March 1st-18th, 2025

The Michigan House of Representatives has announced it will not be sending nine bills from the previous legislative term to the Governor for signature. This announcement was made by passing resolution HR 41, which declares that only legislation passed by both chambers of the 103rd Legislature will be presented to the Governor. The move follows a recent Court of Claims ruling that the state Constitution does require the House to transmit the bills. However, Judge Sima Patel also elected to follow judicial non-interference in the legislative process, indicating that a mandate to present the bills will not be enforced by the court. House Republicans, led by Speaker Matt Hall, argued that legal ambiguities require further clarification, while House Democrats strongly opposed the resolution, calling it unconstitutional.

The bills in question include:

• HB 4177 of 2023, HB 5817 of 2024, and HB 5818 of 2024 - Collectively allow history museums in the city of Detroit to request a property tax millage from residents of Wayne County
• HB 4665 of 2023, HB 4666 of 2023, and HB 4667 of 2023 - Expands the Michigan State Police pension system to include corrections officers
• HB 4900 of 2023 and HB 4901 of 2023 - Exempts public assistance, disability, and worker’s compensation from being garnished for debt repayment
• HB 6058 of 2024- Increases public employer contributions towards medical benefit plans for public employees

The decision is likely to prompt further legal challenges, with Senate Democrats expected to appeal the ruling to enforce bill transmission and House Republicans seeking a review of the court’s interpretation of constitutional requirements. Speaker Hall has indicated plans to take the matter to the Court of Appeals to establish a clearer legal precedent.

Related Article: SENATE DEMOCRATS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST SPEAKER HALL

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has introduced the Michigan Public Health Data Dashboard, an interactive tool providing public health insights by State House and State Senate districts. This resource offers key health metrics, including mortality rates, blood lead levels, smoking trends, teen births, housing costs, prenatal care, and more. This data is available to assist in making informed decisions about resource allocation and health policy.

The dashboard enables users to compare district data against statewide averages and will continue to expand with additional metrics. The tool is publicly accessible at Michigan.gov/HealthStatistics.

The Senate Fiscal Agency’s February 2025 Revenue Report shows that the state’s tax revenues totaled $1.3 billion for the month, reflecting a 5.8% increase from February last year. However, fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections fell short of expectations by $127.3 million, while School Aid Fund collections exceeded forecasts by $24.1 million. Despite lower-than-anticipated use tax revenues and increased individual income tax refunds, the elevated collections from income tax withholding, the Insurance Tax, and Corporate Income Tax helped offset the gap.

Sales tax receipts rose 1.6% year-over-year to $774.3 million, surpassing projections by $24.4 million, while use tax collections fell 2.7% below February 2024 levels. Business tax revenues showed improvement, with net Michigan Business Tax, Corporate Income Tax, and the repealed Single Business Tax contributing $50.7 million—an increase from the previous year’s negative returns. Real estate transfer tax collections also rose significantly, increasing 24.1% from February 2024.

Justice Megan Cavanagh has been unanimously elected to serve as the next Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, following Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement’s planned departure by April 30th. Cavanagh, who has served on the court since 2018, emphasized her commitment to both judicial decision-making and the administrative responsibilities of the role. She highlighted ongoing efforts to improve court efficiency, including expanding e-filing systems and statewide case management.