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From tax cuts to record-setting school funding, here’s how Michigan lawmakers have worked to address the pressing needs of families and communities since 2023.
LANSING—Over the past two years, Michigan Democrats have used their majority control in both chambers of the state Legislature—and the governor’s office—to pass hundreds of bills aimed at addressing the most pressing needs of working families and their communities.
But time has run out for the so-called “Democratic trifecta.”
Republicans will take over control of the state House in January, ushering in what’s likely to be a new era of partisan gridlock in Lansing. And while infighting stymied progress on several Democratic priorities in the final weeks of the year, there’s still plenty of achievements to count.
Here’s a roundup of some of the most impactful laws passed over the last two years:
Tax Relief for Working Families and Retirees
One of the most tangible economic policies Michigan Democrats passed was a major expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), known as the “Working Families Tax Credit.”
Legislation signed last year quintupled that credit from 6% to 30% of the federal level, resulting in an average refund of $3,150 for nearly 700,000 Michigan households. Families have reported using the relief to help offset rising costs for things like groceries, utility bills, and childcare.
Democrats also passed legislation to phase out the state-level retirement tax over the next four years—providing key financial relief to Michigan seniors who are living on fixed incomes. That change is expected to save an average of $1,000 annually for about 500,000 households.
While Republicans largely opposed both measures, Democrats argued that the benefits for Michigan families and retirees far outweighed any potential financial impact on the state budget.
Together, these reforms represent one of the largest tax relief packages in Michigan history.
READ MORE: How much are you saving under Michigan Dems’ new tax cuts?
Record-Setting School Funding
Over the past two years, Michigan Democrats have repeatedly shattered records when it comes to providing state funding for public schools—particularly when it comes to focused investments designed to address disparities, improve student outcomes, and support educators statewide.
The most recent state budget allocated $23 billion for the state’s public schools—marking the largest education budget in Michigan history. Provisions in that budget provide every Michigander with access to free preschool, free school meals, and on-campus mental health resources, as well access to tuition-free community college for every high school graduate.
Michigan Democrats—including several former teachers—have said that these state investments are all about creating opportunities for all students, regardless of their zip code.
Additionally, this year’s state budget featured more than $100 million to cover college tuition for future teachers, as well as funding that’ll provide direct stipend payments to student teachers. Supplemental funding approved in October also included another $150 million for students with dyslexia, as well as additional grants to expand mental health support services in schools.
More than 56,000 students statewide also benefitted from no- or reduced-cost tuition this fall through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which includes the Community College Guarantee and Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship. In total, that scholarship is saving students and their families over $131.5 million this year—an average of $2,345 per student.
READ MORE: 5 big takeaways from Michigan’s latest education budget
Expanding Healthcare Access
Michigan Democrats have taken steps to expand healthcare access and protect reproductive rights since they took majority control of both chambers of the state Legislature.
An unenforceable abortion ban from 1931 was erased from state law after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to repeal the archaic statute in 2023. The new law effectively guarantees reproductive freedoms for Michiganders after 57% of voters in 2022 approved Proposal 3—a citizen-led ballot initiative enshrining reproductive rights in the state constitution.
Additionally, state lawmakers passed the Reproductive Health Act to repeal several medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers, with the goal of expanding access to care.
Among other changes, Democrats also repealed the state’s so-called “rape insurance” law, which had required women to purchase separate insurance riders for abortion coverage. The new law ensures that Michiganders have better access to safe, legal, and affordable care.
Earlier this year, Whitmer also signed the so-called Michigan Family Protection Act, which consists of a series of new laws supporting in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients and legalizing paid surrogacy, ultimately giving families more options for starting or growing their families.
Additional legislation passed this year aims to expand the types of health care providers who are able to prescribe birth control and emergency contraception to include pharmacists. The “Freedom to Plan” bill also requires health insurers to cover those pharmacist-prescribed birth control pills, as well as hormonal patches and certain other forms of contraception.
Democratic lawmakers have also focused broadly on affordable healthcare in recent years. Legislation signed last year effectively protected healthcare insurance coverage for millions of Michiganders by safeguarding benefits under the Affordable Care Act at the state level.
In the last week of this year’s session, Senate Democrats also passed a package of bills aimed at supporting maternal and infant health—including legislation that would require insurers to cover blood pressure monitors for pregnant or post-partum mothers, as well as mandate health professionals offer mental health screenings to women during their child’s routine checkups.
READ MORE: Michigan Dems race to pass key bills before losing House majority
Gun Safety Laws
In the wake of a deadly mass shooting last year at Michigan State University, Democratic lawmakers have also passed (and Whitmer has signed into law) several gun safety bills.
That includes legislation that created new requirements for universal background checks before guns can be purchased in Michigan, as well as new safe storage requirements, and so-called “red flag” laws that allow for guns to be temporarily confiscated under a judge’s order.
Additionally, the last two state budgets have featured billions of dollars to support public safety programs across Michigan—like ongoing violence intervention initiatives to help address the root cause of violence, and more dedicated resources to train and retain local first responders.
Lawmakers also teamed up on bipartisan legislation this year that could help enhance school safety measures and improve mental health resources at schools—namely to prevent tragedies like the deadly shooting that killed four high school students at Oxford High School in 2021.
