The Background: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson were all sworn into their second terms on Sunday, and joining them at the state Capitol were Democratic Representative Joe Tate and Democratic Senator Winnie Brinks. Both Tate and Brinks are making history: Tate as the first Black Speaker of the Michigan House and Brinks as the first woman to be Michigan Senate Majority Leader. This is the most diverse leadership Michigan has ever had.
The Question: The statewide elected leaders of Michigan represent the most diverse background in state history, but what about the new Legislature?
The Answer: “They’re younger, more educated, less diverse.” That’s the headline in Lauren Gibbons’ new piece in Bridge Michigan this week. She spent a load of time looking into the backgrounds of the lawmakers who will make up the new state House and Senate. Take a listen to our conversation above for more details about the increase in the number of women lawmakers and in LGBTQ representation at the state Capitol.
Looking for more about the 2023 Inaugural and Michigan’s new leadership?
Take a listen to Stateside where we talked in detail about what we heard from Governor Whitmer in her inaugural speech or you can watch the inauguration speeches of Whitmer, Gilchrist, Nessel and Benson here. And if you want to hear more from new Speaker of the House Joe Tate take a listen to our conversation after the 2022 election about his priorities for 2023.
