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Here's how Senate voted on landline elimination bill

Michigan Capitol Bldg

The Michigan Senate voted to pass a bill on Thursday that would allow phone companies to eliminate landline telephone service with only 90 days' notice starting in 2017.

The Senate approved Senate Bill 636 on a 31-4 tally. The bill will now go to the state House.

AARP Michigan designated the vote on SB 636 as a "key vote," meaning the organization deems the legislation important to membership and will report how each Senator voted. An unscienfitic online poll of AARP members and others showed 83 percent want to keep landline service and 97 percent oppose the bill.

Melissa Siefert, Associate State Director for Govermental Affairs at AARP Michigan, said she appreciated some changes made to the bill but remains concerned that some people could be left without affordable, reliable service. Seifert said the bill does not provide the consumer protections that are in current telecommunications law.

AARP commends these Senators for voting against SB 636:

Sen. Glenn Anderson, D-Westland; Sen. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township; Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; Sen. Geoff Hansen, R-Hart.

These 31 Senators supported the bill:

Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint; Sen. Steven Bieda, D-Warren; Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart; Sen. Bruce Caswell, R-Hillsdale; Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton; Sen. Judy Emmons, R-Sheridan; Sen. Vincent Gregory, D-Lathrup Village; Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell; Sen. Hoon-Yung Hoopgood, D-Taylor; Sen. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg; Sen. Tupac Hunter, D-Detroit; Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Grand Rapids; Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit;  Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge; Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw; Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake; Jim Marleau, R-Lake Orion; Sen. John Moolenaar, R-Midland; Sen. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek; Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy; Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair; Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph; Sen. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe; Sen. David Robertson, R-Grand Blanc; Sen. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights; Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton; Sen. Virgil Smith, D-Detroit; Sen. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City; Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor; Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing; Sen. ColemanYoung II, D-Detroit.

Sen. Alan Meekhof, R-West Olive, did not vote.

Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville and Sen. Morris Hood III, D-Detroit, were absent.

 

 

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