State Lawmakers with a Busy Year

Governor Snyder using his 'pen' a lot this year to sign bills into law.  Some 200 new laws are now on the books--the majority to take effect on January first--and about 70 more are awaiting his signature. 

Among the biggest pieces of legislation to make it through the legislative process:  the health exchange that expands medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults, pre-school funding for disadvantaged children, requiring those wanting insurance coverage for abortions to have a separate rider for that expense, alloting funding for testing of untested rape kits that had been stored, a boost in hunting and fishing licenses and a tax break for those trading in a vehicle or boat on something new.

One major issue 'not' moving forward, the governor's proposal for increasing the gas tax and other user fees to pay for road repair.  He is asking for more than a billion dollars in revenue to be generated for the next decade to make what he calls much-needed repairs.  The idea not real popular with voters.