READ MORE: Survivors call for action on more gun safety reforms in Michigan
Protecting Voting Rights
After the passage of Proposal 2 in 2022, which locked certain voting rights into the state Constitution, Michigan lawmakers passed legislation that now requires at least nine dates of early voting statewide. Those reforms took effect just in time for this year’s general election.
Other voting rights legislation signed into law in recent years has boosted voter registration opportunities, improved efficiencies on Election Day, protected poll workers, and ultimately helped ensure that this year’s presidential election was more accessible for voters statewide.
Democratic lawmakers also led the charge on bills to curb the deceptive use of artificial intelligence, manipulated media, and so-called “deepfakes” in political advertisements—namely by requiring clear labels on ads that are created using some type of artificial intelligence.
READ MORE: Advocates urge Michigan Dems to pass voting rights laws
Clean Energy and Water Investments
Democrats’ trifecta also made strides in combatting climate change, as well as protecting Michigan’s natural resources—including ensuring all Michiganders have access to clean water.
The latest state budget features more than $535 million for the state Department of Natural Resources—which will support efforts to help sustain wildlife, improve parks, and encourage environmentally friendly business practices to protect the environment in rural communities.
That includes money earmarked for wildlife and fisheries management, invasive species prevention and control, and continued support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy also reportedly received more than $1 billion in the most recent statewide budget bills—including funding to address environmental contamination from PFAS and other pollutants.
And last year, Democratic-led legislation set the state on a path to producing 100% clean energy by 2040. The laws include a commitment to expand renewable energy sources like wind and solar, alongside investments to modernize the electric grid and boost energy efficiency.
State officials have projected that the state’s new clean energy standards will ultimately bring in nearly $8 billion in federal investments to Michigan, create thousands of new jobs, and lower utility costs statewide. The legislation also created a new Office of Community and Worker Economic Transition, exclusively to help Michiganders land jobs in the clean energy industry.
Lawmakers said the standards will help Michiganders gain a sense of energy independence as they curb their reliance on other states and countries for coal, natural gas, and oil.
Other recently signed state laws have also enabled Michigan homeowners to earn credits off their next bill for any extra power generated by their solar systems—which can also help reduce installation costs over time and allow homeowners to recoup their investments even faster.
READ MORE: 6 ways Michigan’s new state budget invests in rural communities
Affordable Housing for Michigan Families
With housing costs on the rise in recent years, Michigan Democrats have also taken some steps to help make homes more affordable and accessible for working families.
This year, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority made the largest investment to build, rehab, or permit housing in Michigan history—a $1.4 billion investment for 10,000 homes, all without raising taxes, Whitmer announced in a press release earlier this month.
The latest state budget also includes $100 million to help build and expand access to affordable housing—namely by offering low-interest loans, grants for housing developers, and financial assistance for first-time home buyers. Democrats said the plan is all about increasing the state’s housing supply, particularly in areas where families are being priced out of their communities.
Over the last two years, Whitmer has also signed legislation investing $275 million to build and refurbish thousands of affordable housing units and address blight in dozens of communities.
Democrats also passed bills to lock down long-term funding for the state’s Housing and Community Development Fund, as well as for the state’s Revitalization and Placemaking Grant program—both of which are aimed at building more affordable housing across Michigan.
Additionally, funding made available through the Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund has helped thousands of families stay in their homes and prevent foreclosure in recent years.
More broadly, Democratic lawmakers have also worked to address the root causes of homelessness in Michigan. That includes more than $16 million in Emergency Solutions Grants awarded to nonprofit groups that deal exclusively with housing insecurity and homelessness.
READ MORE: Lawmakers pursue tweaks to zoning laws to bolster housing supply
Unfinished Business
The final weeks of the year were among the least productive for Michigan Democrats.
State Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) skipped one of the year’s final legislative sessions on Wednesday and then refused to return to the House floor to pass key bills on Thursday, citing concerns over economic development incentives and a lack of funding for Black communities.
And with every Republican lawmaker in the House also refusing to vote on bills this month amid demands that changes first be made to weaken the state’s minimum wage laws, House Democrats didn’t have enough votes to pass any bills before calling it a year on Thursday night.
The chamber is reportedly set to return on Dec. 31—but only to adjourn session for the year.
Key bills left on the table this year included legislation to establish a new prescription drug affordability board to cap medication costs for Michiganders, as well as several gun safety bills—including legislation to ban manufacturing, selling, or buying guns without serial numbers. The Michigan Voting Rights Act, to protect voters from discrimination, also failed to advance,
A number of other bills approved by the Senate this week, however, are now en route to Whitmer’s desk, where she will decide whether or not to sign them into law—including legislation that would expand unemployment benefits, ramp up penalties for hate crimes, and increase oversight on the state funding that is provided to Michigan’s charter schools.
Senate Democrats also used their final days in power to pass bills that, if signed into law, would restrict the number of hours minors can work when school is in session; require the destruction of firearms collected through gun buyback programs; reduce healthcare costs for government workers; as well as enable corrections officers to receive state retirement benefits.
READ MORE: What Michigan news stories grabbed the biggest headlines this year?
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