Insider Intelligence

Sine Die has come and gone in Lansing. As our Michigan lawmakers closed the books on this legislative session, we tallied the numbers to see what was accomplished in the statehouse.

The Michigan Constitution requires that the Legislature adjourns “without day” each year of a regular session.  Adjourning “without day” means that the Legislature has not set a day in which it will reconvene, therefore it’s the final adjournment of the year.  Sine die, Latin for “without day”, triggers many important events for the state Legislature.  […]

On Wednesday, the Senate passed a package of legislation making changes to Michigan’s open-carry and concealed-carry laws.  The bills allow concealed pistol license (CPL) holders to carry a concealed weapon in gun-free zones such as schools, churches, and sports arenas.  Schools would have the authority to prohibit students from carrying a concealed gun on school […]

Often when I meet new legislators or staff for the first time, they ask me what is the one piece of advice that I would give to them as they start their new endeavors in the Legislature.  They are often seeking some sage piece of wisdom because I started my career B.T.L. (before term limits), […]

This week, Representative Ben Frederick (R-Owosso) introduced a resolution requiring the Michigan Legislature to present a balanced budget to the governor by July 1 each year.  The resolution has received bipartisan support, as members of both political parties signed as co-sponsors of the legislation. His proposal would amend the Michigan Constitution to establish the deadline […]

Do you remember learning parliamentary procedure in high school and thinking “I’ll never use this stuff”?  Or, maybe you belong to a civic organization that uses Robert’s Rules to operate its meetings.  Well, if you ever plan to become a legislator or legislative staff, you may want to brush up on those parliamentary skills.  But, […]

The House and Senate held a summer session on Wednesday, July 12 and both had the “Good Jobs” package on their agendas. Senate Bills 242-244 passed in the House with a 71-35 vote count, followed soon after by the Senate vote to concur in House amendments. The package was created to provide tax incentives to […]

Representative Jeff Yaroch (R-Richmond) introduced legislation that would create a single-chamber legislature, instead of our current bicameral legislative body.  The proposal is a joint resolution and it will need two-thirds support from both the House and Senate before it would be placed before Michigan voters on the ballot. According to Representative Yaroch’s press release, his […]