Every two years the legislature meets after Thanksgiving for the notorious lame duck legislative session. Historians believe the term lame duck was first used in 1863 in the Congressional Globe to define broken down politicians. It more commonly refers to legislative session after an election, but before the newly elected members take office.

Over the past decade, there have been a variety of high-profile lame duck issues in Michigan. In 2012, Republicans passed right-to-work in a lame duck legislative session, which prompted significant protests outside of the Capitol. In December 2016 an approximately $1 billion spending bill was passed during the lame duck session, funding numerous projects and occurred outside of the traditional appropriation process.

As we head into the 2020 lame duck session, will this be a wild lame duck with lots of late-night negotiations and last-minute deals or will it be classified as a “lame” lame duck?

Here’s what we know:

• • The House Republicans were able to maintain a 58-52 majority on November 3.
  • 2021 won’t bring a change in power in the House of Representatives to the Democratic party, despite a hotly contested election cycle.
  • COVID-19 has significantly altered the normal flow of legislation since March. Session has been sporadic and while legislation has moved, there are numerous bills and priorities from legislators that remain uncompleted.
  • There is speculation that a supplemental budget may be passed in December and budget discussions can always lead to surprises.
  • 28 House members will be leaving office at the end of 2020.

All these factors play into an uncertain lame duck. One thing is for certain, we’ll be at the Capitol day and night advocating for our clients, working with and communicating to legislators. Whether this is a lame, lame duck that lasts only 1-2 weeks, or a more robust 3-week lame duck, MLC will be prepared.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.