Nine bills that were reintroduced following a lengthy legal battle and veto by the governor were passed by the Senate this week.
Key Points:
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- Expand health insurance for public employees.
- Allows Michigan Department of Corrections officers and other law enforcement personnel to opt into the Michigan State Police pension plan.
- Exempts public assistance from garnishment and updates other exemption values.
- Allows for millage questions on ballots to support operations of history museums.
Background:
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- The issue began when Speaker of the House Matt Hall (R-Kalamazoo) assumed his leadership role in January 2025.
- Nine bills had passed both the House and Senate at the end of 2024 but weren’t presented to the governor before the end of the previous Speaker of the House’s term.
- Speaker Hall declined to present them to Governor Whitmer, prompting a legal challenge from the Michigan Senate.
- After multiple steps through the legal process, the question over presenting the legislation was heard by the Michigan Supreme Court.
- The court let a lower court ruling stand, stating that the bills must be presented to the governor.
- The bills were presented, but Governor Whitmer vetoed the legislation, citing implementation issues stemming from the nearly two-year lapse.
The bills will be sent to the Michigan House of Representatives for consideration.
