September 23, 2008

Interior Design a Felony?????

Hey Michigan (or anyone who would like to help out):  Immediate response is required to help defeat bills HB4937 and SB1515!

HB4937 and SB1515 (sponsored by Senator Sanborn) were just assigned a hearing date for tomorrow (Wednesday, September 24). These are the bills that will ultimately make it a
felony to practice a profession for which one is not licensed or registered, and since there is currently no legislation for the licensing of interior designers in Michigan, this poses a little bit of a problem. This penalty is also extended to the schools that teach interior design.

Please email or phone each member of the Senate as well as your own senator with the message below. If you do not know who your senator is, use this link:
http://senate.michigan.gov/ to find out. Please assist in this critical effort. Thank you!

Subject: Please vote NO on HB4937 and SB1515

Sample Text:

(Add as an interior designer, industry member, educator, interior design student, etc.) I am emailing to express my strong opposition to HB4937 and SB1515.

This proposed legislation puts the entire profession of interior design in jeopardy because it will ultimately make it a felony to practice a profession for which a person is not licensed or registered. Interior designers in this state are not licensed or registered.

In this state, fifteen colleges and universities have in place programs that provide a separate and unique body of knowledge that educate and train the interior designer. These bills will in due course prohibit graduates of these schools to practice their profession in Michigan.

Without the necessary statutory changes to HB4770, HB4771, and HB4772 now before the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee, interior designers will be put out of business by HB4937 and SB1515. HB4770, HB4771, and HB4772 sponsored by State Representatives Bill Huizenga and Andy Meisner will provide valid recognition to interior designers through licensure.

I ask you to please vote NO on HB4937 and SB1515. Thank you!


(Provide your contact information)



Senate Economic Development and Regulatory Reform Committee

Use this group link to email all the committee at once:

SenASanborn@senate.michigan.gov, SenRRichardville@senate.michigan.gov, SenJAllen@senate.michigan.gov, SenJGilbert@senate.michigan.gov, SenBThomas@senate.michigan.gov, SenGJacobs@senate.michigan.gov, SenTAHunter@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Alan Sanborn, Chair - Republican of District 11
T: 517-373-7670 - E: SenASanborn@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Randy Richardville, Vice Chair - Republican of District 17
T: 517-373-3543 - E: SenRRichardville@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Jason Allen - Republican of District 37
T: 517-373-2413 - E: SenJAllen@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Judson Gilbert - Republican of District 25
T: 517-373-7708 - E: SenJGilbert@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Buzz Thomas, III, Minority Vice Chair - Democrat of District 4
E-mail Address: SenBThomas@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Gilda Jacobs, - Democrat of District 14
T: 517-373-7888 - E: SenGJacobs@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Tupac A. Hunter - Democrat of District 5
T: 517-373-0994 – E: SenTAHunter@senate.michigan.gov

This is all pretty crazy, interior design a felony in Michigan?
Although, part of me does wonder if letting these bills pass would assist in the passing of the bills to license interior designers.
I shall now ponder this further...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It is great to see you so active in your state's legislation! We would be happy to have Michigan State as an IIDA Campus Center. Let me know what I can do to help ckoskosky@iida.org