June 27th-July 8th, 2022

In the early hours of July 1, the Michigan State Legislature passed House Bill 5783, the general omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2023. In the general omnibus, the state appropriated $58.4 billion, with $33.3 billion of that being the Health and Human Services budget. The School Aid Fund budget, Senate Bill 845, allocated $22.1 billion, bringing the state’s total appropriations to a historic $76 billion. The Executive Office and Legislative leaders celebrated the passing of the budget before the statutory July 1 deadline.

While an over $2 billion supplemental spending measure for FY 21-22 accompanied the budget, approximately $7 billion remains on the table for future spending, with $3.8 billion in General Fund and $3.3 billion in School Aid Fund. Further discussions around tax cuts and other supplemental appropriations measures are expected in the late summer/early fall.

All FY 23 appropriations materials can be found here.

On June 29, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined thirteen other governors to call on Congress to make the advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) that were enacted in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) permanent.

According to the release sent out by the Executive Office of the Governor, this would help lower costs and protect healthcare for over 270,000 Michigan residents. Nationwide, the ARP’s expansion of subsidies, alongside other factors, led to a record-breaking enrollment period for Affordable Care Act coverage. 14.5 million more people signed up for coverage, which is a 21% increase from the prior year.

The letter can found here.

On June 28, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 6-0 that the Attorney General’s use of a one-person grand jury system could not issue indictments, and anyone charged under the system has the right to a preliminary examination. This was seen as a win for the Flint Water Crisis defendants; however, the ruling did not throw out the suit entirely.

Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy filed two sets of motions with the Genesee County Circuit Court. The first motions ask for the cases to be remanded to the District Court for preliminary exams in compliance with the Michigan Supreme Court. The second motions inform the court that the cases will proceed upon formal complaint.

All criminal charges that were announced last year can be found here.

Republican candidate Perry Johnson will not run a write-in campaign for the gubernatorial primary on August 2 following a denied appeal from federal judge Mark Goldsmith.

This leaves former Detroit Police Chief James Craig as the only gubernatorial candidate that will run a write-in campaign. Both Johnson and Craig were disqualified from the primary ballot due to fraudulent signatures. Both parties attempted to fight the decision by the Bureau of Elections in court, but both lost attempts at those appeals.

Johnson has told sources that he plans on running for elected office again in the future.

On Wednesday, July 6, Michigan’s Republican-led Legislature appealed a Michigan Court of Claims temporary injunction, which stopped enforcement of a 1931 law that outlaws abortion under nearly any circumstance.

Following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the state courts’ jurisdiction over the constitutional right to an abortion has come into focus for both sides of the debate. The Court of Claims injunction, which came at the request of Planned Parenthood, cited a “substantial likelihood” that the 1931 law violates the due process clause of the Michigan constitution. It was praised by abortion rights groups and elected officials, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The Legislature references the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health to support its argument, and in doing so underscores the importance of the democratic process to find common ground on a polarizing issue.

This case is distinct from another suit filed by Right to Life Michigan and Michigan Catholic Conference. It is also distinct from an executive message filed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer requesting the Michigan Supreme Court immediately resolve the question of whether Michigan’s Constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion. It is probable that the constitutionality of abortion rights will ultimately make its way to the Michigan Supreme Court.