LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Wednesday aimed at supporting workers, teachers and tribal communities.
The Governor’s Office says the bills also cut red tape, boost the efficiency of state services and help Michiganders access and navigate state government.
“Since taking office, we have made real progress improving the efficiency of state government and making Michigan the best place to live, work, invest and raise a family," Gov. Whitmer said. "Today’s [Wednesday’s] bills take important steps to cut unnecessary red tape, help teachers and workers save money and advocate for better working conditions, fix our infrastructure and make government easier to navigate for Michiganders with limited English proficiency, among other things. I will continue working hard to help more people envision a bright future for themselves in Michigan.”
The bills to support workers include Senate Bill 169, Senate Bill 185, House Bill 4230 and House Bill 4234.
State Senator John Cherry (D-Flint) sponsored Senate Bill 169. It requires public employers to provide collective bargaining representatives with their employees’ employment and contact information.
“The intent behind Senate Bill 169 is to ensure employees receive the representation they are entitled to. Thanks to Gov. Whitmer signing it into law, represented Michigan workers will now have better access to services from their union,” Sen. Cherry said.
State Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) sponsored Senate Bill 185, which allows graduate student research assistants and independent university contractors to organize in unions.
State Representative Jimmie Wilson, Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) sponsored House Bill 4230 and state Representative Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) sponsored House Bill 4234.
The pair of bills remove the restriction on public bodies setting up a payroll deduction plan for consenting employees for political contributions.
“For years, working people have seen their freedoms taken away by attacks on their unions— the very institutions whose sole purpose is to fight on behalf of their members,” Rep. Tsernoglou said. “I sponsored this bill to give workers their rights back, which has been a central priority for the Dem controlled 102nd Legislature.”
House Bill 5021, sponsored by state Representative Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), changes the default retirement plan for new teaching hires in the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System from the 401 (k) plan to the pension plus plan, which offers them more flexibility.
“A secure retirement is something every public school employee should have,” Rep. Koleszar said. “By changing the default to the Pension Plus 2 program, we can do just that, and do it while being fiscally responsible.”
Senate Bill 441, sponsored by state Senator Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township) and House Bill 4852, sponsored by state Representative Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor), are meant to support tribal communities.
Senate Bill 441 amends reporting requirements for commercial fishing to keep the state in compliance with a new consent decree between the federal and state governments and several of Michigan’s federally recognized tribes.
House Bill 4852 designates manoomin, also known as wild rice, as the official native grain of Michigan.
“This bill places an importance on the recovery and protection of manoomin (wild rice). Designating it as Michigan’s native grain is a monumental step forward. Manoomin is culturally significant to many Tribal nations and is viewed as a gift provided from the creator,” the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council said. “Manoomin provides deep cultural roots to our ancestors through teachings passed down generations, describing the food that grows on water. We remain committed to working with our partners to provide education and outreach on its importance to all residents of Michigan.”
House Bill 4720, sponsored by state Representative Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), and Senate Bill 382, sponsored by state Senator Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), create the Statewide Meaningful Language Access Coordination Act.
The pair of bills require state departments and agencies take reasonable steps to help Michiganders with limited English proficiency access state services.
State Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) sponsored Senate Bill 533, which allows the Secretary of State to issue vehicle titles and establish and implement a system to transfer titles electronically.
State Representative Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights) sponsored House Bill 4897. This allows a county road commission to enter into agreements with non-adjacent counties’ road commissions or the Michigan Department of Transportation to perform work on roads and to buy and use machinery and equipment.
State Representative Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) sponsored House Bill 4717, which requires real estate brokers to complete training on local, state and federal fair housing law.
State Representative Sharon MacDonnell (D-Troy) sponsored House Bill 4706, which allows entities to own or operate electric vehicle chargers without being considered a public utility. This makes it so those entities can qualify for funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
State Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) sponsored Senate Bill 337. It modernizes key provisions governing Michigan land surveys.
Sen. Polehanki says the original law governing survey maps hasn't been updated since 1970, adding, "I am pleased that Senate Bill 337 will allow professional property surveyors to utilize GPS and computer aided drafting that will improve the accuracy and efficiency in the land surveying process."
State Representative Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing) sponsored House Bill 4942, which transfers two parcels of land in Lansing to the Michigan House of Representatives.
Rep. Dievendorf says this will help maintain downtown Lansing’s structural integrity, adding, “It not only improves infrastructure, but it also contributes to the safety of our state workers so they can continue to arrive safely on the job.”
