The 100th Legislature adjourned sine die at noon on December 19 after more than 100 legislative days in session.

During the session, lawmakers voted to pass a bill to revise the rules on the governor transferring funds appropriated by the legislature to a different purpose than the one originally specified.

The legislature also voted to pass a bill to exempt equipment owned by a data center business from local special assessment levies, and some school property tax levies.

Per the state constitution, any business, bill, or joint resolution pending at the final adjournment of a regular session held in an odd-numbered year will carry over with the same status to the next regular session.

The 2020 session is scheduled to begin on January 8, 2020.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson created a new state Election Security Commission along with recommendations to improve the integrity of Michigan’s elections.

Included on the board of the Election Security Commission are the clerks of Kalamazoo, Wayne, and Ingham counties.

The commission will begin meeting next month.

The recommendations are expected to be released by the end of the year.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced special election dates for the vacant 68^th House District seat.

The primary election will be held on August 7 with the general election on November 6, lining up with the special election for U.S. Congress and the statewide elections.

The seat was vacated by Andy Schor, who resigned to become the mayor of Lansing.

Pictured: Outgoing Representative Andy Schor

Gov. Rick Snyder has called a special election to fill the vacancy for the 13^th District of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. John Conyers resigned on December 6, 2017, amid sexual harassment allegations.

The special general election will be held on November 6, 2018.

The special primary election will be held on August 7, 2018.

Gov. Rick Snyder signed two campaign finance bills accounting for the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United into law on September 20, 2017.

Senate Bill 335 excludes an independent expenditure from the definition of a contribution and defines independent expenditure committees.

Senate Bill 336 incorporate violations established in Senate Bill 335 into the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The bills are effective immediately.

The Michigan Legislature passed two campaign finance bills accounting for the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United from 2010.

Senate Bill 355 excludes an independent expenditure from the definition of a contribution and defines independent expenditure committees.

Senate Bill 336 incorporates violations established in Senate Bill 335 into the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Opponents of the bills argue it would allow candidates to raise unlimited contributions for independent expenditure committees, often referred to as super PACs.

Gov. Rick Snyder has 14 days upon receipt of the enrolled bills to sign or veto them.

Flint voters approved updates to the city’s charter on August 8, 2017.

Updates include gift restrictions involving persons doing business or seeking to do business with the city, lobbyist registration and reporting requirements, and post-employment restrictions on public servants.

The charter becomes effective on January 1, 2018.

The completed draft of the charter has been posted by the Charter Review Commission.

In 2015, voters in Flint, Michigan selected nine members to serve on the Flint Charter Review Commission.

Commissioners spent the last two years drafting the charter to be approved in a citywide referendum election on August 8, 2017. The proposed charter includes lobbyist registration provisions and a one-year revolving door provision for public servants.

The proposed revisions may be put up to a vote up to three times. In the event voters reject the proposed charter after three referenda, the commission is dissolved.

On May 9, 2017, Michigan Rep. John Kivela took his own life. Gov. Rick Snyder has called a special election to fill the vacancy for the 109^th District.

The special primary election will be held on August 8, 2017, with the special general election being held on November 7, 2017.

The winner of the of the special election will serve the remainder of Kivela’s two-year term.

Several ethics bills have been introduced in Michigan Legislature.

House Bill 4489 prohibits immediate family members of a public officer or employee from accepting gifts tending to influence the manner in which the public officer or employee or another public officer or employee performs official duties.

House Bill 4526 prohibits, for three years after leaving office, a former member of the Michigan Senate or House of Representatives who was, at any time, the chair of a standing committee, from making expenditures for or receiving compensation or reimbursement for actual expenses for lobbying equal to or exceeding the limit established to require registration as a lobbyist agent.

Similarly, House Bill 4527 prohibits any former member of the Michigan Senate or House of Representatives from being a lobbyist agent for two years after leaving office.

If passed, the bills will become effective 90 days after the end of the legislative session.

State Rep. Brian Banks resigned as part of a plea deal related to charges involving fraudulent pay stubs.

To fill the vacancy, Gov. Rick Snyder announced a special election to fill the First House District seat.

The special primary will be held on August 8, 2017, and the special general election will be held on November 7, 2017.

The special election coincides with the regular election to save taxpayers money.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed a U.S District Court’s decision to issue a preliminary injunction against provisions of Senate Bill 571, which enables corporations to deduct PAC contributions from employees’ paychecks while prohibiting labor unions from doing the same.

Ultimately, Sixth Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton relied on similar cases stating “absent a burden on a constitutionally cognizable right, the government may regulate what is at best a speech-facilitating mechanism.” Michigan State AFL-CIO v. Schuette, No. 16-2100, at *8 (6th Cir., Feb. 9, 2017).

The Bureau of Elections adjusted lobbying reporting thresholds, fees and penalties for the new year. These annual adjustments reflect changes in the Detroit consumer price index and are effective January 1, 2017.

Updates include a $50 increase in the expenditure threshold. Any lobbyist or lobbyist agent is required to register if expenditures exceed $2400 during a 12-month period. Transactions of $1200 or more between a lobbyist/lobbyist agent and a public official must be reported. The 2016 threshold was $1175.

Additionally, the permitted value of food and beverages purchased for public officials in any one month increased from $58 to $59.

Ann Arbor voters approved a ballot measure to increase terms for mayor and city council to four years (Proposal 1). The ballot proposal will have the mayor and five city council seats elected in even-numbered years coinciding with Michigan gubernatorial elections and the other five city council seats will be elected in even-numbered years coinciding with presidential elections.

Previously, half of the city council was elected on odd-numbered years.

The proposal will begin with 2018 elections and city council members elected in 2017 will serve a three-year term.