In honor of Chanukah, I thought I’d try to shed some light on the major policies and controversies moving in Lame Duck. And borrowing from Santa’s playbook, I thought I’d make a list for you all to check twice to find out what policies are naughty and nice.
The Nice List
Some good could possibly come out of Lame Duck this year, as the Michigan Legislature took a big step forward on efforts to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to 18. After years of work by the League, a diverse group of partners and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, the House Law and Justice Committee passed out the Raise the Age package of bills and they await action in the full House.
With this legislation, lawmakers have a chance to help our kids, our families, our communities and our economy and leave a positive and indelible mark on our state. We hope the House Speaker and leaders in the Senate will seize this prime opportunity to do some good and move quickly to pass these bills and get them on the governor’s desk.
Raising the age will align Michigan with the other 46 states in the nation that treat 17-year-olds as kids, not adults, in the criminal justice system, and we urge you to contact your legislators and encourage them to support the Raise the Age bills.
Another potential “nice list” item is Senate Bill 541, which will expand access to dental care for children and families by creating a mid-level dental license for professionals commonly referred to as dental therapists.
The Naughty List
Unfortunately, Michigan lawmakers have made the biggest issue in Lame Duck thus far a political and divisive one. After passing legislation in September to provide earned paid sick leave for all workers and a minimum wage increase to keep the related petition-driven initiatives off the ballot, the Michigan Senate quickly followed through on its promise to pass dramatic changes that undercut the people’s original intent. And just last night, the dangerous Senate bills were passed in the full House (Here’s our official testimony on earned paid sick leave and minimum wage).
These issues were brought forth directly by the voters, and the wholesale changes to the bills are a slap in the face of democracy and the hundreds of thousands of residents who signed the petitions.
The Legislature’s changes to earned paid sick leave make it available to only employees of establishments of 50 employees or more, locking out more than a million of our state’s lowest-paid workers from paid sick leave. In addition, they increased the number of hours worked needed to earn sick time and decreased the number of hours that could be accumulated, again gutting the original resident-driven petition.
As for the struggles of tipped workers, they often are not paid the legal minimum wage on slow days, and many employers do not make up the difference, making their wages and their lives perpetually uncertain. This is why Michigan must eliminate the separate tipped wage and have one fair minimum wage for all employees—which is exactly what the proposal headed for the ballot would have done.
The Legislature actually lowered the tipped wage as a percentage of the basic minimum wage. Furthermore, the bill passed only raises the basic minimum wage by $0.23 per year until 2030, when it reaches $12. This minimal and sluggish increase will fail to keep up with ever-rising inflation and the cost of living—and keeping up is exactly what a minimum wage is supposed to do. Please contact Governor Snyder and tell him to veto SB 1171 and 1175. These bills are anti-worker and anti-democracy. We’re counting on him to do what’s right for Michigan before he leaves office.
Sadly, these are not the only efforts to undermine our democratic process, as lawmakers are also looking at ways to dilute the impact of Proposal 2 to end gerrymandering and Proposal 3 to improve voter rights and access for all people, especially people of color.
You Better Watch Out!
Lame Duck is always full of surprises. You better watch out, as some will make you cry and some will make you pout. I hope all of you will reach out to your lawmakers and tell them to oppose legislation to gut the minimum wage and paid sick leave proposals, and instead encourage them to embrace bipartisan legislation and the spirit of the holiday season by raising the age.
And to legislators, like Santa, Michigan voters know if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!
P.S. If this is all you read today, here’s the gist: Tell lawmakers to support raising the age because it’s good for kids, families and communities. Tell Governor Snyder to reject bills that gut minimum wage and sick leave because they’re bad for kids, families and communities.
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.
