Last week, Michigan’s 101st Legislature wrapped up its legislative calendar and a relatively mild lame-duck session. Now, returning legislators and the Whitmer administration are eyeing January to resume work in the 102nd session, which will feature a Democratic trifecta (Governorship, House, and Senate) for the first time in 40 years.
At the federal level, we are watching as Congressional appropriators decide whether to fully fund the government for the 2023 fiscal year or kick the can one more time by extending the current December 16 continuing resolution another week to December 23. Hanging in the balance are dozens of Community Project (earmark) Requests from Southeast Michigan that need to be approved as part of the omnibus spending bill for the year. If Congress defers to the next session, the fate of these requests is uncertain.
This is the backdrop as SEMCOG enters the upcoming state and federal legislative sessions, as always, with a fresh set of bipartisan policies that we are eager to see implemented.
The new 2023-2024 Legislative Policy Platform
Earlier this month, SEMCOG’s Executive Committee approved the 2023-2024 Legislative Policy Platform, reaffirming once again that our local leaders are committed to finding bipartisan, common-sense solutions to the challenges our communities and region face. Led by Task Force Chairperson Theresa Rich, Vice President of Oakland Schools, and Vice Chair Frank Viviano, Macomb Township Supervisor, SEMCOG began development of the new platform in July and met three times before recommending the platform to the Executive Committee. Comprised of members from cities, villages, townships, and education institutions from the seven-county Southeast Michigan region, the task force also sought input from SEMCOG’s broader membership at the October General Assembly.
As Government Affairs Administrator and the staff lead at SEMCOG for implementing the policies in our regional platform, this platform is the most important thing I bring to every meeting with legislators or state and federal agency staff.
Southeast Michigan well-positioned in the new legislative session
I’d like to focus a little closer on the strategic opportunity we have as a region with the makeup of the 102nd State Legislature. SEMCOG is eager to work with legislators from both sides of the aisle on the issues important to our communities.
The region’s delegation in Lansing has historically been majority-Democratic. This has put Southeast Michigan at a disadvantage in Lansing as most committee leadership positions have gone to legislators from outside our region. In the upcoming session, Democratic legislators from our region are more likely to be tapped for these leadership positions. Southeast Michigan will have a strong voice in incoming House Speaker Joe Tate (Detroit), who has eagerly engaged with SEMCOG on a bipartisan basis during previous terms.
We are already working to encourage legislators from Southeast Michigan to seek committee assignments that align with SEMCOG’s issue areas. Wherever possible, we look for legislators with local government experience to help champion our issues on these committees. We are also working with coalition partners to develop recommendations for appropriations, as Governor Whitmer and key legislative appropriators are set to begin discussions for an FY 2023 supplemental appropriation, as well as the early stages of the FY2024 budget process. Remember, the State is still sitting on a healthy $7B budget surplus heading into this new session.
Elevating your voice in Lansing and Washington
One crucial aspect of getting our local and regional issues in front of policymakers is understanding your day-to-day challenges and putting you in contact with legislators directly.
In the coming months, SEMCOG would like to engage in a real-time discussion of the legislative issues that are impacting your communities. Finding opportunities to put you face-to-face with the elected leaders in Lansing and Washington that are leading on those issues. At the Executive Committee meeting earlier this month, we held a discussion to get feedback on how to engage you even more than we have in the past.
SEMCOG is planning to host sub-regional legislative meetings to move us toward this goal. With the new platform and the aforementioned strategic opportunity in mind, I will be working with SEMCOG staff to plan these sub-regional meetings. Please stay tuned for more information!
In the meantime, if you want to share legislative issues important to your community, please get in touch.
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