Policymaking can be really, really confusing. Schoolhouse Rock may have covered the basics. But what about the super niche tasks and processes that keep the Michigan government moving? It can feel like, if you're not a lawmaker, lobbyist, or reporter, it's impossible to know what's going on.
Well, that's where this guide comes in. Want to watch (and understand) a day in the state Senate? We got you. Want to know what's actually in a bill everyone's talking about? That's covered too.
It's your state, see how it's run.
Guides to the legislative process
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Michigan residents could see a slight income tax cut under a bill that advanced out of the state House Finance Committee Tuesday.The bill would lower the tax rate from 4.25% to 4.05%. That’s what it was in 2023, when a law requiring an automatic tax cut when state revenue meets certain benchmarks was triggered. -
Michigan groups that help provide public assistance with federal grant money testified before the state Senate Oversight Committee Wednesday. The committee focused on how groups that work in areas like public health and childcare handled a pause in their federal grant funding in late January, and are preparing for possible future cuts to that money. -
A new bill introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives would lower the state’s income tax rate by a fraction of a percent, from 4.25% to 4.05%.It’s a callback to a couple years ago. That’s when strong state revenue triggered a law that temporarily lowered the tax rate in 2023. -
A Democratic state lawmaker has sponsored a proposal to strike the language of a dormant same-sex marriage ban from the Michigan Constitution. -
A Michigan Court of Claims judge has ruled the Republican-controlled Michigan House should send nine bills being held in the clerk’s office to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her to sign or veto. But the judge stopped short of issuing a court order to comply with the decision. -
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said divided government in Lansing should not stop Democrats and Republicans from finding ways to get things done. The governor delivered her seventh State of the State address on Wednesday. -
The final legal briefs were filed Tuesday in a lawsuit that pits state Senate Democrats against House Republicans for failing to send bills adopted by both chambers to Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The arguments will now be reviewed by a Michigan Court of Claims judge. -
A resource to explain how to understand the content of a bill. Part of our series on understanding how your state government functions. -
A resource to explain the flow of a day in the Michigan House of Representatives. Part of our series on understanding how your state government functions. -
A resource to explain the flow of a day in the Michigan Senate. Part of our series on understanding how your state government functions.
