Category: Capitol News

By Mary Pollock Whew! The Michigan House and Senate combined to pass more than 90 bills over a three-day span during the week of October 31 – November 2. The Michigan House had two late sessions past midnight on November 1 and 2. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS What is usually a calm legislative adjournment in mid-December of… Read more

By Mary Pollock The 102nd Legislature’s frenetic pace continued after its return on September 5. UPDATE ON SERA PRIORITY ISSUES SERA Member Recruitment — Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint), Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, has agreed to sponsor and champion a proposed bill to allow SERA to acquire for its private use the names and contact… Read more

By Mary Pollock Though the Legislature adjourned June 29 and doesn’t intend to return until September 5, there has been a lot of legislative and executive branch news of importance to SERA-Nade readers. REMOVING $300 CAP ON OUR 3% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) Michigan SERA has asked Governor Gretchen Whitmer to support solving the problem of… Read more

By Mary Pollock If you are reading this article in a printed version of the SERA-Nade and have e-mail capability, consider having the SERA-Nade e-mailed to you. It saves SERA the printing and postage costs (over $1 for each monthly newsletter for each member). The e-mail version looks just like the paper version in a PDF file attached to… Read more

By Mary Pollock BUDGET BILLS MOVING This May and June are important decision times for the budget for Fiscal Year 2024. It will be the first budget the Democrats will pass under their new trifecta control. But Republicans have the votes to withhold Immediate Effect (IE), a powerful negotiating tool. If IE is denied, appropriations… Read more

By Mary Pollock The frantic pace of the new Democratic trifecta was relieved by a two-week spring break from March 24 to April 10. In the first three months of the 102nd Legislature, they were able to pass all six first-day bills and more. Retirement Tax Relief — For retirees, the most important issue was figuring… Read more

By Mary Pollock PHASED-IN RETIREMENT TAX RELIEF ENACTED Governor Signs Retirement Tax Relief Bill — Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill (HB) 4001, now Public Act 4 of 2023, on March 7. It will save 500,000 eligible retired taxpayers an average of $1,000 per year. How It Happened — On January 26, the Michigan Senate adopted in… Read more

By Mary Pollock The first month of the Democratic trifecta in Michigan moved with lightning speed to display its priorities and ability to exercise its prerogatives. Capturing my focused attention was the gubernatorial and legislative announced intentions to move retiree income tax relief as their first priority bills. SERA submitted three suggestions for improvement in… Read more

By Mary Pollock In the political world, the beginning of odd-numbered years like 2023 also means new policy makers at all levels of government and consequently new political dynamics. While the drama of 15 votes to select a new Speaker for the U.S. House captured mainstream media attention, our Michigan Legislative and Executive Office changes… Read more

By Mary Pollock The November 8 election brought a sea of change to Michigan in the form of an unexpected blue wave rather than a forecasted red tsunami. There was a record turn-out for Michigan’s midterm election on November 8, 2022 — 4,500,400 voters or 54.5 percent of registered voters. About 40 percent of the… Read more