Updates About Governor

At the 2025 annual meeting for the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), our very own Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, was unanimously elected to serve as vice chair. DGA is a political organization that lends support to Democratic gubernatorial candidates and fellow governors.

The organization has tasked Whitmer with aiding key Democratic candidates in their 2026 gubernatorial campaigns nationwide. As Governor of a swing state, Whitmer stated that she intends to apply the same approach that she used here in Michigan: focusing on lowering costs and creating jobs. She will serve alongside DGA chair-elect Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who succeeded her as vice chair prior to Whitmer’s appointment.

A few of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s latest appointments to state boards and commissions include:

9-1-1 Committee

• Steven Berenbaum – Reappointed
• Timothy McKee Sr. – Reappointed

Certificate of Need Commission

• Patricia Anderson – Succeeds Daniel Velez

Citizen-Community Emergency Response Coordinating Council

• Jeffrey Parsons – Reappointed

Developmental Disabilities Council

• Kristen Morningstar – Succeeds Belinda Hawks

Health Information Technology Commission

• Todd Belding – Succeeds Hana Alawy
• Charles Hong – Succeeds Alison Arnold

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee

• Rachael Prusi – Reappointed

The Michigan Senate voted unanimously, 35-0, to pass earmark transparency bills SB 596 and HB 4420. The House and Senate equivalent bills would require all legislative earmarks to be submitted at least 45 days prior to being voted on. Earmarks are requested by legislators and are directed to an organization through grant funding in the state budget for a specific project.

House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) previously led the charge to set the period at 60 days after the Senate had passed the bill with a 10-day period prior to voting. In addition to the 45-day compromise, SB 596 also specifies that any earmark proposal done in the first year of a two year legislative session can be funded in both fiscal years. Earmarks proposed in the second year would still only apply to the final fiscal year of the budget cycle.

Both bills passed the House with a 101-0 vote before being presented to the governor. On November 18th, both bills were signed by Governor Whitmer with immediate effect.