MMA Opposes HICA Tax Increase (MIRS)

5/2/13

"The HICA tax already represents a multi-million dollar tax increase to Michigan manufacturers," said Delaney McKINLEY, MMA director of human resource policy. "This comes at a time when job providers are already struggling to continue to provide health insurance coverage to workers in the face of dramatic increases in health care costs and an apparently endless line of government taxes and regulations." Read more.

Programs Help Companies Realize Opportunities Beyond Borders

4/29/13

“(Michigan is) helping pull the nation out of the recession,” MMA President & CEO Chuck Hadden said. “If we had some barriers broken down and we could really go after things, I think you’d see a lot of manufacturers start looking at exporting and opening new markets. If they’ve made it this far through everything, they are going to feel pretty confident if they know what their future is. Right now, I think that’s the hardest thing for them to know.” Read more.

State’s Future Depends on an Educated Work Force

4/13/13

Chuck Hadden of the Michigan Manufacturing Association said, “Michigan manufacturers are looking to hire and expand their production but are being stalled by an insufficiently trained work force. The talent crisis is a nationally pervasive problem that we must address in order for Michigan to thrive economically.” Read more.

Business Groups Taking Opposing Sides In Curriculum Debate

4/2/13

With lawmakers pondering Michigan Merit Curriculum changes that give students more flexibility to pursue vocational training, businesses groups here are staking out their stances on the matter. Read more.

MMA Supports New Merit Curriculum Legislation

3/14/13

“Michigan’s short-term and long-term successes are tied to its ability to respond to the alarming shortage of skilled workers,” said MMA Director of Human Resource Policy Delaney McKinley. “We believe this legislation is critical to ensuring a strong pipeline of skilled workers with the assurance that tomorrow’s students will have multiple innovative pathways toward well-paying positions that offer them exciting opportunities in the state of Michigan.” Read more.

Where Is Manufacturing Making a Comeback?

2/10/13

A dramatic overhaul of the tax system also made the state more business friendly, says Mike Johnston, vice president of government affairs at the Michigan Manufacturers Association. The state last year ended the tax on industrial machinery, and in 2011, as Stateline reported, Governor Rick Snyder eliminated the unpopular “Michigan Business Tax,” which amounted to a 22 percent surcharge on top of corporate income and gross receipts taxes that corporations paid. Read more.

Medicaid Expansion Proposal Gets Enthusiastic, Cautious Response (Gongwer)

2/6/13

Delaney McKinley with the Michigan Manufacturers Association said her group's position would depend on the details. "I'm very intrigued," she said of the proposal. "Until we see the actual numbers and the actual proposal, we're very cautious about this." The key, she said, is whether it will add or reduce costs for businesses. "Our members are seeing tremendous increases in the amounts that they're paying for health care," she said. "For those employers that are trying to provide good-paying jobs with good benefits, we're cautious. If this can provide some savings then we're interested in looking at it." Read more.

Talent Crisis in Manufacturing is Real

1/29/13

If you want to know if a problem is real, ask those who are impacted by it the most -- those who are on the front line. The "talent crisis" has received a lot of attention, including in a few opinion pieces stating that there is no shortage of skilled workers. But you won't hear this from manufacturers, because they have jobs they are unable to fill and are working to change cultural assumptions and critical systems to find skilled workers now and keep the pipeline full in the future. Read more.

Eliminating Michigan's Personal Property Tax for Businesses Will Pay Dividends with Jobs

1/24/13

By eliminating the industrial personal property tax, the Michigan Legislature made our state a more attractive home to new manufacturing businesses and jobs. Read more.

Will ERISA Preempt HICA?

1/21/13

The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is intended to provide organized regulation to self-insured plans and trump state-wide insurance laws. The Health Insurance Claims Act of 2011 (HICA) which imposes a 1 percent tax on all health care claims has sparked a legal battle between the State and self-insured groups to exempt themselves from the HICA tax under the ERISA pre-emption grounds. MMA’s Delaney McKinley spoke with author Bruce Shutan regarding how the HICA tax is serving as a major disadvantage to self-funded programs. Read the article “ERISA Preemption Battle Takes Shape in Michigan.” Read more.

MMA President Comments on State of the State 

1/17/13

In a message to members, MMA President and CEO Chuck Hadden applauded the progress highlighted in the Governor's State of the State address and expressed his enthusiasm for the Governor's road map to continued reinvention that focuses heavily on the manufacturing sector's immediate needs. Additional information, including a link to the Governor's transcript, a video of the State of the State address, a link to the Michigan Comeback video and other important information regarding State of the State can be found here. Read more.

Standing Room Only for DEQ Priorities Presentation

1/11/13

Dan Wyant, director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), spoke to more than 100 MMA members in Lansing on Wednesday, 1/9/13, as he addressed a joint meeting of the Association’s Environmental and Air Policy Committees. In addition to those at the meeting, more than 30 members participated via a live webinar. Read more

Office of Regulatory Reinvention Eliminates 1,000 Rules

1/10/13

Governor Snyder announced on 1/9/13 that the Office of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR) had reached a significant milestone by eliminating 1,000 unnecessary or duplicative administrative rules.MMA’s Andy Such and Delaney McKinley were appointed to serve on two ORR Administrative Rule Committees. Read more

Michigan Manufacturers Announce 2013 Agenda to Eliminate Barriers to Competitiveness

1/9/13

“Tremendous progress has been made," said MMA President and CEO Chuck Hadden. Adding, "This agenda will continue to strip away barriers to competitiveness and build a business environment that allows Michigan manufacturers to compete effectively in the global economy.” Read more

Manufacturers' Priorities For 2013 Focus On P.P.T., Regulations, Talent (Gongwer)

1/9/13

After winning what it considered a number of major victories in 2011-12, Michigan's manufacturing industry said its priorities for 2013 focus on making the state more competitive both in terms of its regulations and its workforce base. Read more

Passage Of PPT Plan On '14 Ballot Tops MMA's Wish List (MIRS)

1/8/13

The Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA) scored a huge legislative win in 2012 when the Legislature passed the gradual phase-out of the personal property tax (PPT) on manufacturing equipment, but its work isn't done, said it's vice president of government affairs, Mike Johnston. Read more