102nd Michigan Legislature
←101st 103rd→
Overview
TermJanuary 10, 2023 –
Michigan Senate
President of the SenateLt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D)
Senate Majority LeaderWinnie Brinks (D)
Senate Minority LeaderAric Nesbitt (R)
Party controlDemocratic
Michigan House of Representatives
Members100
Speaker of the HouseJoe Tate (D)
House Majority LeaderAbraham Aiyash (D)
House Minority LeaderMatt Hall (R)
Party controlDemocratic
Sessions
1stJanuary 1, 2023 – November 14, 2023
2ndJanuary 1, 2024 –

The 102nd Michigan Legislature, consisting of the Michigan Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives, began its first session on January 1, 2023, which ended on November 14, 2023. A second session is set to begin on January 1, 2024.

Members in both the House of Representatives and Senate were elected in the 2022 election. It is the first time that Democrats have held both houses of the legislature and the governorship since the 82nd Michigan Legislature in 1983–1984, the first time that Democrats have held the majority in the House since 2008, and the first time Democrats have held the majority in the Senate since 1984. It is also the first legislature whose districts were drawn by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which was created through the passage of 2018 Michigan Proposal 2, based on the results of the 2020 United States census and the resulting redistricting cycle.

Membership

Leadership

Joe Tate became the first African American speaker of the House, and Winnie Brinks became the first woman majority leader of the Senate. Jeremy Moss became the first LGBT person to serve as Senate president pro tempore.

Composition changes

As a result of Democratic state representatives Lori Stone (HD13) and Kevin Coleman (HD25) being elected as mayors of Warren and Westland, the House Democratic majority was lessened to a tie with Republicans. Special elections for both districts were scheduled for April 25, 2024 (with a primary scheduled for January 30), with Democratic leadership remaining in control of the House in the interim.[4]

Legislation

Prior to and during the first session, members of the Democratic majority, as well as Governor Gretchen Whitmer, announced their intent to pursue many of the following:

  • repeal of Right-to-work law (signed into law March 24, 2023[5])
  • expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation, gender identity, hair style and texture, and more (LGBT protections signed on March 16, 2023,[6] CROWN Act signed June 15, 2023[7])
  • Repeal of Act 328, which de jure bans abortion, homosexuality, adultery and other behaviors (abortion ban repeal signed April 5, 2023[6])
  • add abortion status to the Elliot Larsen Act to protect against employment retaliation[8]
  • stricter regulations on firearms such as universal background checks and a ban on 3D printed guns
  • red flag law (signed May 23, 2023[9])
  • repeal of the state's retirement tax
  • raising the state's earned income tax credit from 6% to 30%
  • universal pre-K
  • investment in renewable energy such as wind and solar power
  • requirement for utilities to deliver 100% renewable energy by 2040[10]
  • allowance for state regulators to override local government decisions on locations of large-scale solar and wind arrays[11]
  • increasing education spending
  • further investment in manufacturing
  • increase funding for affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization (bill signed January 30, 2023[12])
  • Automatic restoration of voting rights and registration to former prisoners upon release (bill signed November 30, 2023[13][14])
  • criminalize poll worker intimidation (bill signed November 30, 2023[13])
  • regulate political ads which use AI-generated content (bill signed November 30, 2023[13])
  • tighten the election certification process (bill signed November 30, 2023[13])
  • repeal a ban on paid transportation to polling locations (bill signed October 24, 2023[15])

References

  1. ↑ "Speaker-elect Tate Announces House Leadership Team". housedems.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  2. ↑ Hermani, Jordyn (2022-11-25). "'Our agenda advocates for all Michiganders': Meet the leaders of the 102nd legislature". mlive. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  3. ↑ "Brinks chosen as first female state Senate majority leader". WOODTV.com. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  4. ↑ "Whitmer announces dates for special elections to fill open Michigan House seats". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  5. ↑ "Whitmer repeals right-to-work, reinstates prevailing wage in Michigan". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  6. 1 2 Schuster, Simon (2023-03-16). "Protections for LGBTQ Michiganders are cemented into state law with Whitmer's pen". mlive. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  7. ↑ Jordan, Ta'Niyah; Holleman, Krystle (2023-06-15). "Gov. Whitmer signs 'CROWN Act' prohibiting hair discrimination in the workplace". www.wilx.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  8. ↑ "Whitmer Signs Bills to Expand Elliott_Larsen Civil Rights Act_Establish Fred Korematsu Day". www.michigan.gov. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  9. ↑ Watson, Michelle; Mizelle, Shawna (2023-05-23). "Michigan Gov. Whitmer signs 'red flag' gun laws | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  10. ↑ "Michigan House passes climate change reform, mandating clean energy by 2040 | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  11. ↑ "Michigan Senate votes to override local decisions on wind, solar energy | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  12. ↑ "Gov. Whitmer Signs Legislation to Build Affordable Housing, Revitalize Communities, and Support Small Businesses | Michigan Business". Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Whitmer signs Michigan election law overhaul that aims to prevent 'chaos' | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  14. ↑ Nichanian, Daniel; Burness, Alex (2023-11-17). "Michigan Law Is First to Automatically Register People to Vote As They Leave Prison". Bolts. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  15. ↑ "Michigan may soon repeal ban on paid rides to election polls | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
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