ALPENA - State Rep. Peter Pettalia, R-Presque Isle, met with a local organization at Alpena Community College Monday for a question-and-answer session about his recent legislative activities and other state government issues.
Pettalia answered a wide variety of questions from Alpena Lifelong Learners ranging from a proposed cap to Department of Natural Resources land purchases, funding for mental health, and the controversy over a proposed bridge to Canada. He also discussed several of the laws he has proposed.
ALL President Jodene Compton said the group doesn't often bring in politicians, and the nonprofit group needed to ensure it remained non-partisan. She wasn't concerned with the day's meeting, though.
"I thought he was marvelous the way he handled things, and I think the questions were also non-partisan," she said.
ALL member Warren Kindt also was encouraged by what he heard.
"There seems to be more cooperation within the state now than there is definitely within the federal government," the Ossineke resident said. "That to me is very encouraging. I think the state has been very polarized, and at least they're seeing when they work together, they can accomplish something that's positive."
Many in the audience were surprised to learn about the wide availability of the designer drug K2, including in stores in Alpena.
"What we're doing, Ed McBroom and I, we drafted a bill that changes the health code to attack this a different way," he said.
This other approach, introduced in the House in January would go after retailers of the drug.
"If they're selling these things knowing that they're being used for other purposes than what they're selling them for, that would be a violation," Pettalia said.
Even this could be difficult, as the packaging claims it's incense and not intended for human consumption. In the meantime, he agreed with ALL members that education is the best way to immediately tackle the problem. Other members asked about the possibility of picketing retailers who sell it or putting pressure on them by taking their business elsewhere.
Also up for discussion was a proposed law by Pettalia to allow transfers of property to immediate family members while avoiding a rise in property taxes. The law would require the property use not change after the transfer. Currently, property taxes can't rise faster than 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater.
"What was happening with a lot of properties is that the property values were escalating, but when you leave that property to a child, oftentimes it becomes such a burden to that child they have to sell it," he said.
Changing this would not harm schools or other recipients of the property tax because the taxes paid will be the same as before, and will continue to rise. Families get to "preserve the heritage they have built," Pettalia said. It also would protect children whose parents have died or moved and likely would struggle to sell the house in a weak market.
Pettalia expressed his doubt about the status of a bill intended to cap land purchases by the DNR. The biggest drive behind the bill introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, is because the DNR has been purchasing private lands. However, there have been issues with payments in lieu of taxes for these lands that are supposed to be made to local governments.
The bill was unpopular with the majority of those polled at the end of a presentation at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in January, Pettalia said.
"Overwhelmingly, at that meeting, people agreed that before the DNR or the state of Michigan purchases land, they would like to see a management plan for that land," he said, adding the bill likely would not get past the House committee that handles natural resources in its current draft.
Afterward, Compton said the group will try to bring members of the state's legislature to future meetings for more non-partisan discussions.
"All the things we talked about are of great concern to the people to our age," she said.
She went on to say that ALL was formerly a group for those age 50 and older, but recently decided to let people of all ages join.
"Our largest percentage of members are older," she said. "Statistically, the older citizens get out and vote."
Jordan Travis can be reached via email at jtravis@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.