House
Bill 5660 passed the State Senate Tuesday on a 36-2 vote and, after
subsequent concurrence in the changes by the House, is on its way to Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder’s desk. Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing)
and Senator Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) were the two “no” votes.
The measure, sponsored by Representative Jim
Stamas (R-Midland), effectively reverses a ruling by the Department of Treasury
that alcoholic beverages sold in flexible pouch containers are subject to the
State’s 10-cent bottle deposit law. Since the bill creates a special exemption
from the law by amending the Michigan Constitution, three-quarters approval was
necessary in both chambers of the Legislature.
Senate approval did not come without multiple
attempts at amending the bill. Senator Warren offered an amendment to apply the
10-cent deposit to water bottles, energy drink containers and juice bottles while
Senator Steve Bieda (D-Warren) offered two amendments – one to add a 5-cent
refundable deposit to the pouch containers and a second including a three-year
sunset on the bill. All were defeated.
Senator Mike Green (R-Mayville) won an
amendment adding language to more specifically define the applicable containers
to beverages intended to be frozen.