MLC Insider Intelligence: April 24, 2026
Michigan Legislative Consultants
Weekly Recap: The House and Senate held session on Tuesday and Wednesday. Committees met Tuesday through Thursday.
Budget Update: The House passed the general and education omnibus budgets. The Senate Appropriations Committee reported all budgets to the Senate floor.
Beyond the Bio – Meet Monica Martinez
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
In the 4th grade, I had my sights set on being a negligence defense attorney. My best friend wanted to be a doctor, and I thought she might get sued a lot, because she just seemed to always find herself in a mess for no reason.
What is your favorite activity to unwind from work?
Golf. I enjoy playing golf – whether it is on the simulator or outdoors. To unwind, I often need to focus, and nothing is better than having to get singularly focused. Plus, I love to constantly challenge myself.
If you were to give a TED Talk, what would it be on and why?
Business success out of my grandma’s tamale recipe.
Who are three people, living or past, that you would most want to have dinner with?
Prince Rogers Nelson
Amelia Earhart
John Maynard Keyes
What skills are most important in your role?
Communication and negotiation.
How do you describe your job to someone outside of the industry?
I’m a navigator. I help all types of clients just figure out how to navigate government. Sometimes this means understanding regulatory rules, other times it means understanding our legislative framework. Either way, my role is to help advise clients on how to navigate the system so they are heard.
What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Everything is circular.
What is one thing about MLC that makes us great?
We are focused on excellence for our clients and for government.
Meet Monica in our rapid-fire Q&A
State Budgets Move: This week, there was movement in both the House and Senate on the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1. To help finalize the state budget, the biannual May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference will be held on May 15 to finalize the projections for the upcoming fiscal year. There are a number of differences in the budgets that the two chambers and the administration will negotiate in the coming months.
House: In a late-night session on Wednesday, the House passed the omnibus and education omnibus budgets, totaling $75.8 billion. The budgets include $100 million for roads, $10 million for a Public Safety Trust Fund, and a $65 million increase to local government revenue sharing. Additionally, it increases per-pupil funding by $250, bringing the foundation allowance to $10,300.
Senate: The Senate Appropriations Committee finished reporting all individual budgets this week, sending them to the Senate floor for consideration. Similar to the House, the Senate is proposing a $250 per-pupil increase, bringing the foundation allowance to $10,300. Additionally, it proposes $150 million to provide bonuses to educators, $152 million for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and funding for the more than 200 problem-solving courts statewide.
Property Tax Cut Introduced: This week, a major property tax reform package aimed at lowering costs was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives. Nicknamed HELP US (House Effectively Lowering Property Taxes and Utility Payments), the sponsors state their plan will cut nearly $5 billion in property taxes and reduce utility bills by $1 billion statewide.
Key Points: Most notably, the proposal eliminates the 6-mil state-collected property tax. Additionally, it eliminates the real estate transfer tax, which is a fee paid at closing, and stipulates that the state’s School Aid Fund would be compensated for any revenue loss that may arise from eliminating the tax. The proposal eliminates the remaining personal property taxes on businesses and utilities and would require natural gas and electric utility companies to pass down the savings they will receive through personal property tax reforms in the most recent tax year to customers. Additionally, they would not be able to file for rate increases for two years after the savings are distributed.
Next Steps: The bills were referred to the House Government Operations Committee for consideration.
Senate Dems Announce Health Care Proposal: Members of the MichiganSenate Democratic Caucus announced a plan that aims to increase access to affordable health care statewide. Named the “Health Care You Can Afford,” it seeks to address rising medical costs, address the costs of prescription drugs, and react to federal policies.
Health Exchange: One of the largest aspects of the proposal creates a state-based health care exchange, providing more options for health insurance. This would transition the state away from the federally managed health insurance marketplace. Additionally, it would include a state reinsurance pool to help address rising premiums.
Key Points: Additionally, the proposal seeks to increase options for small businesses to shop for health insurance for their employees through association plans, which allow small businesses to band together, pool resources, and put together insurance options that reduce costs for employers and their staff. The plan also proposes establishing new state enhancements for Health Savings Accounts and ensuring hospitals remain open in rural communities.
Michigan Democrats Endorse Candidates: Members of the MichiganDemocratic Party came together last weekend to endorse candidates for this year’s midterm election in November. The races for Secretary of State and Attorney General are open, as both current officeholders are term limited.
Secretary of State: The party endorsed Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist as their candidate. He is serving his second and final term as Michigan’s lieutenant governor. Prior to elected office, he was a software engineer and served as the City of Detroit’s director of innovation.
Attorney General: Eli Savit received the endorsement for the race. He currently serves as Washtenaw County Prosecutor. Prior to that, he worked as senior legal counsel for the City of Detroit and a public school middle school teacher. After law school, he clerked for United States Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
MI Supreme Court: Two seats on the court are up for election this November. The party endorsed two current justices on the bench. Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh received one of the endorsements. She was first elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in 2018. Prior to that, she practiced appellate law and worked as a consultant evaluating environmental risk and property development. The second endorsement went to Justice Noah Hood. He was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in May 2025 for a partial term ending December 31, 2026. He is running for a full term. Prior to his appointment, he served on the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Third Judicial Circuit Court. Prior to his roles on the bench, he was a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Toledo and practiced commercial litigation in Detroit.
Changes to Appropriations Committee Announced: Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) announced a change to the Democratic members serving on the House Appropriations Committee. The House Appropriations Committee is at its busiest, working to craft the state budget for the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Added Member: Former Speaker, Representative Joe Tate (D-Detroit), was appointed minority vice chair (MVC) of the committee. That position had been vacant since Speaker Hall demoted the prior MVC, Representative Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn), last summer.
Member Removed: As a result of adding Representative Tate to the committee, Representative Natalie Price (D-Berkley) was removed from the committee.
Spotlight On Senator Lana Theis: Senator Theis (R-Brighton) is serving her second term in the Michigan Senate. Prior to her election to the Senate, she served two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives. Senator Theis also served as Brighton Township Treasurer from 2008 to 2014. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, from California State University.
District: Senator Theis represents the 22nd Senate District, which includes Livingston County and parts of Genesee, Ingham, Oakland, and Shiawassee counties.
Committees: She serves as minority vice chair on the LARA/DIFS Subcommittee, the Military, Veterans, and State Police Subcommittee, and the PreK-12 Subcommittee, and is a member of the DHHS Subcommittee. Additionally, she sits on the following policy committees: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protections, and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
We asked Senator Theis a few questions to learn more about her:
What’s your favorite travel destination outside of Michigan?
A – If I’m traveling for leisure, anyplace with palm trees and beaches.
What’s your favorite hobby other than politics?
A – I am very interested in studying history. I didn’t like it while I was in school, but I find it fascinating now.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A – I wanted to be a veterinarian, I love animals.
What’s your favorite game to play or sport to watch and/or play?
A – Unfortunately, I don’t play sportsball, but I do enjoy target practice.
Next Week: The House and Senate are scheduled to hold their typical Tuesday – Thursday session schedule.
Thank you to our clients for participating in our fundraisers for the Senate Democratic and Republican Caucuses! As this is an election year, they were both very appreciative of the support and time given by many of you.