Michigan's top Democratic lawmakers lay out 2024 priorities

LANSING − At the start of Michigan's 2024 legislative session, Michigan's Democratic leaders said they anticipate another busy year ahead, previewing action on a slew of policies from prescription drug affordability to economic development. But the timeline for addressing other state priorities remains unclear, including potential action to bolster Michigan's transparency and ethics laws.

Michigan Democrats kick off this year's session facing a new political reality: They don't have a majority in the state House. Two former Democratic state representatives vacated their seats after winning mayoral elections last fall. Special elections have been called to fill their seats. But Democrats still control the chamber under the state House's rule.

House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said in a statement last Wednesday he wants to broker a so-called shared power agreement now that Democrats and Republicans hold the same number of seats. House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, brushed off Hall's call, saying under House rules, Democrats still control the chamber and that Hall has not given him an idea of the policies on which he wants to see lawmakers from both parties work together. But Tate said "it would be nice to actually govern and actually get things done."

For their part, Tate and state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, put forward their own priority list.

Transparency and ethics

Just before the end of last year, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's Office charged two former staffers for ex-Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering. Anne Minard and Rob Minard were charged with misappropriating at least $525,000, embezzling funds from social welfare nonprofits and campaign committees for personal gain. Nessel pointed to the charges to implore lawmakers to act quickly to update Michigan's campaign finance and political disclosure laws, saying they lack transparency.

"It is the weakness of these laws that has made it so easy for people with ties to our government representatives and big money donors alike to skirt the system for personal benefit while also skirting any legal responsibility for their bad behavior," Nessel said at news briefing when she announced the charges against the Minards.

In the wake of the charges, Brinks and Tate vowed to tackle transparency and ethics reform. Brinks did not mention specifically transparency and ethics among her policy priorities for the year when she spoke to reporters last Wednesday. Asked what concrete changes on that front legislative leaders planned to pursue this year, Tate declined to provide specifics. He said conversations on that front remain ongoing and legislative leaders aim to move them along.

"But those are serious charges and that took place in our institution," Tate said of the charges against the Minards. Not guilty pleas were entered on their behalf during a recent court hearing.

Prescription drug affordability

Lawmakers may also focus on the cost of prescription drugs this session. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a speech to lawmakers before they returned from their summer break last year that she wants to establish an independent prescription drug affordability board in Michigan aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

Democrats in the Michigan Senate passed legislation to create a board. Under the legislation, if the board finds the price of a drug imposes high costs on the state's health care system of patients, the board can set an upper payment limit for the drug. The legislation stalled in the state House.

Brinks didn't say why the Senate bill wasn't taken up in the House. She suggested newer lawmakers unfamiliar with the proposed policy in the state House needed more time to learn about the proposal, but expressed hope that the legislation can move quickly now that lawmakers have returned to Lansing. Tate specifically mentioned prescription drug costs as one of the policies he wants to see move out of his chamber in the next several months.

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Economic development

Both Democratic legislative leaders said they want lawmakers to tackle economic development policies. Last year, Michigan Democrats approved billions in business subsidies, including large sums for a state fund used to give grants to automakers to help them transition to electric vehicle production. Some Democrats expressed discomfort with the corporate subsidy spending spree.

Last fall, Democratic lawmakers introduced a series of bills to change the process for awarding taxpayer-funded subsidies for corporations and require direct investments into the communities where the companies receiving government support plan to locate.

Brinks said she's hopeful to achieve bipartisan support for the package while Tate cited economic development as one of the policy areas he anticipates action on before special state House elections to fill two vacant seats that have left Democrats without a majority in the lower chamber at the start of the year.

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

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Democratic legislative leaders lay out 2024 goals