Legislature Begins New Term

Liz Gullett

Jan 15, 2021

On Wednesday, the House and Senate held their first session day of the 101^st Legislature. For the House members this meant taking the oath of office and selecting their seat on the House floor. While the Senate wasn’t up for reelection and thus didn’t have to undertake those tasks, all legislation from the prior two years was considered dead and will need to be reintroduced in both chambers. Traditionally the first bills introduced for a new term are items that the majority party views as important pieces of policy. In the House, Representative Pamela Hornberger (R-Chesterfield) had the honor of introducing HB 4001, the first bill of the new term. Her bill would require state legislators to abstain from voting on bills that could personally benefit them or their families. The bill has been referred to the House Elections and Ethics Committee for consideration.

Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton) introduced the first bill in the Senate, which would limit emergency orders issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to 28 days and require that any extension of such orders receive legislative approval before taking effect. Notably, the bill is retroactive to November 15, 2020. This has been an important issue amongst Republican members who have viewed Governor Whitmer as overstepping her authority during the pandemic. The bill has been referred to the Senate Government Operations Committee for consideration.

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