Secretary of State Ruth Johnson testified in front of the House and Senate Michigan Competitiveness Committees on Oct. 11 in support of a bipartisan package of legislation that would eliminate Driver Responsibility Fees.
Calling much of the fees owed to the state “uncollectible” and an impediment to job creation, Johnson encouraged lawmakers to provide Michigan residents who still owe the fees ways to resolve the debt.
“The far-reaching impact has been simply devastating to the people we serve,” Johnson told committee members. “Too many Michigan residents lost their licenses because of these automatic, excessive fees which meant they couldn’t take their kids to school or get to work. And that, in turn, hurt families and local businesses who couldn’t find enough qualified employees.”
As a state representative in 2003, Johnson voted against Driver Responsibility Fees. As secretary of state, she has pushed for repealing the Driver Responsibility Fee law, successfully pushing lawmakers to eliminate the most common fees in 2011, create a community service option for certain fees in 2015 and begin phasing out all fees.
Driver Responsibility Fees were for various traffic violations, including non-moving violations, on top of regular traffic citation fines and court costs. Unlike traditional court fines and fees, the automatically assessed Driver Responsibility Fees cannot be waived or reduced by a judge.
Secretary Johnson encouraged lawmakers to approve legislation that would eliminate fears about receiving a ticket for an expired plate tab if motorists waited until the last minute to renew their vehicle registration.
Johnson testified in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Oct. 17 in favor of House Bill 4535, sponsored by Rep. Curt VanderWall of Ludington, which gives vehicle owners a 30-day grace period to place their tab on the license plate after they renewed the vehicle’s registration. Motorists have received traffic tickets because they renewed online or by mail and had not yet received their new tab when they were pulled over by law enforcement.
“Michigan residents already can renew their vehicle plates online or by mail right up to the expiration deadline – and even afterward,” Johnson said. “Now we’re making it clear that no tickets should be issued if the person didn’t get the tab in the mail in time.”
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By Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Starting Dec. 1, a new wildlife license plate will be available in Michigan. The
current common loon plate will be replaced with an elk plate to help celebrate
the 100th anniversary of the reintroduction of elk in Michigan.
“We are excited for the changing of the guard,” said Department of Natural
Resources Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. “The loon license plate has had a
long run, and helped to raise over $2.6 million for wildlife habitat since
2006.”
Next year marks 100 years since elk were reintroduced to Michigan, and
celebrations are planned throughout the year.
Once common in Michigan, elk had disappeared from the state in the 1800s due
to unregulated take and lack of habitat.
In 1918, seven elk were brought from the western United States to Wolverine,
Michigan. The healthy and abundant elk population in the state today is a result
of intentional land management and increased law enforcement.
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