After an unprecedented lame duck, the House and Senate have finished voting for the term. The House didn’t hold any votes this week, preventing the passage of numerous bills, most notably the much-discussed changes to Michigan’s minimum wage and paid sick leave laws.
Key Points:
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- The Democratic party is losing its trifecta, which is its majority in the House and Senate, along with a Democratic governor.
- While the House and Senate were scheduled to hold sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, neither chamber had the necessary number of members on Wednesday.
- On Thursday, House Republicans and one member of the Democratic caucus didn’t attend session, thus there wasn’t the necessary quorum to consider legislation.
- The Senate had adequate attendance numbers on Thursday, allowing them to vote. Session continued for a record 29 hours straight, adjourning around 3 p.m. on Friday.
- The Senate has passed a number of House bills along party line votes, including a package reforming aspects of the election process, a maternal health care package, and a repeal of Medicaid work requirements.
Moving Forward:
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- All legislation that didn’t pass both chambers will die and need to be reintroduced in 2025.
- The Senate will adjourn for Sine Die on December 30 and the House will adjourn for Sine Die on December 31. All legislation not given immediate effect will take effect 90 days later.
