Advocacy News – July 6, 2023
This week, the MI Chamber — alongside a coalition of business community organizations — expressed concern and disappointment with the passage of a bill that would send a negative message to businesses looking to invest in the state. Senate Bill 14, which passed in the final weeks of the legislative session as the budget was being finalized, rescinds current statute from 2018 that directs regulatory agencies not to pass rules stricter than the Federal standard.
The bill is now before the Governor for consideration and while she is expected to sign it into law, the MI Chamber and other business advocate partners like the Michigan Manufacturers Association are calling for her to think of the negative impacts of the bill and respond accordingly with her veto pen. While the bill itself does not create stricter rules for businesses, it does send a message to regulatory agencies that they now have free reign over expanding their scope of authority and push for new rules that could increase the cost of doing business in Michigan.
It is important to note that in the original law passed in 2018, the language was significantly watered down to allow for regulatory agencies to move to stricter standards if emergency rationale was provided. This ensured protection of the state’s unique natural resources, such as the Great Lakes. While the business community opposed the bill because of the anti-business signaling it represents, it was also deemed somewhat unnecessary given that regulatory agencies could in fact move to stricter standards under existing law.
For more information contact Mike Alaimo at malaimo@michamber.com