National Lost Sock Day, LSSU Gets New Board Members, Airbnb Tax, Additional Hotel Tax, and UP Voice Needed on Michigan Supreme Court

– INFORMED BREVITY –

May 9th is National Lost Sock Day

For those of you who celebrate it, please enjoy.

LSSU Gets New Board Members from Governor

Lake Superior State University has received two new board members from the Governor. She appointed Whitney Gravelle and Kevin Cooper.

Whitney Gravelle is from Brimley and is the President of the Executive Council of the Bay Mills Indian Community. She was the Chief Judge of the Bay Mills Tribal Court. She holds a Juris Doctor degree.

Kevin Cooper is a dentist in Sault Saint Marie.

Airbnb Tax

The legislature is considering legislation that “calls for a 6% excise tax on properties that are rented out at least 15 days.” (Bridge Magazine, 5.2.24). The bill would also allow local governments to limit the number of short term rentals and also requires the state to keep a database of properties.

There are doubts that this legislation will pass this summer, but who knows what the legislature will do on any legislation.

Additional Hotel Tax

Some observers are talking about allowing an additional excise tax in the above legislation that would allow local governments to approve an addition to existing hotel room taxes to help pay local infrastructure and other costs brought about by more tourists coming into the Upper Peninsula.

The tax would be paid by tourists, not by local residents. They believe that this new revenue would help local governments with already-strained local budgets and/or statutory limits on their taxes.

More to come on this issue.

Upper Peninsula Voice on Michigan Supreme Court Needed

No rural voice on the state’s highest court. No Upper Peninsula voice. Only urban and suburban voices.

Both the state’s political parties will be considering nominations for the vacancies on the Supreme Court next year. The public will vote this Fall for these nominees.

It has been decades and decades since the Upper Peninsula has had a Justice on the Court. John Volker, an attorney from Ishpeming and author of Anatomy of a Murder was the last UP resident on the court.

Some are asking why they don’t nominate someone this year.

State Board of Education Still Has No Upper Peninsula Rural Voice

No Upper Peninsula voice on this statewide body that sets educational policy for the state’s K-12 school system. What the State Board of Education does impacts thousands and thousands of UP K-12 students and their families. Their voices should be heard, families and educational leaders from the UP tell us.

Again, the political parties will be selecting their nominees this summer to be on the Fall Ballot.

Quotes

“Just because you’re offended, doesn’t mean you’re right.” Ricky Gervais.

“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them…well, I have others.” Grouch Marx.

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