New gun, abortion, prevailing wage, right-to-work repeal laws take effect in Michigan

Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·4 min read
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New Michigan laws approved by Democrats take effect Tuesday, ushering in changes to a slew of policies from labor to abortion rights.

These laws received little or no Republican support in the state Legislature. For laws to take effect immediately after the governor signs the legislation, at least six GOP votes in the state Senate are needed under the current partisan makeup of the chamber. The Democratic bills didn't meet that threshold, meaning they instead went into effect 90 days after lawmakers adjourned their legislative session last year early.

Last year Democrats held a "trifecta" for the first time in forty years with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's reelection and the party holding majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature.

Here's a look at the new laws they crafted wielding that power.

Right-to-work repeal and prevailing wage reinstated

On a party-line vote, Democrats repealed Michigan's "right-to-work" law that had allowed workers in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying union dues. About half of U.S. states have right-to-work laws in place. With the repeal, Michigan became the first state in nearly 60 years to abandon the policy, which is opposed by labor advocates.

The change only affects workers in the private sector because a U.S. Supreme Court decision currently bars the public sector from requiring employees covered by collective bargaining agreements to pay union dues. But Democrats passed a state law that would also repeal right-to-work for public sector workers in the event the court reverses its earlier decision.

Democrats also reinstated a prevailing wage law requiring union-level wages and benefits for state-funded construction projects.

Expanding abortion access

Michigan has a new "Reproductive Health Act" aimed at reducing barriers to abortion access. That includes the repeal of an abortion insurance law that had required the purchase of a special rider to cover abortions with no exceptions for rape or incest. Democrats removed other abortion restrictions such as a state law that banned higher education institutions' pregnant and parenting services offices from providing referrals for abortion services.

Michigan Representative Laurie Pohutsky hugs Dr. Sarah Wallett, Planned Parenthood Chief Medical Operating Officer, before a press conference where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will sign the Reproductive Health Act with lawmakers and activists who worked to get the legislation passed at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. Both women were instrumental in getting the legislation passed and vow to keep working to get the rest of the bill passed that was excluded like mandatory 24-hour, and Medicaid coverage.

Some state laws Democrats eyed for repeal remain on the books such as a mandated 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion. Abortion rights proponents have sued the state asking the judge to declare the law unconstitutional under a ballot proposal adopted by voters enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution.

LGBTQ+ rights

Democrats have tried for years to expand the state's anti-discrimination law to include LGBTQ+ Michiganders. And last year, they changed the law to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The move came after the Michigan Supreme Court previously ruled that Michigan's civil rights law prohibits such discrimination.

Lawmakers also banned conversion therapy targeting LGBTQ+ youth to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Gun violence prevention

A trio of new gun laws take effect Tuesday: universal background checks for all gun purchases, safe storage requirements to keep guns out of the hands of children and a "red flag" law enabling courts to temporarily order the removal of guns from those posing an imminent risk to themselves or others. Whitmer signed the laws within a few months of the school shooting at Michigan State University.

Officials and people in the crowd cheer on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer after she signs into law bills that would allow police officers, family members and medical professionals to ask courts to issue an extreme risk protection order to temporarily take away guns from those who pose a danger to themselves or others on Monday, May 22, 2023, outside of the 44th District Court in Royal Oak.

Whitmer also signed into law a temporary gun ban for those with domestic violence convictions.

Michigan gun laws: Gun safety advocates want to see more measures to curb violence in Michigan

Education changes

Michigan's public schools will no longer be ranked using an A-F letter system to grade their performance. The rankings had provided a way for parents to evaluate and compare public schools in their communities. Whitmer characterized the system as burdensome red tape for Michigan's schools. The Democratic bill passed on a party-line vote in the state Senate but received bipartisan support in the state House. While the legislation signed by Whitmer repeals the current grading system for ranking schools, it preserves the current index system that also measures school performance.

Meanwhile, Michigan's third grade reading law now no longer requires holding back students who fail a reading proficiency test.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New Michigan gun, prevailing wage, abortion laws take effect