Bills To Watch
Last updated September 28, 2006.
SB 964, HB 5393 - DOUBLE TRAFFIC FINES (Sen. Switalski, Rep. Miller)
Double traffic fines in "residential zones" as established by local ordinance and marked by signs at entrances.
This bill would let local governments label any place a "residential zone" in which all traffic fines would be doubled. Residential zone is undefined, and there are no limits on how big the zones could be, so any city could declare its entire territory a double-fine zone, including all the territory adjacent to through highways. Courts might or might not halve fines where cities abuse this proposed law. Compare HB 5240. This bill has not been taken up. N.M.A. STRONGLY OPPOSES.
SB 1098 - ENABLE PHOTO RADAR (Sen. Hammerstrom)
Authorize 3-year test of photo radar at 3 construction zones on Interstate freeways and 3 school zones. Citations to be delivered by mail to vehicle registrant, rebuttable by affidavit if the registrant was not driving; no points.
This bill would be the foot in Michigan's door for automated issuance of traffic tickets. It would require a "test" of photo-radar in freeway construction and school zones - places where fines are doubled. Local governments would be able to keep the revenue from the automated tickets in school zones, many of which are unwarranted and have grossly-underposted speed limits. This bill would be a precedent for universal enabling of automated speed traps. This bill has not been taken up. N.M.A. STRONGLY OPPOSES.
HB 4032 - CITY SPEED LIMITS (Former Rep. Whitmer)
Speed limits on state highways in cities to be "jointly determined" by MDOT, State Police, and the city council.
This bill would allow city governments to intrude on the process of posting speed limits on state highways passing through their boundaries. Motorists could be subjected to unpredictable, unsafe speed limits that vary from town to town. For example, Woodward Avenue might have a dozen different speed laws between Pontiac and Detroit.
This bill is promoted by politicians from the City of East Lansing and other local units eager to operate speed traps on through highways. Hearings were held on this bill, but movement stopped when N.M.A. pointed out that this bill would conflict with Public Act 85 of 2006, which reformed Michigan speed-limit law to outlaw politically-set local speed limits. Nonetheless, local politicians will probably try to revive this bill in either this session or the next. N.MA. STRONGLY OPPOSES.
HB's 6255 & 5256 - MOVE OVER FOR GARBAGE TRUCKS (Rep. Hummel)
Make it a misdemeanor ($500 fine or 90 days) for failure to move over or slow down for road-repair, utility, and stationary garbage trucks showing yellow flashing lights.
Michigan law requires drivers to move over or slow down when passing emergency vehicles and police cars on the roadside. This bill would expand the law to road-repair, utility, and garbage trucks. This would allow utility workers and refuse collectors to effectively close one or more lanes whenever they turn on yellow lights. The existing "move-over" law is vague and sometimes enforced with poor discretion by local police. This bill is promoted by trash-collection companies. A better approach would be to outlaw garbage trucks that require workers to stand behind them, and to require utility work to be done at other than peak travel times. Compare HB 4057 (applies to road commission trucks only).
This bill has not been taken up, but there are signs that it might be taken up and passed quickly in the remaining days of the 93rd legislature, either before or after the November election. N.M.A. OPPOSES.