Michigan Assoc. of Home Builders Accomplishments:  2008-2010

This is what MAHB does for YOU

DEFEATED: 

  • Ended the practice of making good builders pay the debts of bad builders by eliminating the construction lien fund and the $10 per year paid into the fund by licensees.
  • Stopped raid of the State Construction Code Fund to transfer $3 million in building permit fees to Fire Services.
  • Defeated union-backed legislation aimed directly at construction making unintentional misclassification of an employee a misdemeanor with 6 months imprisonment and a $2,500 fine with administrative penalties of $2,500 to $5,000 for each violation on top of the misclassification fines. Unions and other third-parties would have been encouraged to bring civil actions, including class actions, in court to enforce the law on non-union sites. The unions can be awarded attorney costs and damages. Entire multi-employer work sites could have been shut down for one violation by a single subcontractor.
  • Stopped legislation to allow additional storm water utility and control fees to be charged on construction sites.
  • Prevented numerous local governments from enforcing locally-created code requirements not found in the Single State Construction Code Act.
  • Kept mandatory sprinklers out of the 2009 MRC.
  • Stopped AFCI expansion in the 2009 MRC.
  • Stopped MIOSHA Ergonomic rules for construction.
  • Stopped MIOSHA sanitation rules for porta-potties and washing stations on all construction sites (not just those without a mobile work crew) including separate facilities for men and women.
  • Defeated attempt to destroy the Single State Construction Code by allowing local governments to adopt an independent “Green” construction code in its place.
  • Defeated attempt to remove the builder exemption (an exemption won at the Michigan Supreme Court level through MAHB’s Legal Action Fund) from the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.
  • Blocked attempts to use fines to run a state Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting program.

WON:

  • Persuaded DELEG to change its credit review standards for licensing.
  • Convinced House and Senate Appropriations Committees to exempt the totally permit fee-funded Bureau of Construction Codes from across-the-board 3% cuts proposed for all departments in 2011 budget.
  • Major partner in business reform coalition that has resulted in last three state budgets (2009, 2010, 2011) being balanced without tax increases.
  • Changed FHA regulations to provide loans for site condos.
  • Helped create state and local mechanisms for the prosecution of unlicensed contractors.
  • Saved voluntary pre-application program for wetlands that binds the DNRE for two years on determinations made under the program.
  • Helped create a new pre-application process for permits to build in critical dune areas.
  • Achieved withdrawal of the Department of Environmental Quality guideline limiting the size of homes in sand dunes to 700 square feet.
  • Kept wetlands enforcement at the state level while making major reforms in the operation of the program.
  • Helped write and promulgate continuing competency rules making it easier for member to fulfill requirements.
  • Assisted hundreds of members having problems with state or local government.