Committee adopts substitute and reports out HB 43-47 after clarifying veterinary and gaming responsibilities

The House Agriculture Committee adopted substitute H-2 to House Bill 43-47 and reported the bill out of committee following a pair of roll-call votes. Committee members first adopted substitute H-2 by roll call (reported as 9 ayes, 0 nays), and later voted to report HB 43-47 with recommendations (reported as 7 ayes, 3 nays, 1 pass).

A committee member identified in the transcript as 'Mister Koons' and later addressed as Representative Koontz explained the substitute’s changes: money that had previously been allocated to the Department of Agriculture is now distributed by defined percentages to simplify administration; the substitute requires a veterinarian on-site at races but clarifies that the hosting fair—not MDARD—is responsible for hiring that veterinarian; and it clarifies that the bill does not authorize gambling or pari-mutuel county fair racing without Michigan Gaming Control Board licensing. As the presenter put it, “There is no gambling in this bill.”

Before the final report-out vote the clerk read several cards into the record opposing the bill, including entries attributed to Attorneys for Animals; a representative listed as Steve Johnson associated with Michigan intermediate school interests; the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators; and the Association of School Boards. The transcript records those organizations’ opposition positions but does not include their full statements.

Procedure and outcome: The committee adopted substitute H-2 and then voted to report HB 43-47 with recommendations and substitute H-2. The clerk announced vote tallies on both actions; the bill now moves forward in the legislative process.