Category: Capitol News

By Mary Pollock Michigan’s House and Senate have been on spring break since March 19 and are expected to return the week of April 13. DEATH CERTIFICATE BILLS Two bills important to seniors that SERA has supported throughout the hearings process were signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on March 18.  The new laws require death Read more

By Mary Pollock February marked two big events in life at the Capitol: The Executive Budget release on February 11 and Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s final State of the State Address on February 25. Plus, two of the bills we support moved to the Governor’s desk for signature! EXECUTIVE BUDGET Where you spend your money reveals Read more

By Mary Pollock The 2025 legislative year ended with just 74 bills being signed into law by Governor Whitmer, the lowest number in the history of the State of Michigan. Nine Bills in Limbo – And there are the nine bills from the end of 2024 that passed both chambers but which then-new House Speaker Read more

By Mary Pollock The Michigan Legislature was not in session the last two weeks in November due to both the traditional break for hunting season and Thanksgiving.  Nonetheless there was some activity. BUDGET EARMARKS TRANSPARENCY NOW LAW Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two bills, House Bill (HB) 4429 and Senate Bill (SB) 596 (now Public Acts Read more

By Mary Pollock SCRAP THE CAP UPDATE On October 8, Governor Whitmer signed Michigan’s $81 billion fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 budget, including the general government (House Bill (HB) 4706) and school aid (Senate Bill (SB) 166) omnibus bills.  The budget funds roads, education, health care, public safety, environmental programs, and maintains a balanced budget for the Read more

By Mary Pollock The Michigan Legislature, in a late-night 18-hour marathon, passed a nearly $81 billion budget on a bi-partisan basis, three days after the September 30 constitutional deadline. It is about $2 billion under last year’s budget, less than the $84.5 billion proposed by Senate Democrats, but more than the $78.5 billion proposed by Read more

By Mary Pollock BUDGET CRISIS AND SCRAP THE CAP UPDATE Like everyone else dependent on state government funding, Michigan SERA and State retirees are waiting with bated breath for a balanced budget agreement among our lawmakers to avoid a State government shutdown at midnight on September 30. Failure to adopt a balanced budget would create Read more

By Mary Pollock SCRAP THE CAP UPDATE  Michigan SERA Coordinating Council asked the State of Michigan Retirement Board at its August 7 meeting to pass a resolution urging the State’s 149 lawmakers – Governor Gretchen Whitmer and all 148 members of the Michigan Legislature – to support use of the $1 billion in excess revenue Read more

By Mary Pollock Scrap the Cap Update At the State of Michigan Retirement Board meeting in May, the actuaries reported that the State of Michigan retiree health care account is now 117 percent funded, potentially making just under $1 billion available for other State priorities – such as removing the $300 cap on State defined Read more

By Mary Pollock Background — In 1987, the State Employee Retirement Act was amended to provide that defined benefit (DB) retirees receive a 3% or $300 (whichever is less) annual cost of living adjustment (COLA). Meanwhile, inflation has been 176.1 percent since 1987. Over 87 percent of current DB State retirees have reached the $300 cap, Read more