State Rep. Tom Leonard
Many states, including Michigan, have a number of obsolete or otherwise obscure laws on the books, some of which leave people wondering what prompted such a silly or unnecessary law in the first place.
However, some of these laws are so outdated that they end up being a hindrance for local business owners and other hard-working taxpayers in our state. When that happens, steps must be taken to repeal these laws.
For example, Michigan law currently dictates that a school of cosmetology be separated by full partitions and doors from a salon or any other place of business. While this law may have had its place in 1980 when it was enacted, it is now a burdensome regulation on salon owners who wish to offer classes as a way to bring in extra business.
For that reason, House Bill 4310 was introduced to eliminate this regulation, allowing small business owners to expand the scope of their business and providing an opportunity for growth.
Similarly, a law that was enacted in 1929 states that it is illegal to display any emblem or insignia on your car for any organization of which you are not personally a member. Under this law, some argue that you could be charged with a misdemeanor for having an Old English “D” decal on your car window because you do not play for the Detroit Tigers.
This law is not only out-of-date, it is actually a violation of our First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution and should not be a Michigan statute. House Bill 4930, which I introduced in August, would completely repeal this law. The House of Representatives recently approved the bill unanimously.
Over the past several years we as a Legislature have worked hard to eliminate laws that are archaic, burdensome and too far-reaching.
The newly created Office of Regulatory Reinvention has been tasked with examining Michigan’s regulatory laws and eliminating the numerous outdated and unnecessary regulations we still have on the books.
The ORR is working “to simplify Michigan’s regulatory environment by reducing obsolete, unnecessary and burdensome rules that are limiting economic growth” across the board. To date, they have eliminated 580 rules and worked with the Legislature to repeal laws when necessary.
For each law that we have enacted, we have eliminated 10, helping to make our government, and our state, more efficient and effective.