MLC Insider Intelligence: May 8, 2026
Michigan Legislative Consultants
Weekly Recap: Neither the House nor Senate held session this week.
Budget Update: The House and Senate have each passed their versions of the state budget. Several areas of difference are continuing to be negotiated on between the chambers and the executive office.
Beyond the Bio – Meet Emily Simmons
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I often flip-flopped between wanting to be a teacher or a Senator. In college, I realized neither would ever be for me; the lobby corps was where I felt most drawn.
What is your favorite activity to unwind from work?
Immediately upon leaving the office, I turn the car radio up to max volume and blast rock music on my drive home. I try to wait until I’m out of the parking garage to start this ritual, but sometimes it just can’t be helped – my drive home is only seven minutes after all!
If you were to give a TED Talk, what would it be on and why?
I don’t think I’m qualified to be a professional voice on the subject, but I would have tons of fun giving a TED Talk on the science of sleep. It’s totally random, but endlessly fascinating, and a topic I weirdly have a lot of niche knowledge on. I once gave a 40-minute presentation on the subject in my high school speech class, and I repeated it in college.
Who are three people, living or past, that you would most want to have dinner with?
This is very Gen-Z of me, but it’s my honest answer.: Timothee Chalamet, Conan Gray, and maybe Maya Hawke. I believe if I had an honest shot with these three, I could form the best friend group of all time.
What skills are most important in your role?
People skills! You can’t be shy in this job, and if you’re naturally more of an introvert, you absolutely must overcome it to succeed. Relationships are essential in our industry – without them, you won’t get far.
The ability to think strategically and to be creative. In a constantly changing political environment, being able to quickly pivot and easily adapt is the key to continued success.
Confidence. Lawmakers aren’t going to get on board for a bill with a wishy-washy advocate, and clients aren’t going to trust an uncertain consultant. Knowing an issue forward and backward is a must, but knowing how to fake it while you learn is an equally important skill!
How do you describe your job to someone outside of the industry?
Lobbyists are the lawyers of the legislature. I’m not an attorney, and as such, I wouldn’t want to walk into court without someone by my side who knows the system AND the relevant people. Similarly, for an outsider to the government, trying to pass legislation or secure an appropriation can be confusing at best, and completely ineffective at worst. Our role is to work alongside our clients to develop strategy, offer guidance, and open doors with the right people in order to ensure the best chance at success.
What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
This is something I’m still working to appreciate, but the last year has served as an important reminder of this: you don’t always have to have all the answers. What you do need to have are the critical thinking skills to respond to any problem, the wisdom to learn from past experiences, and the stamina to continue fighting for our clients and our issues for as long as it takes to achieve the best outcome.
What is one thing about MLC that makes us great?
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: our team! From our world-class operations team to the multitalented lobby team, it’s our people that make us great. I’m blessed to work alongside individuals with such a wide array of diverse knowledge and experiences, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new from one of them.
In particular, I love that each of our lobbyists has their own individual style. There isn’t a single one of us who works on an issue in the exact same way, and that’s what makes us strong, especially when we collaborate to develop new ideas and strategies for our clients.
Meet MLC lobbyist Emily Simmons in our rapid-fire Q&A
Legal Challenge Over Legislation Heard: This week, the Michigan Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge regarding 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.
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.
Challenged Legislation: The legislation in question deals with health care costs for teachers and first responders, in addition to retirement benefits for corrections officers. Additionally, it allows property tax millages for historical museums.
Workplace Boundaries Proposed: Legislation aimed at strengthening labor policies in Michigan was introduced this week. Introduced by Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), the bill creates the Workplace Employee Boundaries (WEB) Act. The goal is to modernize labor standards to respond to the ever-growing ubiquity of digital devices in our everyday lives.
Key Points: Under the proposal, an employer can’t require an employee to access or respond to work-related communication outside of regular work hours. The bill outlines exceptions, including state or federal emergency declarations, a notice to an on-call employee, and timely notices or alerts to all employees or to a subset of employees. An employer is prohibited from taking retaliatory action against an employee for not responding to communication outside of their work hours. If they are found to be in violation by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, an employer could be fined up to $500 for each violation of the act. Additionally, the employer would owe the employee compensation.
