No. 2

JOURNAL OF THE SENATE

Senate Chamber, Lansing, Wednesday, January 19, 2000.

 

6:15 p.m.

 

The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor Dick Posthumus.

 

The roll was called by the Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.

 

 
Bennett--presentHammerstrom--presentRogers--present
Bullard--presentHart--presentSchuette--excused
Byrum--presentHoffman--presentSchwarz--present
Cherry--presentJaye--excusedShugars--present
DeBeaussaert--presentJohnson--presentSikkema--present
DeGrow--presentKoivisto--presentA. Smith--present
Dingell--excusedLeland--presentV. Smith--present
Dunaskiss--presentMcCotter--presentSteil--present
Emerson--excusedMcManus--presentStille--present
Emmons--presentMiller--presentVan Regenmorter--excused
Gast--presentMurphy--presentVaughn--excused
Goschka--presentNorth--presentYoung--present

Gougeon--present Peters--present

 

 

Senator Dale L. Shugars of the 21st District offered the following invocation:

Heavenly Father, awesome Father, Creator of all things, we thank You for our lives. Thank You for our jobs. We thank You for our families. We thank You for our children.

Heavenly Father, we ask You to help us out as we lead and serve the citizens of this great state. As we are about to go to listen to the Governor on the State of the State, we will be listening quite a bit about our children.

Let us be mindful that talking about our children and spending more money for our children are important. The most important thing is our investment in our children--our time. May we be mindful to spend more time with our children, show our love, and be role models for them. Help us do that and prioritize in our lives what is important.

In Your name we pray. Amen.

 

 

Motions and Communications

 

 

Senator V. Smith moved that Senators Young and Miller be temporarily excused from today's session.

The motion prevailed.

 

Senator V. Smith moved that Senators Dingell, Emerson and Vaughn be excused from today's session.

The motion prevailed.

 

Senator Rogers moved that Senators Bullard and North be temporarily excused from today's session.

The motion prevailed.

 

Senator Rogers moved that Senators Jaye, Schuette and Van Regenmorter be excused from today's session.

The motion prevailed.

 

Senators Miller, North and Cherry entered the Senate Chamber.

 

Senator V. Smith moved that Senator Cherry be temporarily excused from today's session.

The motion prevailed.

 

 

The following communication was received and read:

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

January 19, 2000

Pursuant to Senate Rule 1.105, I hereby appoint the following members to the Conference Committee on Senate Bill 813:

Senator Schuette (Chair)

Senator Sikkema

Senator Virgil Smith

Sincerely,

Dan L. DeGrow

Senate Majority Leader

The communication was referred to the Secretary for record.

 

 

The following communications were received:

Department of State

 

Administrative Rules

Notices of Filing

 

December 16, 1999

In accordance with the provisions of Section 46(1) of Act 306, Public Acts of 1969, as amended, and Executive Order 1995-6, this is to advise you that the Office of Regulatory Reform, Legal Division filed at 1:00 p.m. this date, administrative rule (99-12-06) for the Department of Transportation, Bureau of Urban and Public Transportation, entitled "State Rail Line Divestiture," effective 15 days hereafter.

January 4, 2000

In accordance with the provisions of Section 46(1) of Act 306, Public Acts of 1969, as amended, and Executive Order 1995-6, this is to advise you that the Office of Regulatory Reform, Legal Division filed at 10:45 a.m. this date, administrative rule (00-01-01) for the Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Director's Office, entitled "Inorganic Arsenic," effective 15 days hereafter.

Sincerely,

Candice S. Miller

Secretary of State

Helen Kruger, Supervisor

Office of the Great Seal

The communications were referred to the Secretary for record.

 

 

The Secretary announced the printing and placement in the members' files on Friday, January 14, of:

Senate Bill Nos. 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923

House Bill Nos. 5220 5221

 

 

Senator Rogers moved that rule 3.902 be suspended to allow guests admittance to the Senate floor.

