HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT, TOURISM AND OUTDOOR
RECREATION
REP. LAURIE POHUTSKY
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, May 18, 2023
10:30 AM
Room 327, House Office Building
The House Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
was called to order by Chair Pohutsky.
The Chair requested attendance be called:
Present: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
Representative Prestin moved to adopt the meeting minutes from April 13, 2023. There being
no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The Chair laid HB 4159 before the committee:
HB 4159
(Rep. Brixie)
A bill to designate the black swallowtail butterfly
as the official butterfly of the state of Michigan.
Representative Brixie and Dr. Jeanette Meyer, representing Michigan Garden Clubs, gave
testimony in support of HB 4159. Questions and discussion followed.
Susan Leahy, President of the Meridian Garden Club, provided testimony in support of HB
4159.
Students from Ms. Christine Batora's class at Okemos Public Montessori at Central provided
testimony in support of HB 4159. Questions and discussion followed.
The following people submitted a card in support of HB 4159, but did not wish to speak:
Barbara MacLaren, representing the Sweetwater Evening Garden Club.
Monica Taylor, representing Michigan Garden Clubs.
Jennifer Meilinger, representing the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Michigan
Butterfly Network.
Patricia Lajko, representing the Pentwater Garden Club.
Sue Hendrix, representing Touch the Earth Garden Club.
Kathy Royal, representing the Indian Hills Garden Club.
Margaret Arnold, representing the Charlevoix Evening Garden Club.
Jane Schneider, representing the Petoskey Area Garden Club.
Mary Jo McElroy, representing the Portage Lake Garden Club.
Phil Oczkowski, representing the Holland Garden Club.
Elizabeth Palulis, representing the River Valley Garden Club.
Kathy Tulgestke, representing the Ma-Me-Ne-Sewong Garden Club.
Andrea Stork, representing the Petal Pushers Garden Club.
Rose Wiggle, representing the Garden Club of Dearborn.
Janice Thelen, representing the Looking Glass Garden Club.
Margaret McAllister, representing the Grow and Show Garden Club.
Patricia Kelly, representing the Dirt Dauber Garden Club.
Nancy Smith, representing the Taylor Garden Club.
Marilyn McIntosh, representing the Edelweiss Garden Club of Gaylord.
Jeanette Meyer, representing the Western Hills Garden Club.
Kathy Messner, representing the Meek Mill Garden Club.
Kathryn Creek, representing the Parchment Garden Club.
Mary Geer Wangler, representing the Portage Garden Club.
Rosemary LaDuke, representing the Kalamazoo Garden Council.
Donna Robinson, representing the Kalamazoo Garden Club.
Rich Brown, representing the Nature Conservancy in Michigan.
Sandra Clark, representing the The Friendly Garden Club.
Dana Zolynsky, representing theJunior League Gardeners Garden Club.
Diane Hague, representing the Farmington Garden Club.
Naida Albin, representing the Milan Garden Club.
Christine Kosal, representing the Eden's Garden Club of Monroe.
Brenda Orwig, representing the Gardenettes Garden Club.
Agnes Cairns and Ronnie Dush, representing the DeWitt Millennium Garden Club.
Ron Osgood, representing the Rockford Garden Club.
Mary Smallwood, representing the Port Sanilac Garden Club.
Judy Lindemulder, representing the Tri-Cities Garden Club.
Jean Woznicki, representing the Morenci Garden Club.
Cynthia Quint and Lynn Higgs, representing the Wayne County Garden Club.
Alice Schneider, representing the Marshall Area Garden Club.
Julie Hays, representing the Little Garden Club.
Susan Leahy, representing the Meridian Garden Club.
Dr. Nichole Keway Biber, representing the Anishinaabek Caucus.
Logan Vorce, representing the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
Amy Upton, representing the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association.
Brian Peterson-Roest, representing Bees in the D.
Okemos Public Schools.
The Chair laid HB 4185, HB 4186, HB 4187, HB 4188, HB 4189 and HB 4190 before the
committee:
HB 4185
(Rep. Mentzer)
A bill to amend 1974 PA 154, entitled "Michigan
occupational safety and health act," by amending
sections 4, 35, and 36 (MCL 408.1004, 408.1035,
and 408.1036), section 4 as amended by 2012 PA
416 and sections 35 and 36 as amended by 1991
PA 105.
