Legislation that will eliminate several hundred million dollars in taxes that businesses pay each year on equipment awaits Governor Rick Snyder’s signature. Michigan’s personal property tax applies to all kinds of things; car makers pay the tax on heavy machinery, restaurants pay it on new ovens and dishwashers.

The legislature voted early Friday morning to repeal the personal property tax and replace up to 80-percent of the lost revenue to local governments where the loss makes up more than 2.3-percent of the total tax revenue.

Local governments love the money they get from the tax, but it’s also complicated to administer.

The City of Grand Rapids was prepared to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana today. But a Kent County judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop it.

So, roughly a hundred protestors gathered outside Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth’s office at high noon.

“It’s such a bummer that we’re ignored,” resident Nick Monroe said.

The prosecutor took the City of Grand Rapids to court over the amendment, saying it violates a number of state and federal laws. But a similar law in Ann Arbor has been in effect for decades.

Joel Zwyghuizen wasn’t surprised when he found out about the Republican prosecutor’s stance.