MLC Insider Intelligence: May 22, 2026
Michigan Legislative Consultants
Weekly Recap: The House and Senate held session and committee hearings Tuesday through Thursday.
Budget Update: The House and Senate have each passed their versions of the state budget. Several areas of difference are continuing to be negotiated between the chambers and the executive office.
House Votes to Repeal Property Tax: The House voted along near party lines to pass major reforms to various taxes in Michigan. 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: Introduced by members of the House Republican Caucus, most notably, the bill eliminates the 6-mil state-collected property tax. The plan also eliminates the real estate transfer tax and the remaining personal property taxes on businesses and utilities. It requires natural gas and electric utility companies to pass down savings they will receive through personal property tax reforms in the most recent tax year to customers. Additionally, utilities would not be able to file for rate increases for two years after the savings are distributed.
Revenue Impact: When the package was first introduced in April, it included House Bill 5880, which imposes an excise tax on certain services. This bill was meant to replace the revenue loss to local governments. This bill remains before the House Government Operations Committee. The bill is tie-barred to the remaining package, meaning that in order for the other bills to take effect, this bill must also pass, or the bills would need to be amended to remove the tie-bar.
Senate Committee Reports Voting Rights Act: The Senate Elections and Ethics Committee reported a bill package creating the Michigan Voting Rights Act in Michigan. Supporters of the legislation state that it will establish state-level protections, ensuring Michigan voters have the right to free, fair, and transparent elections.
Legislation: The bill package would prohibit voter denial, dilution, and/or suppression and provide remedies for violations and create a nonpartisan and transparent voter institute and database to provide a center for research, training, and information on voting systems and election administration, with easy-to-access information in one location. Additionally, it requires and expands the jurisdictions that must translate election-related information into languages other than English and enhances and clarifies protections for voters with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance to vote.
Background: The bills are reintroductions from the prior term, which passed the Senate but didn’t receive a vote in the House of Representatives. The legislation was developed with input from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and numerous advocacy organizations such as the NAACP Michigan State Conference and the Brennan Center for Justice.
Legislature Approves Supplemental: The Senate voted this week to appropriate $152 million in state funding to build two new runways at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. According to proponents of the supplemental, state funding is needed to ensure the 2028 deadline agreed to by federal and state officials is met, stating that relying solely on funding from the federal government would risk delays that could jeopardize the project. The bill will be sent to the governor for her signature.
Key Points: Governor Whitmer and President Trump announced the expansion in April 2025, in agreement with the U.S. Department of War. Approximately 20 F-15EXs will be stationed at the base, in addition to the already planned KC-46As, which the base is set to receive. At the time of the announcement, the Department of War said the F-15EXs would begin arriving in FY28. The base, which is located in Macomb County, contributes an estimated $850 million to Michigan’s economy, supporting 30,000 jobs statewide. Additionally, Selfridge supports Michigan’s defense industry, which contributes $30 billion to the state’s economy and supports approximately 166,000 jobs.
Importance: On passage of the legislation, Governor Whitmer stated, “Today’s funding is a huge, bipartisan win for Michigan that will grow our economy and make our country safer. Since securing a new F15-EX fighter mission last year, I’ve been working closely with our federal partners and Congressional delegation to prepare Selfridge with upgrades to runways and taxiways. But we needed state funding to ensure the base will be ready for new aircraft to start arriving by 2028.”
Senate Votes to Codify Childcare Program: This week, the Michigan Senate voted to codify the Tri-Share program, which aims to make childcare more affordable for families and more sustainable for childcare professionals.
Key Points: Introduced by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, the bill codifies the bipartisan program, Tri-Share, that splits the cost of childcare equally among employers, the state, and employees. Additionally, it ties the childcare reimbursement rate to inflation to provide certainty and consistency to providers and updates licensing requirements for childcare centers. The bill package was referred to the House Families and Veterans Affairs Committee for consideration.
Importance: “Michigan’s childcare crisis has put a strain on families, employers, and providers alike,” said SenatorAnthony. “By lowering the cost of childcare and reducing bureaucratic barriers for providers, we are tackling this issue head-on, delivering crucial support to strengthen a system that Michigan families and economy depend on.”
Spotlight on Senator Joe Bellino: Senator Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) is serving his first term in the Michigan Senate. Prior to that, he served three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives. Prior to the legislature, he served on the Board of Trustees at Monroe County Community College for 15 years, including as board chair. He’s owned and operated Broadway Market for almost 23 years. Before opening his business, he worked in the family beer and wine distributorship.