HB 4186
(Rep. McKinney)
A bill to allow local governments and certain
authorities to withhold payment under certain
conditions to contractors on an asbestos abatement
project; to provide for mandatory contract
conditions on certain asbestos abatement projects;
to provide for certain disclosures; and to prescribe
the powers and duties of certain local officials.
HB 4187
(Rep. Aiyash)
A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled "Natural
resources and environmental protection act,"
(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding section
5519b.
HB 4188
(Rep. Aiyash)
A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled "Natural
resources and environmental protection act,"
(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding sections
5519 and 5519a.
HB 4189
(Rep. VanderWall)
A bill to prohibit certain public entities from
entering into certain contracts with certain entities
that remove or abate asbestos; to require certain
entities to disclose certain information when
bidding on certain contracts with public entities;
and to impose certain duties and responsibilities
on certain public entities.
HB 4190
(Rep. VanderWall)
A bill to prohibit certain public entities from
entering into certain contracts with certain entities
that remove or abate asbestos; to require certain
entities to disclose certain information when
bidding on certain contracts with public entities;
and to impose certain duties and responsibilities
on certain public entities.
Trent Wolf, representing the Office of Representive Aiyash, and Ben Poulson, representing
the Office of Representative Mentzer, gave an overview of the proposed substitute (H-1) for
HB 4188 and proposed substitute (H-2) for HB 4185.
Representative Hill moved to adopt substitute (H-1) to HB 4188. The motion prevailed 9-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Arbit moved to adopt substitute (H-2) to HB 4185. The motion prevailed 9-0-
0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Martin offered the following amendment to HB 4188:
1. Amend page 2, line 3, by striking out all of subsection (3) and renumbering the remaining
subsection.
Representative Martin moved to adopt the amendment to HB 4188. The motion did not
prevail 3-6-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Nays: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz.
Pass: None.
The following people submitted a card in support of HB 4185, HB 4186, HB 4187, HB 4188,
HB 4189 and HB 4190, but did not wish to speak:
Horst Schmidt, representing the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition.
Herasanna Richards, representing the Michigan Municipal League.
Mike Spence, representing the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
The following person submitted a card in support of HB 4186, HB 4187, HB 4188, HB 4189
and HB 4190, but did not wish to speak:
Travis Boeskool, representing the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes,
and Energy.
Representative McFall moved to report out HB 4185 with recommendation, as substitute (H-
2). The motion prevailed 9-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Paiz moved to report out HB 4186 with recommendation. The motion
prevailed 8-1-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin.
Nays: Rep. Schriver.
Pass: None.
Representative Arbit moved to report out HB 4187 with recommendation. The motion
prevailed 8-1-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin.
Nays: Rep. Schriver.
Pass: None.
Representative Hill moved to report out HB 4188 with recommendation, as substitute (H-1).
The motion prevailed 6-3-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz.
Nays: Reps. Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Pass: None.
Representative McFall moved to report out HB 4189 with recommendation. The motion
prevailed 8-1-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin.
Nays: Rep. Schriver.
Pass: None.
Representative Paiz moved to report out HB 4190 with recommendation. The motion
prevailed 9-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Pohutsky, Hill, Shannon, Arbit, McFall, Paiz, Martin, Prestin, Schriver.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
The Chair laid presentations on the Michigan Timber Industry before the committee.
Jason Knepper, representing the Michigan Association of Timbermen, and Henry Stienebeck,
representing the Great Lakes Timber Professionals, gave a presentation.
Todd Siegert, representing the Packaging Corporation of America, gave a presentation.
Eric Steir, representing the American Forest Management, and Chris Fife, representing
Weyerhaesuer, gave a presentation.
Sandra Lupien, Director of Mass Timber at Michigan State University, gave a presentation.
Jason Knepper and Henry Stienebeck returned to answer questions from the committee.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair Pohutsky adjourned the meeting
at 11:47 AM.
Representative Laurie Pohutsky, Chair
Legan Rose
Committee Clerk
LRose@house.mi.gov