Importance: “Adopting these standards will improve employee well-being and increase long-term productivity. By safeguarding personal time, the bill promotes and fosters a more sustainable, stronger workforce. At the same time, employers benefit from clearer expectations, improved retention, and reduced turnover. By enacting the WEB Act, Michigan can position itself as a leader in forward-looking labor policy by recognizing the realities of modern work while promoting fairness, stability, and quality of life for all workers,” said Senator Geiss.
Secretary of State Details Election Firewall: Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson sent a letter to the Board of State Canvassers outlining policies and procedures of the Department of State and the Bureau of Elections to ensure a transparent and fair election process. Some have raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest due to her dual role as Secretary and candidate for governor.
Review: The letter followed a comprehensive review of all election administration policies in partnership with the nonpartisan Election Reformers Network. Michigan’s election system is one of the most decentralized in the country, with over 1,600 county, city, and township clerks responsible for administering elections, purchasing and testing equipment, and hiring bipartisan poll workers. Under Michigan Election Law, the independent, bipartisan Board of State Canvassers has the sole authority to certify election results for statewide and federal offices, for legislative districts that cross county lines, and for most judicial offices.
Procedure: The department is activating an official firewall procedure that mirrors past practice. Under this firewall, the Secretary will formally recuse herself from procedures that could affect the gubernatorial race and will delegate those responsibilities to the director of elections. This includes the following procedures, some of which are already under the purview of the Board of State Canvassers, including review of candidates’ affidavits of identity, post-election audits, declaratory rulings, and Michigan Campaign Finance Act complaint processing, among others.
Executive Office Staff Updates: Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced promotions and new hires for staff within the executive office.
Terry Krinvic, Deputy Chief of Staff – She previously served as director of scheduling in the executive office. Prior to joining the governor’s office, she advised a Chicago-based investor and philanthropist. From 2006 to 2018, she held a senior role with the Office of President William J Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.
Madison Ruffin, Director of Advance – Prior to her promotion, she served as deputy director of advance and scheduling specialist. She previously served as talent and surrogate scheduler on the governor’s 2022 reelection campaign.
AJ Marineau, Associate Legal Counsel – He previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement of the MI Supreme Court. Prior to law school, he served seven years in the United States Army.
Aditya Vedapudi, Associate Legal Counsel – He previously worked as an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton. Previously, he clerked for Judge Joshya Deahl on the D.C. Court of Appeals.
Jolie Lawrence, Legislative Advisor – She first joined the executive office in 2023 as the legislative coordinator. Before that, she worked for three State Senators.
Morrigan Potter, Legislative Coordinator – She previously worked for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and for the Michigan House of Representatives in member services.
Spotlight On Representative Amos O’Neal: Representative O’Neal (D-Saginaw) is serving his third term in the Michigan House of Representatives. He serves as chair of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus and as Region IX chair of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Prior to his election to the House, Representative O’Neal served thirteen years on the Saginaw City Council, including as Mayor Pro Tempore, and four years on the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners. He earned a business degree from Northwood University.
District: He represents the 94th Michigan House District, which includes Bridgeport Township, Buena Vista Charter Township, Carrollton Township, the City of Saginaw, Saginaw Township, and Spaulding Township.
Committees: Representative O’Neal serves as minority vice chair on the Corrections and Judiciary Subcommittee and the Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee. Additionally, he is a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Public Health Subcommittee.
We asked Representative O’Neal a few questions to learn more about him:
What’s your favorite travel destination outside of Michigan?
A – Arizona
What’s your favorite hobby other than politics?
A – Fishing
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A – A conservation officer
What’s your favorite game to play or sport to watch and/or play?
A – Basketball, football, track and field, and boxing
Next Week: The House and Senate are scheduled to hold their typical Tuesday-Thursday session schedule. The biannual Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference will be held in Lansing on Friday, May 15.
MLC Live! with Congressman John James: This week, we hosted an online forum with Michigan Congressman and Republican primary candidate for governor, John James. He shared some of his priorities if he is elected Michigan’s governor, including:
To address the housing shortage, he would focus on regulatory reform, the tort environment, and labor.
He would utilize targeted tax breaks for teachers and construction workers to address worker shortages in those sectors.
Focus on helping create job creators by ensuring a successful business environment and treating businesses and entrepreneurs like assets to the state.
His focus would be on retaining businesses, or bringing back businesses that recently left, rather than going after outside mega companies.