Updates About Governor

On Friday, July 15, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2022-5, which creates the Michigan Parents Council – an advisory body housed within the Michigan Department of Education. The Council must include a diverse representation of seven parents, guardians or family members appointed by the Governor, as well as a representative appointed by the state superintendent, and the Governor’s K-12 policy advisor.

The Council will be charged with convening regional roundtable discussions covering, at a minimum, strategies, and approaches for combating unfinished learning and supporting children’s mental health. Themes and ideas gleaned from the discussions will help inform policy recommendations in the Governor’s next budget recommendation.

A report must be submitted by December 9, 2022. The council will dissolve on March 1, 2023.

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 Tuesday, June 21, Governor Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden urging him to work with members of Congress to pause the federal gas tax as prices at the pump rise. On June 22, President Biden called on Congress to pass legislation to suspend the federal gas tax through September. Whitmer’s full letter to the President can be found here.

Previously, the Michigan State Senate passed legislation to suspend the state’s gas tax and sales tax on motor fuel from June 15 until September 15. The legislation has been referred to the House committee on Tax Policy for further consideration.