MLC Insider Intelligence: July 10, 2026
Michigan Legislative Consultants
Weekly Recap: The House and Senate began their lighter summer schedule, and neither session nor committees were held.
Supreme Court Denies Appeal Over Legislation: Following oral arguments in May, the Michigan Supreme Court let a lower court ruling stand on the issue of presenting passed legislation to the governor. At the end of 2025, Michigan House Republicans appealed a Court of Appeals (COA) decision requiring them to present all legislation that passes both chambers to the governor. In the appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, they argued that the Senate lacked standing and raised a separation-of-powers concern regarding the COA ruling. Under the most recent decision, the COA decision will stand, and the House of Representatives will be required to present the bills to Governor Whitmer for her consideration.
Background: Nine bills passed both the House and Senate at the end of 2024 but weren’t presented to the governor before the end of the previous Speaker of the House’s term. Typically, all legislation passed by both chambers would have been presented before a change in House leadership. When Speaker Matt Hall (R-Kalamazoo) assumed his leadership role in January 2025, he declined to present them to Governor Whitmer until a legal review was completed. On behalf of the Michigan Senate, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) filed a legal challenge in the Michigan Court of Claims. The Court ruled that the House must present the bills to the governor but declined to set a timeframe for compliance. However, the House did not follow that ruling. In October 2025, the COA agreed with the Court of Claims, finding the Michigan Constitution requires that after a bill passes both chambers, it must be presented to the governor for final consideration.
Legislation: The legislation in question addresses health care costs for teachers and first responders, as well as retirement benefits for corrections officers. Additionally, it allows property tax millages for historical museums.
Campaign Finance Reforms Announced: Last week, bicameral legislation was introduced in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC. In the 2010 decision, the Court ruled that government restrictions on political expenditures by corporations, labor unions, and other associations are a violation of the First Amendment. Michigan is joining 13 other states in introducing similar legislation with the same intent in response to the ruling.
Key Points: Introduced by Senator Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) and Representative Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), the proposal regulates corporate spending in Michigan’s elections. It explicitly states that corporations, non-profits, and limited liability companies cannot pay, contribute, or expend money or anything of value in support of or opposition to a candidate, political party, political committee, or ballot questions. The package includes two joint resolutions that propose codifying this change in the Michigan Constitution.
Next Steps: The Senate legislation was referred to the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee for consideration. The House legislation was referred to the House Election Integrity Committee for consideration.
MPSC Launches Public Information App: The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) unveiled a new web application that gives the public the ability to dive into utility reliability data. It aims to provide customers, advocates, researchers, businesses, and any interested person access to a transparent, easy-to-use tool for tracking and analyzing utility performance at a first-in-the-nation level of detail online.
Key Points: The app allows a ZIP Code-level view of data for Michigan’s two largest electric utilities, DTE Electric Co. and Consumers Energy Co., which combined serve more than 80% of Michigan customers. The Commission is working with other utilities to add their data. The app provides data to help identify trends and locate areas seeing disproportionate numbers of outages.
MPSC: The mission of the Michigan Public Service Commission is to serve the public by ensuring safe, reliable, and accessible energy and telecommunications services at reasonable rates. The Commission is composed of three members appointed by the governor to serve staggered six-year terms. No more than two Commissioners may represent the same political party. One commissioner is designated as chairman by the governor.
DOJ Monitoring Elections in Michigan: The United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division announced its plan to have election monitors present at polling locations in three Michigan cities. The three cities, Detroit, East Lansing, and Lansing, are all majority-Democratic areas in the state. In response, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel issued statements touting the success and accuracy of Michigan’s elections. City officials from Detroit, East Lansing, and Lansing will respond to the DOJ independently.
Key Points: The letters sent to the municipalities stated DOJ monitors will be present for the August 2026 primary election. The department states the reason for oversight is due to long lines, a lack of provisional ballots, and concerns over Voter Accessible Terminals during the 2024 General Election.
Monitors: Federal election monitors are routine observers of the election process and must follow all local, county, and state laws. Neither the election monitoring nor federal observer program gives the DOJ authority to interfere with state or local administration of elections or to demand the production of documents or hands-on access to voting equipment or election materials.
Report Issued on Safety of Mackinac Bridge: The Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) shared a recent report from its consulting firm that confirms the bridge is at a lower risk of collapse due to a vessel collision than nationally established thresholds. The study was submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in March, and the MBA reviewed the study conclusions this week at its meeting.
