How to provide input on Michigan legislation
Anyone in Michigan can track and provide input on the policies that affect them by observing the state Legislature, contacting state lawmakers and providing testimony during hearings on bills.
Here's a Free Press guide to keeping up with what lawmakers are up to in Lansing and offering some feedback on their work along the way.
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How to watch the Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Capitol is open to visitors when the Michigan House or Michigan Senate are in session, offering a chance to watch lawmakers vote on bills and deliver floor speeches in person. Committee hearings held at the Capitol or in House and Senate office buildings are also open to the public.
You can also watch sessions and committees online. Visit www.house.mi.gov/Calendar for a TV schedule of House sessions and committees. For the Michigan Senate, visit www.senate.michigan.gov and under "Senate TV" click "Broadcast Schedule / Video Archives."
How to contact a Michigan lawmaker
If you'd like to get in touch with a lawmaker to provide input on a bill or lay out an issue you'd like them to address, you can find their contact information online. For a list of every state representative, their email address and phone number, go to www.house.mi.gov/AllRepresentatives. A list of every state senator and their contact information can be found at www.senate.michigan.gov/senators/senatorinfo_list.html.
You can also visit lawmakers' offices in person where staff can answer questions you may have.
How to find out who your state representative or senator is
On the website for the Michigan House of Representatives (www.house.mi/gov), under "Find Your State Representative," you can enter your street address, city and zip code.
Similarly, on the Michigan Senate's website (www.senate.michigan.gov), you can click "Locate your Senator by Address" (www.senate.michigan.gov/FindYourSenator/) and input the same information to identify your state senator.
How to provide input on Michigan legislation
In addition to contacting lawmakers, you can provide testimony on legislation during committee hearings. To find out when hearings take place and whether a bill you'd like to comment on is on the agenda, go to www.legislature.mi.gov and click "Committee Meetings" to view the schedule.
How to monitor Michigan legislation you're interested in
There are many ways to monitor bills you may be interested in, but one simple way is to go to the Michigan Legislature's website (www.legislature.mi.gov). Under "Michigan Bill Search" you can select a category of legislation you're interested in such as "Taxation" or "Environmental protection" and hit the magnifying glass icon to see all the bills that have been introduced in that category.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How to provide input on Michigan legislation
