SMALL BUSINESS

Personal Property Tax (PPT)
Exempt all business from the Personal Property Tax liability.  This would encourage more businesses to relocate to Michigan and also maintain their residency in the state.

Healthcare

PPACA
FEDERAL:
We do not and did not support the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010.  There should be no new taxes for businesses in order to support a government-run healthcare system nor penalties if their employees choose to participate in such a plan.  

POSITION:
For businesses and individuals to maintain authority over their healthcare decisions.  We DO NOT support a government run healthcare system.  Nor do we support businesses carrying the burden to fund a federal healthcare plan.  We are fighting for the right of business owners to make their own healthcare decisions without any penalties.

STATE:
To support Senate Bill 693, to create a MiMarketplace Exchange in Michigan.  This is the lesser of two evils, as creating our own Exchange gives Michigan more control over our healthcare options.  If we do not create or pass state legislation, the federal government would take over and control and run our state’s healthcare system. MBPA choses the lesser of two evils and choses to support a state-run exchange to allow us more control over our healthcare options, rather than deferring to the federal government.

Individual Market Modernization Reform

POSITION:
TO SUPPORT REFORMS
Reforms are:
Streamlining of the rate-filing process so it is less burdensome and fairer for all health insurance companies. Should not have some insurers wait 2 years to update rates, while others can do so in less than 2 months. That’s simply unfair and anti-competitive.
Streamlining the rate-filing process will level the playing field so all health insurers play by the same rules and engage in true competition that will in turn help rein in high health care costs. A uniform rate-filing process that applies fairly to all insurers will also create more certainty, objectivity and predictability, which are essential to businesses as they plan for the future. These plans could include everything from whether to build new facilities, invest in new communities or services, hire more people and provide health coverage for their employees.

STATEWIDE:
The Michigan Exchange: Our Association’s provide a valuable service to our over 20,000 members in keeping them up to date with our changing healthcare system in our nation and our state.  We want to continue in this process and play a leader role for the State in our newly founded Exchange.

POSITION:
To keep Michigan’s healthcare providers, trade groups, and insurance agents part of the Exchange process

Our members value our association, their insurance agent, and their state based insurance company.  They fear having to deal directly with the government with healthcare questions or concerns.  As small business owners, they require personal contact and help.

Structural Reform

We support Governor Snyder that there is a strong need for structural reform in how our state’s dollars are allocated and spent.  It is time for government to live within its means.  We have provided all State Legislators with our proposed reforms and will continue to lobby those reforms until spending and allocation changes are made.

Term Limits

Since its inception in 1992, Term Limits has had a dramatic impact on our state legislature, both positive and negative.  The positive impact has been new faces with fresh ideas and spunk for getting things done.  The negative affects however have outweighed the positive in many ways.  There is critical loss of institutional knowledge, legislator accountability, and legislative power.  

Lobbyists and special interest have gained too much power and serve as those that maintain much of the lost institutional knowledge.  We are in favor of expanding term limits, with the end goal of a complete repeal.

Green Michigan Initiative

There is a need and desire by many businesses, large and small, that would benefit by being a more environmentally efficient company.  Businesses would benefit by cutting their operating and supply costs when adhering to being more economical with energy and paper usage, for example.  We hope to help bring the “green” side into all Michigan’s offices, helping their bottom line and also helping our environment.

Ergonomics

A department, board, or commission, could provide guidance, best practices information, or assistance for the voluntary implementation or practice of a workplace ergonomics program.

POSITION:
To maintain status quo with federal and state ergonomic standards

Our business community works well with OSHA in offering their employees assistance in providing a safe workstation and atmosphere.  The current safety recommendations put forth by OSHA show businesses how they might limit true musculo-skeletal disorders in their workplaces.  Thus, our Association’s support maintaining the status quo and fighting any new requirements or mandates placed upon the business community.  Any new requirements could prove costly to a business to implement without a true understanding if those new rules would in fact promote a safer and better work environment.

Tort Reform

POSITION:
To maintain status quo with current tort laws

Our Associations’ support measures to maintain the status quo and leave the current Tort Reform laws as is.  We believe Michigan’s tort laws appropriately balance a consumer’s ability to bring product or service liability suites, while guarding against unnecessary and costly law suits.  These measures to change the current laws would put Michigan at risk.  We’re already struggling to attract new businesses in our state and undoing these laws that protect our business community would send terrible signals to those other companies thinking of investing in Michigan.

Estate Tax

POSITION:
To monitor and keep the Estate Tax out of Michigan
There is no estate tax rate, per se, for the State of Michigan.  Estate tax liability is equal to the value of the credit allowed by the federal government for state estate taxes.  The federal credit for state estate taxes was eliminated in 2005.  This had the effect of ending Michigan’s estate tax.  According to the Michigan Department of Treasury, anyone dying on or after January 1, 2005 will not pay estate tax in the State of Michigan.  Let’s keep it that way.

FOOD INDUSTRY

Recycling

Comprehensive Curbside Recycling
The Penny Plan is proposed as a funding source for recycling in Michigan.  The $40 plus million it will raise annually will be used to promote a comprehensive recycling plan to increase our recyclable materials, decrease our landfills, and create jobs.

POSITION:

To fight any legislation that attempts to add additional beverage containers to the current recycling list.  The cost to our business community would be astronomical to add more recycling receptacles and more space needed to store these additional items.
Our Associations support the Penny Plan.  This Penny Plan adds a one cent transaction fee to all purchases over $2, EXCLUDING purchases of services, utilities, wholesale purchases, business to business purchases, or to incidental sales made from within the business.  This Penny Plan also EXEMPTS any small business retailer whose aggregate monthly penny collection is less than $20, which equates into 2,000 transactions per month on average over a twelve month period.  Please contact us for more information.

Liquor Control Commission Updates

POSITION:
Support streamlining updates within the MLCC

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission, MLCC, new Chairman Andy Deloney is promoting transparency and speed to all administrative procedures within the commission.