Background: Following the March 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by a container ship, the NTSB called on owners of 68 bridges to evaluate the structures for risk of collapse. The NTSB asked the bridge owners to conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of collapse.
Key Points: The NTSB recommended owners calculate the annual frequency of collapse of their bridges using specific industry guidelines. The total annual frequency of collapse refers to the risk of structural failure, in this case, due to a collision. The Mackinac Bridge’s annual frequency of collapse was well below the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials limit. By comparison, the NTSB found that the Key Bridge was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges.
Spotlight on Representative Kelly Breen: Representative Kelly Breen (D-Novi) is serving her third term in the Michigan House of Representatives. Prior to her election to the House, she had held a number of roles, including attorney and activist. She previously served on the Novi City Council. Representative Breen earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University James Madison School, and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School.
District: The 21st House District includes parts of Farmington, Farmington Hills, Northville, Novi, and South Lyon.
Committees
Finance
Judiciary
We asked Representative Breen a few questions to learn more about her:
What’s your favorite travel destination outside of Michigan?
A – It’s a tie between our annual family Cedar Point trip and any State Park we camp at! Favorites to date include Harrisville, Waterloo, and Brimley State Parks.
What’s your favorite hobby other than politics?
A – Petty gossiping and camping.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A – I wanted to be a teacher and maybe I’ll try that when I’m done with politics.
What’s your favorite game to play or sport to watch and/or play?
A – Soccer, I played for over 20 years. There’s nothing better than getting together with your girlfriends and kicking the crap out of something!
Next Week: The House has scheduled its typical Tuesday – Thursday session schedule. The Senate has scheduled session for Wednesday, July 15.
Leading up to the August 4 primary, we are highlighting key races shaped by voter demographics in the district. Candidate websites and professional backgrounds are listed when available.
10th Senate District Primary Election Overview: seat open. The district has a 68.5% Democratic base, making that primary the key race to watch in this seat. Current Representative Natalie Price is running, facing two opponents in the primary, neither of whom has held public office.
District Overview: The 10th Michigan Senate District includes Center Line and portions of Sterling Heights, Warren, and Detroit.
Democratic Candidates:
Mark Anthony Murphy Jr
Natalie Price – State representative, former Berkley City Councilmember and teacher.
Amanda Treppa – Works at Detroit Action, former actress.
12th Senate District Primary Election Overview: Democratic Senator Kevin Hertel is running for his second term in the Senate, after previously serving three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives. While he doesn’t face any opponents in the primary race, he will face the winner of the Republican primary in November in this near 50-50 split-base district.
District Overview: The 12th Michigan Senate District includes Algonac, Chesterfield Township, Clay Township, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Harper Woods, Harrison Township, Ira Township, Mount Clemens, New Baltimore, and St. Clair Shores, and portions of Clinton Township.
Republican Candidates:
Joseph Backus
Patrick Biange
John Goldwater – Oil and gas entrepreneur.
Eileen Tesch – Attorney, former Mayor of Algonac.
Shelley Wright – Small business owner.
13th Senate District Primary Election Overview: After serving two terms in the Senate, Democratic Senator Rosemary Bayer decided not to run for reelection, leaving this seat open. This November, the Democratic candidate will have a slight advantage with a base of 53.6%. Former State Representative Ryan Berman is running uncontested in the Republican primary and will face the winner of the Democratic primary in November.
District Overview: The 13th Michigan Senate District includes Keego Harbor, Northville, Northville Township, Novi, Orchard Lake Village, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Sylvan Lake, Walled Lake, West Bloomfield Township, and portions of Commerce Township, Farmington Hills, and Novi Township.
Democratic Candidates:
DC Anderson
Sean Carlson – Attorney, former Oakland County Deputy Executive, Veteran.
Cecil George – Small business owner.
15th Senate District Primary Election Overview: Democratic Senator Jeff Irwin is term-limited and cannot run for reelection, leaving this seat open. The seat has a strong 70.8% Democratic base, making that primary key to who will represent this district next year.
District Overview: The 15th Michigan Senate District includes August Township, Bridgewater Township, Clinton Township, Macon Township, Manchester, Manchester Township, Milan, Pittsfield Township, Saline, Saline Township, Superior Township, Tecumseh, Tecumseh Township, York Township, Ypsilanti, and Ypsilanti Township, and portions of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township, Lodi Township, and Milan Township.
Democratic Candidates:
Felicia Brabec – Former State Representative and member of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, clinical psychologist, and small business owner.
Michael White – Army Veteran, nonprofit owner, works in management at AT&T.