12/23/13 - With the legislative session in Lansing at an end for 2013, one local lawmaker says much was accomplished, although at least one major reform failed to pass. State Senator Joe Hune says this session was less active than last year, which as a lame-duck legislature had added focus on getting bills passed before lawmakers, either due to term-limits or losing their seat, left office. As for this year, the Hamburg Township Republican said he was happy to see his bills pass on requiring state assistance recipients suspected of drug use to undergo testing. After passing the state Senate, that bill is now before the House for consideration. On the other hand, Hune said the failure to reform the stateâs no-fault auto insurance system was disappointing. The bill would have overhauled Michiganâs auto insurance system by eliminating unlimited medical coverage for people catastrophically injured in car accidents and replace it with a $1-million cap. The bill stalled in the state House. Hune, who feels the system is effectively a double-tax on motorists who are already covered by insurance, hopes it will be pushed through in 2014. Lawmakers did manage to expand government-funded medical coverage to hundreds of thousands more low-income adults, something Hune was against, while adding restrictions on insurance coverage of abortions, which he favored. Lawmakers also increased spending to send more disadvantaged 4-year-olds to preschool and approved a one-time increase in road funding while ignoring Governor Snyder's request for a permanent increase in gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees. (JM)
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