(WWJ) Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to renew your tabs every year?
That fantasy would become a reality under a legislative package designed to make life easier for Michiganders.
Michigan Rep. Matt Maddock (R – District 44) has put forth a plan that he says would reduce or even ellimiate wait times for basic services at Secretary of State offices.
Core to the bill package is HB 5250 that would eliminate the need for taxpayers to obtain annual license plate tags.
“Every year, hardworking taxpayers are forced to apply for antiquated, tiny stickers to glue to their license plate,” said Maddock, in a news release Monday. “The point of these irritating tiny tabs is to show that your license plate is up to date. Yet technology allows police officers to instantly verify whether or not your license plate is current. That tab means nothing to them.”
“Over 60% of the foot traffic volume at a Secretary of State office relates to obtaining a license renewal tab. If we actually want to shorten the wait times, this one step will free up millions of hours wasted standing in the line at your Secretary of State office—to get unneeded annual license tabs.”
The seond bill, HB 5171, will give commercial banks and credit unions the option to provide limited Secretary of State services, like Michiganders did years ago when AAA and other offices could complete certain Secretary of State transactions.
“Michigan already uses a handful of grocery stores to provide selected Secretary of State services,” said Maddock. “Commercial banks and credit unions are as secure as grocery stores. And my bill requires the bank or credit union to ‘opt in”. It is not a mandate that banks and credit unions must offer any such service.”
Read the two bills here: HB 5171 - HB 5250
“These are common sense ideas that we can get done,” Maddock added. “We’ll eliminate the need for taxpayers to stand in line for hours. Especially in a time of COVID concerns, this alone is an important change. These laws will save Michigan drivers from waiting in long lines when they could be doing more important things.”
It's not yet clear how much of a chance these bills have at becoming law.
Michigan House Transportation Committee Chairman Jack O’Malley (R - District 101) will hold hearings about these bills on Tuesday, September 1 at 10:30 a.m. in the House Office Building (Room 519) in Lansing.
“House Republicans look for smart solutions to save tax payers both time and money,” said Maddock. These bills will do just that. Anticipated savings include not printing, mailing and handling millions of unneeded annual license tabs, plus the state bureaucracy that goes along with all of that.”