Updated January 6, 2025
During the Lame Duck session, advocacy is more important than ever. While it is important for people to speak out against bad policies that may arise, it is equally important to help push good proposals over the finish line. Any legislation that was not fully passed by both the House and Senate by the end of 2024 has to start the process all over in the next session, undoing months—and in many cases, years—of work. Here are some of the biggest policy issues the League watched throughout Lame Duck.
Health and Safety
- Maternal and Infant Health: Senate Bills 818-827 and House Bill 5636, known as the “Momnibus” package of bills, aims to address disparities in Black maternal healthcare by improving equity and accountability in the state’s services. The package includes ten bills that focus on issues like biased perinatal care, patient rights, and the integration of midwives and doulas into the healthcare system to enhance care for Black mothers. Read more in our column. UPDATE: Much of the Momnibus passed out of the Senate on Dec. 3, but did not advance due to lack of further action. House Bill 5636 passed the House and the Senate and is on its way to the governor’s desk.
- Medicaid Work Requirements: House Bill 4224 would repeal workforce engagement requirements for the Healthy Michigan Plan. This bill would take the necessary steps to safeguard the health and financial security of those who rely on our state’s Medicaid expansion program by removing a harmful and inactive law from the books. Read more in our column. UPDATE: Passed the House and Senate and is on its way to the governor’s desk.
- Prescription Drug Affordability Board: Senate Bill 483 would create the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which would help lower prescription costs and expand patient access. Read more in our column. UPDATE: This bill passed the Senate in 2023 but did not advance due to lack of action in the House.
- Tobacco Use and Sales: Senate Bills 647-654 would end the sale of flavored tobacco products (including flavored e-cigarettes and menthol-flavored cigarettes), require tobacco retailers to be licensed, tax e-cigarettes and vaping products containing nicotine for the first time, increase tobacco taxes, eliminate local preemption on tobacco restrictions, and repeal penalties that punish kids for tobacco purchase and use. Read more in our testimony. UPDATE: These bills passed out of the Senate on Dec. 5, but did not advance due to lack of further action.
- Water Affordability: The League continues to advocate for bills that will create a “Low-Income Water Assistance Program,” provide shut-off protection, reduce the penalty for an illegal reconnection, and allow renters to request copies of water bills paid by landlords. The bills are Senate Bills 549-554 and House Bills 5088-5092. UPDATE: The House bills were amended on the House floor but did not receive a vote on final passage. The Senate bills did not move at all. Thus, the entire package failed to advance before the end of the legislative session.
- Protections for Working Children: Senate Bills 963-965 create a clear process for youths to apply for and receive a work permit, set safe, realistic standards for youth employment and strengthen penalties for employers who do not comply. Read the League’s testimony here. UPDATE: House Bill 5594 passed the House and the Senate and has been sent to the governor. It is identical to Senate Bill 964, but the rest of the package did not move during lame duck.
- Foster Care Benefits: Senate Bill 872 would protect the income and assets of children currently in foster care and advance the financial security of those exiting care. Read our testimony here. UPDATE: This bill passed the Senate but did not advance due to lack of action in the House.
Housing Access and Affordability
- Source of Income Protections: Senate Bills 205-207 and House Bills 4062-4063 would establish a statewide prohibition against discrimination by landlords based on the source of income that a tenant uses to pay rent. Read more in our column and read our testimony here. UPDATE: These bills passed the Senate and the House on Dec. 11. The governor signed the Senate Bills on December 30. The House bills passed the Senate on December 12 and are awaiting the governor’s signature.
- Eviction Sealing and Expungement: Senate Bill 801 provides for the sealing of eviction records under certain circumstances, and automatic expungement of eviction records after two years. Read our testimony here. UPDATE: This bill did not move in lame duck.
- Fair Chance Access to Housing: House Bill 4878 limits the use of criminal history information in tenant screening processes. UPDATE: This bill did not move in lame duck.
- Right to Counsel: House Bill 5237 would establish a statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction court. UPDATE: This bill did not move in lame duck.
Economic Security
- Paid Leave (MI-FLOC): Senate Bills 332-333 and House Bills 4574-4575 (MI-FLOC) propose to create a state-run paid family leave program covering all workers. The program will provide 15 weeks of paid leave and replace 90% of wages (up to the state average weekly wage). Learn more in this fact sheet. UPDATE: Senate Bills 332-333 passed out of the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee–with a change to a 12-week leave period on Dec. 10. The bills did not advance due to lack of further action.
- Payday Lending: Senate Bill 632 would cap payday lending rates to 36% APR. Read more in our column. UPDATE: This bill passed the Senate in March 2024 but did not advance due to lack of action in the House.
- Unemployment Reform: The League has long advocated for reforms to the state’s Unemployment Insurance system, and Senate Bills 40, 962 and 975 will make many much-needed improvements. The package is a compromise between advocates and employers that increases benefits, increases the number of weeks of payments, expands workshare opportunities and more. Read more in our column. UPDATE: These bills passed out of the Senate on Dec. 5 and the House on Dec. 10. Senate Bill 40 has been signed by the governor. The other two bills are on the way to the governor’s desk.
- Driver License Access: Senate Bills 265-267 and House Bills 4410-4412, known as Drive SAFE, would allow anyone who lives in the state to apply for a driver’s license or state ID card, regardless of their immigration status. Learn more here. UPDATE: These bills did not move in lame duck.
Justice Issues
- ‘Second Look’ Legislation: House Bills 4556-4560 and Senate Bills 321-325 will be a priority for the League. These bills, known as Michigan’s “Second Look” package, will provide a pathway for judges to carefully consider resentencing people who have served a long prison sentence. Learn more here. UPDATE: House Bills 4556-4560 passed out of the House Criminal Justice Committee on Dec. 3. These bills did not advance due to lack of further action.
- Expansion of Michigan Indigent Defense Commission: House Bill 4630 would expand the duties of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission to include indigent defense of youth. UPDATE: House Bill 4630 passed the House in 2023 and the Senate in 2024 in different forms and did not advance during lame duck due to lack of a House concurrence vote.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
