Committee rejects amendment tying HB 4445 to supplemental spending and reports bill with recommendation

The House Committee on Natural Resource Tourism considered House Bill 4445 and rejected an amendment that would have linked the bill to a recent Senate supplemental intended to restore funding stripped the prior week. Representative Weiss moved the amendment and framed it as necessary to "restore the funding that was stripped last week" for fisheries habitat improvements and related programs.

The amendment was put to a roll call. The clerk reported 5 yays, 8 nay and 2 pass and announced the amendment was not adopted. After debate, Representative Watts moved to report House Bill 4445 with a recommendation; the clerk conducted a roll call and the chair announced, "The motion prevails," indicating the committee voted to report the bill with a recommendation to the next stage.

Why it matters: Representative Weiss said the amendment aimed to protect funding for programs that support hunters, conservation projects, fisheries habitat improvements and DNR activities — programs she said affect communities across Michigan. Committee action to report the bill moves it forward in the House process, though the transcript did not record any floor or subsequent House action in this hearing.

Vote details and procedural notes: The committee recorded the failed amendment vote as 5 yays, 8 nay and 2 pass. The subsequent motion to report the bill was announced as prevailing by the chair; the transcript shows the motion passed by roll call but provides an ambiguous clerical tally on the record. The committee provided no further substantive amendments on the floor during this meeting.

Next steps: With the committee having voted to report HB 4445 with recommendation, the bill will proceed according to House rules and scheduling outside this committee meeting. The committee adjourned for the holiday recess at the end of the session.