District: Senator Bellino represents the 16th Michigan Senate District, which includes most of Monroe, Lenawee, and Hillsdale counties.
Committees:
Transportation and Infrastructure, minority vice chair
Energy and Environment
Regulatory Affairs
We asked Senator Bellino a few questions to learn more about him:
What’s your favorite travel destination outside of Michigan?
A – Pinehurst, NC, is my favorite place outside of my beloved 16th. The men that helped me get sober were golfers and Pinehurst was an annual spring trip they took. I fell in love with the area and the men that saved my life.
What’s your favorite hobby other than politics?
A – I have 7 grandkids who are our pride and joy. But golfing is my passion. I can relax and not be burdened by state government while on the course.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A – I wanted to work with my dad in the beer and wine business. But as I got older, theatre became a passion. I received a drama scholarship at community college and dreamed of Broadway or Hollywood. Drugs and alcohol curtailed that dream. So 22 years later, I bought Broadway Market and I lived on Hollywood Drive! God has a way of answering our prayers!
What’s your favorite game to play or sport to watch and/or play?
A – Baseball is my jam, I played until I was 23 in High School, Community College, and adult leagues. I played in college with one pro, Bill Laskey, a Toledo boy who played 7 years in the bigs. Eight of my teammates were D-1 baseball players. I played all outfield positions, CF and LF the most. And one glorious day I played 2nd base in a college doubleheader. Long story but I realized that day, I preferred OF!!
Next Week: In observance of Memorial Day, MLC will be closed on Monday, May 25. The House and Senate are not scheduled to hold session. Many members will be on Mackinac Island for the annual Detroit Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference. The conference runs May 26 through May 29.
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.
9th House District Primary Election Overview: Former Speaker of the House, Representative Joe Tate, made the decision not to run for a fifth term in the Michigan House of Representatives. This district has a strong 95% Democratic base and the candidate who wins this packed democrat primary is all but assured to win in November. Arther Harrington received the endorsement of Representative Tate, which should help him stand out in the crowded race, but with nine Democrats on the ballot, this will be a primary election to watch closely as we head toward August.
District Overview: The district includes portions of the City of Detroit in Wayne County.
Democratic Candidates:
Willie Burton – Former Detroit Board of Police Commissioner.
Anthony Eid – Former Independent Citizens Redistricting Commissioner, senior director of public policy at Community Development Advocates of Detroit.
Darryl Ervin – Nonprofit founder, former Michigan Senate staffer and financial analyst.
Arther Harrington – Law student at Wayne State University Law School, worked on Capitol Hill and for the Detroit City Council.
Bryant Hepp – Social worker and urban planner.
Karriem Holman – Environmental advocate.
Patricia Hurt
Toni Mua – Entrepreneur and advocate.
Rick Silva
11th House District Primary Election Overview: Representative Donavan McKinney opted to run in the 13th U.S. House of Representatives district instead of a third term in the Michigan House of Representatives. Like many in the region, this district has a strong 87% Democratic base, and the primary race is the one to watch this year.
District Overview: This district comprises portions of Wayne and Macomb Counties, including a portion of the City of Detroit.
Democratic Candidates:
Cranstana Gina Brown Anderson
Kimberly Fisher
Michael Howard – Macomb County Commissioner, founder/owner of a small furniture business.
15th House District Primary Election Overview: This seat is open after Representative Erin Byrnes decided to forego a third term and run instead in the Michigan Senate. The district has a 61% Democratic base, meaning whoever wins that primary race is all but assured to win in the general election. Former Representative Gary Worochak is running for a fourth term in the Michigan House, following recent changes to the state’s term limit laws.
District Overview: This southeast Michigan district includes portions of Dearborn Heights and the City of Dearborn.
Democratic Candidates:
Jalal Abdallah – Attorney
Leslie Herrick – Dearborn City Council President Pro Tem
Gary Woronchak – Former state representative, Wayne County Commissioner, and newspaper editor
29th House District Primary Election Overview: Republican Representative James DeSana is running for a third term in this seat and will face the winner of the two-way Democratic primary race. The district slightly favors the Democratic Party, which has a 52% base.
District Overview: The district includes portions of Monroe and Wayne Counties, including parts of Monroe, Taylor, and Romulus, the village of Carleton, Ash and Huron Townships, and a portion of Frenchtown Township.
Democratic Candidates:
Darian Counts
Rich Li