The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

 

By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of

Resolutions

 

 

Senators Goschka, Shugars, Sikkema, Dunaskiss, Hoffman, DeGrow, Gougeon, Steil, Rogers, McCotter, Hart and Hammerstrom offered the following resolution:

Senate Resolution No. 119.

A resolution to urge the National Institutes of Health to withdraw its proposed guidelines for federally funded research using stem cells harvested from human embryos.

Whereas, At the start of December 1999, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published proposed guidelines for federally funded research projects using stem cells harvested from human embryos. The NIH is seeking public comment on the guidelines; and

Whereas, In 1996, Congress prohibited federally funded research in which human embryos are harmed or destroyed; and

Whereas, Michigan is a state with a long legal and ethical tradition of respecting life from its earliest stages. Michigan law prohibits any research that destroys human embryos. Michigan has also taken the strong step of becoming the only state to prohibit cloning to create human embryos for research. The proposed NIH guidelines would provide for actions that violate our state law and are criminal activity; and

Whereas, Standards of medical ethics historically have rejected justifying research in the name of medical progress when the research requires harming or destroying innocent human life; and

Whereas, Numerous avenues for developing new medical treatments from stem cells that do not require the destruction of human embryos hold great clinical promise; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, That we strongly oppose the proposed guidelines of the National Institutes of Health on federally funded research using stem cells destructively harvested from human embryos and call on the NIH to withdraw the guidelines and redraft them to comply with federal law prohibiting NIH involvement in research involving the destruction of human embryos; and be it further

Resolved, That we urge the NIH to direct funding for stem cell research to projects that do not use stem cells destructively harvested from human embryos; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the National Institutes of Health, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the President of the United States.

Pending the order that, under rule 3.204, the resolution be referred to the Committee on Government Operations,

Senator Rogers moved that the rule be suspended.

The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

The question being on the adoption of the resolution,

Senator Rogers moved that the resolution be referred to the Committee on Families, Mental Health and Human Services.

The motion prevailed.

Recess

 

 

Senator Rogers moved that the Senate recess subject to the call of the President.

The motion prevailed, the time being 6:22 p.m.

 

6:26 p.m.

 

The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor Posthumus.

 

 

Senator Rogers moved that rule 3.902 be suspended to allow the House escort committee to use the center aisle.

The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

 

Senators Bullard and Cherry entered the Senate Chamber.

 

 

Joint Convention

 

 

The Sergeant at Arms announced that a committee from the House of Representatives who, through their Chairperson, Representative Kukuk, reported that the House was ready to meet with the Senate in Joint Convention.

The President, Lieutenant Governor Posthumus, announced that the hour had arrived for the meeting of the two houses in Joint Convention.

Senator Rogers moved that the Senate recess for the purpose of proceeding to the Hall of the House of Representatives for Joint Convention.

The motion prevailed, the time being 6:28 p.m.

(For proceedings in Joint Convention, see House Journal No. 2, p. 12.)

The Senate reconvened at the expiration of the recess at 8:02 p.m. and was called to order by the President pro tempore, Senator Schwarz.

The President pro tempore, Senator Schwarz, announced that the Senate had attended the Joint Convention in the Hall of the House of Representatives and had received the State of the State message by Governor Engler.

 

During the recess, Senator Young entered the Senate Chamber.

 

Senator McCotter moved that when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned until Tuesday, January 25.

The motion prevailed.

 

 

Scheduled Meetings

 

 

Appropriations Committee, Joint Senate and House - Thursday, January 27, at 11:00 a.m., House Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building (3-6960).

 

State Police and Military Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee - Tuesday, January 25, at 1:00 p.m., Room 110, Farnum Building (3-2426).

 

Technology and Energy Committee - Wednesday, January 26, at 3:00 p.m., Rooms 402 and 403, Capitol Building (3-2417).

 

 

Senator McCotter moved that the Senate adjourn.

The motion prevailed, the time being 8:03 p.m.

 

The President pro tempore, Senator Schwarz, declared the Senate adjourned until Tuesday, January 25, at 10:00 a.m.

 

 

CAROL MOREY VIVENTI

Secretary of the Senate.