ORV Bill Moves in the Senate, Finally! It's been many months since I've last been able to give you an update regarding House Bill 4323.  After having been stalled in the Senate for well over a year, House Bill 4323 was reported out of Senate committee this week on a vote of 5-0.  If you don't recall what HB 4323 is, it is the bill to clarify that northern Michigan counties have the legal ability to permit the operation of ORVs along the edge of county roads.  The bill creates a uniform method of adopting these local ORV ordinances and uniform rules of operation for ORVs along county roads once an ordinance is adopted. The version of the bill reported out of the Senate committee had one very important change.  Townships will now have the right to opt out of any county ORV ordinance with a majority vote of the township board.  Townships will also be allowed to adopt their own ORV ordinance if the county board of commissioners fails to adopt one with one year of the effective date of the bill.  A copy of the bill in its current form is attached. I anticipate passage of the bill in the Senate within the next two weeks.  The bill will then go to Governor Granholm for her signature.  As soon as the bill passes the Senate and we know its final form, we will draft a model ordinance and mail it to all the affected counti es in northern Michigan.  Because the bill will likely have immediate effect, counties would have the ability to adopt ordinances under the act yet this year.  We anticipate 8-12 northern Michigan counties who do not yet have ORV ordiances will adopt one following the enactment of HB 4323. -Rep. Joel Sheltrown

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