Updates About Legislation

On April 5, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation repealing Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. The 1931 Michigan penal code prohibited the sharing or publishing information regarding contraception and abortion and prohibited administration of miscarriage procuring drugs or a surgical abortion procedure. Senate Bill 2 and House Bills 4006 and 4032 revokes the felonies of the 1931 penal code. These bills ensure that individuals who administer or receive an abortion are not criminalized.

On Friday March 24, Governor Whitmer also signed bills repealing the Michigan right to work law and restoring the prevailing wage for public construction projects. These bills include Senate Bill 34 and House Bills 4004 and 4007.

The legislature continued with its busy policy schedule prior to spring break by moving a number of high-profile bills, including the repeal of the current state right to work law and restoring the prevailing wage for public construction projects in Michigan.

The House of Representatives passed their version of bills with the Senate quickly moving them from committee to the full Senate floor on March 14. Both chambers passed SB 34, SB 6, HB 4004, and HB 4005 along party lines. With the passage of these bills, the state moves one step closer to reversing laws that have been in place since 2012 and 2018.

Late changes were made to both HB 4004 and HB 4005, which now include a $1 million appropriation substitution for the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to use for educational outreach. The Right to Work bills are now referendum-proof, a practice that has not previously been supported by Governor Whitmer under a Republican-led legislature. However, Governor Whitmer has stated that she intends on signing the legislation.

On Thursday, March 16, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed new LGBTQ+ protections into law under the state’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Over a decade in the making, the state has now added sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as protected classes against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations.

A small number of Republican senators and representatives voted in support of the legislation. Those opposed to the bill shared their no-vote explanation, stating it could infringe on religious rights and freedoms. Public Act 6 of 2023 can be found here.