Michigan Becomes the Anti-Florida

April 8, 2023

As a tidal wave of unproductive culture wars sweep the nation, from abortion crackdowns and anti-trans bills to banning books and defunding public schools, one state has been a consistent beacon of hope: Michigan. Under the leadership of a newly anointed Democratic trifecta, the state has transformed itself into a bastion of hope for millions. 

For the first time in 40 years, the state legislature and governor’s mansion are controlled by Democrats, who are putting their majority for the people to work. In a sense, Michigan has become the anti-Florida. Whereas Florida is creating refugees through its oppressive culture war policies enacted under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, while refusing to solve real issues, Michigan is serving as a refuge and getting on with the job of serving the people. 

This has been embodied in six priorities: repealing the right to work law, bringing back the prevailing wage, expanding civil rights, protecting reproductive rights, expanding the tax credit for working families and repealing the pension tax for seniors. On top of this, several gun safety bills were passed on an emergency basis. 

“It’s a good day in Michigan,” said Democratic State Sen. Dayna Polehanki of Livonia. 

Protecting workers

Possibly the most powerful statement that the legislature has made is the repeal of Michigan’s unpopular right to work law (the first time this has been done in 50 years) that has detrimentally affected worker protections and has gutted unions in a state that had been the center of American industry and economic empowerment for the working class. Through the repeal of this oppressive right to work law, a cradle of America’s labor movement has paved the way for a national revitalization of organized labor. Once thought to be untouchable, right-to-work legislation has been revealed to be anything but.

Changes are also coming for those working on state projects with the restoration of Michigan’s prevailing wage law. Improved benefits and pay will be put in place for all who work on state-funded projects. This will then lead to higher worker satisfaction and Michigan attracting more interest in contracting bids now that the state of Michigan will be much more worker-friendly.

You can read more about that here.

Saving lives

After a series of devastating mass shootings struck the state, Democrats acted, passing a series of gun safety bills to stop the senseless killing of Michiganders. 

A major package of well-targeted gun safety laws have made Michigan a national leader in gun violence prevention. Unfortunately, this legislation came too late for victims of the Oxford High School and Michigan State University shootings that (along with determined advocates) caused this legislation to move to the top of the priority list once the trifecta took power. Michigan has learned from the past. 

Gun safety was not on the party’s list of six priorities and was instead slated to be addressed later in the spring. However, with continued pressure from the public, the majority for the people proved that they listen to those they serve. 

You can read more about that here. 

Expanding civil rights

After decades of trying, Michigan’s expansive Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, already one of the most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation in the nation, has been successfully amended, to include protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

This followed the lead of the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled last July that the ELCRA’s protections applied to the LGBTQ+ community in Rouch World LLC et al v. Michigan Department of Civil Rights et al, when Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel successfully argued for that outcome.

Codifying this important ruling into law is both a massive symbolic statement of support for a community that has increasingly borne the brunt of unfair attacks across the nation from those seeking to impose a rigid ideology upon them while also ensuring that people will have explicitly written legal protections under the law, rather than court rulings, which could change over time.

In another massive victory, Michigan’s archaic and cruel 1931 abortion ban was repealed by the new majority, with Ms. Whitmer signing the measure on April 5.

Michigan’s massive Democratic landslide in 2022 was seen largely as a mandate for Democrats to protect reproductive freedom, with the most wide-ranging constitutional amendment of its kind, protecting it and a host of related freedoms, and overturning the 1931 ban, passing along with Democratic victories up and down the ballot. Wednesday’s repeal was symbolic, but of enormous significance.

Relief for families and seniors

One of the least glamorous but most effective set of priorities that has been enshrined into law is the tax relief for working families and seniors that Democrats have put into Michigan statute.

Whereas Republicans called for Michiganders to magically pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Democrats are actually sending relief to help families adjust to rising costs and a higher standard of living.

Now, working families will benefit from an expanded tax credit, while seniors will benefit from the repeal of Michigan’s punishing pension tax. This will result in savings of $1 billion in total.

By axing the pension tax, $1,000 per year will be put into the hands of 500,000 households.

The quintupling of the Working Families Tax Credit will deliver an average combined tax refund of $3,150 to 700,000 families, and roughly one million children in Michigan – half of all children in the state.

No longer will Michigan be a playground for the rich while everyday people are left behind. Relief for families is coming, instead of millionaire bailouts in the form of tax breaks and school vouchers without accountability. In fact, the über-rich, out of touch DeVos family are fleeing Michigan, where they realize that the people have rejected their outlandishly extremist ideology in favor of common sense.

“​​Betsy DeVos had to pack up her toys and go home. Essentially, when the trifecta happened, it put a stop to any of her long-standing efforts to voucherize Michigan,” said Ms. Polehanki, who chairs the Michigan Senate Education Committee.

Just the beginning

The people of the great state of Michigan are not yet done having a government that works for them. While all six priorities of Michigan’s Democratic majorities for the people are now signed into law, along with transformational gun safety laws, the state’s great transition is now turning to the next phase. More legislation that supports the people is on its way. While it may seem like there is no more legislation to pass, the fact remains that Michigan’s previous Republican leadership left behind a litany of problems caused by four consecutive decades of Republican control of at least one part of Michigan’s legislature.

“There’s more to come in terms of next level repeals and then we hope to also add legislation into place that Republicans have ignored for the last 40 years that they had power in the legislature,” said Ms. Polehanki.

Michigan is finally coming into the 21st century, buoyed by leadership that actually works for the people. Policies that actually fit the moment will keep on coming, supported by the vast majority of Michiganders.

This is what democracy looks like.

The Michigan State Capitol. San906 / Public Domain

By Charles Horowitz