Houghton Lake Resorter
Legislation that would prohibit boat hoists at road ends was sent back to committee in the Michigan House of Representatives Sept. 28.
State Rep. Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch, said the action came after he spoke to House Republican leaders about referring House Bill 4576 to the House Government Operations Committee. The bill was reported out of the House Local Government and Urban Policy Committee in June.
"I am very pleased House leadership has agreed more work is needed on the road ends legislation before it is considered by the House," Sheltrown said. "Sending the bill back to committee will allow for the inclusion of my amendment for local control in the legislation."
Sheltrown's amendment would allow townships to issue permits for hoists at road ends for a seasonal fee. The fees could be used for increased enforcement of litter, noise, trespassing and other nuisance laws.
"Over the past six months, legislators have explored the road ends issue in depth and listened to the views of affected property owners and local elected officials," Sheltrown said. "In the end, many state representatives came to the conclusion that HB 4576, in its current form, is bad public policy and likely unconstitutional. Sending the bill back to committee will allow us to make changes to protect local economies, property values and lake access."
Sheltrown said he does not expect the bill to be considered again before 2007 unless it is amended to allow townships to issue permits for hoists.