January 23rd-February 3rd, 2023

On February 1, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 13, a bill to move the presidential primary in Michigan from the second Tuesday in March to the fourth Tuesday in February.

Throughout the legislative process, Republicans voiced concerns that changing the primary breaks the Republican National Committee (RNC) rules that prohibit Michigan from holding primaries before March 1. Consequently, the bill failed to collect enough Republican votes in the Senate to ensure immediate effect.

Under the state Constitution, a law cannot take effect until 90 calendar days after the end of the legislative session year. For this bill to apply to the 2024 presidential primary, the state Legislature would have to adjourn for the year by November 29. However, Governor Whitmer would be able call special session days for the Legislature to finish any business throughout the remainder of the year.

For the upcoming presidential primary in 2024, Michigan is slated to vote on February 27.

The Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA) released a new report, highlighting that the state’s General Fund tax collections were above projections while the School Aid Fund tax collections sat below projected levels in December 2022.

The SFA reported that the General Fund taxes were almost $95 million above projections estimated at the May 2022 Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC) for the month of December. School Aid Fund taxes were $19.3 million below May forecasts.

However, for year-to-date collections, the General Fund was $39.2 million lower than expected and the School Aid Fund was $50.4 million higher than the May projections.

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Director Anita Fox has been named chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee. The committee’s mission is to consider issues relating to all aspects of health insurance, including affordability and equitability.

It was also announced that Director Fox will be a member of two other NAIC committees: the International Insurance Relations Committee and the Special Committee on Race and Insurance. Additionally, within the NAIC Executive Committee, Director Fox will serve as the Vice Chair of the Midwest Zone, representing thirteen states.

The Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee serves as the NAIC’s health insurance liaison to U.S. Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) announced that ninety percent of lead testing in Flint was reported to be below the federal lead levels for the sixth year in a row.

The federal action level of lead is at fifteen parts per billion (ppb), but in the most recent six-month monitoring period from July through December 2022, Michigan reported that ninety percent of test results came in at or below nine ppb.

In Flint, EGLE reports that more than ninety-five percent of residential sites that have been tested have also replaced their lead service lines. All test results are available and can be found here.

On February 6, McCall Hamilton added another distinguished member to their team, Megan Petzko-Sweet. Megan has earned a strong reputation in health policy advocacy, serving in diverse roles over the past 12 years from policy analyst at BCBSM, policy advisor for the Michigan House Republican Policy Office, and most recently as Vice President of Government Affairs at Corewell Health East (formerly Beaumont Health).

Megan has completed fellowships with both the Michigan Political Leadership Program and the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation and was named one of the “50 Names to Know in Lobbying” by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2020 and “30 in Their Thirties” by DBusiness in 2019. During Megan’s time at the House, she managed the House Health Policy Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the MDHHS budget.

Her experience and knowledge will be put to good use in pursuing public policy changes that contribute to the betterment of Michigan.