Sen. Anthony’s legislation would make progress on tackling pay inequities across the state
LANSING, Mich. (April 22, 2026) — Today, the Michigan Senate passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) to ban employers from requiring applicants to disclose information about their past pay, fringe benefits, credit report, or credit history. It would also ban employers from shutting down wage discussions in the workplace.
“Pay inequity makes the already serious affordability crisis even worse, undermining an individual’s ability to cover groceries, put gas in their tank, and keep up with rent,” said Sen. Anthony. “By ensuring employers make hiring decisions based on the things that matter — the skills, talent, and experience someone brings to the table as opposed to their personal financial background — we will set up Michigan workers to access the opportunities and pay they deserve.”
Senate Bill 145 would add Michigan to a growing list of states that already restrict the use of credit checks and salary history inquiries in employment-related decisions. When weighed by employers in the hiring process, this irrelevant information oftentimes leads to workers starting off underpaid in a new position or blocks them from being offered a meaningful opportunity in the first place.
“The passage of Senate Bill 145 is another hard-fought victory for workers across our great state,” said Ron Bieber, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “Everything is more expensive, jobs are drying up, and the last thing workers need are employers perpetuating low pay for people struggling to make it. Thank you to Sen. Sarah Anthony for leading the charge on this critical legislation. Now it goes to the Michigan House, and we urge lawmakers to vote YES.”
Introduced in previous sessions, this legislation was crafted from the best-practice recommendations of labor economists and civil rights groups and would align Michigan with national pay equity movements. By requiring employers to adopt fairer, more transparent hiring and compensation practices, Sen. Anthony’s bill would help tackle pay inequities statewide, ensuring our workers — especially women who are disproportionately impacted by these practices — can access the wages and opportunities they deserve.
“Michigan women earn 79 cents for every dollar earned by men — and for Black women, that drops to 67 cents compared to white male peers. Using salary history to determine pay is part of what leads to that gap, and it stifles individual women’s ability to advance in their careers and receive fair bonuses and benefits,” said Monique Stanton, President & CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “We’re grateful to Sen. Sarah Anthony and all those who worked to pass Senate Bill 145. It’s a commonsense tool that makes wages fairer, which has been shown in the 18 other states that have already implemented this type of salary history ban. We urge the Michigan House to do their part next and deliver this win for Michigan workers.”
This bill now heads to the House for further consideration.
###