LANSING, Mich. (Oct. 16, 2025) — Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety passed bipartisan legislation spearheaded by Sens. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), and Roger Victory (R-Hudsonville) to deliver balanced, fair, and serious solutions to the opioid public health crisis facing Michigan.
“Today’s laws must reflect today’s realities, and what we know now as lawmakers and as a society about opioids and addiction has changed enormously in the past decade,” said Sen. Chang, Chair of the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety. “We are one step closer to right-sizing how our criminal justice system handles drug-related crimes — both in addressing the seriousness of fentanyl and creating more appropriate sentences for less deadly substances. By doing so, we move towards solving Michigan’s opioid crisis and building a state that is safer for all. I am grateful to former colleagues David LaGrand and Graham Filler, as well as Senators Sarah Anthony and Roger Victory, for their valued partnership on this balanced, bipartisan legislation, and am thrilled to see it move forward.”
To address the opioid epidemic in Michigan through effective solutions and appropriate, proportional sentencing policies, Senate Bills 430–432 would reform and right-size how the state’s criminal justice system responds to a variety of drug-related crimes. By creating proportional penalties for drug crimes, such as increasing punishments involving the illegal manufacture, sale, delivery, or possession of fentanyl, heroin, carfentanil, and other opioids, while instituting more appropriate sentences for less dangerous substances, this legislation aims to protect Michiganders from the irreparable harm caused by opioids from continuing. They would also make critical updates to our law based on current science and reality.
“The opioid epidemic remains one of Michigan’s most urgent public health challenges,” said Sen. Anthony. “This legislative package provides another critical tool in our effort to respond with policies grounded in science, compassion, and evidence-based strategies. I’ve seen the impact of this crisis across our communities and have prioritized this work since my time in the House. I’m proud to work alongside colleagues from both parties to advance these reforms and ensure we’re using every resource available to confront this crisis head-on.”
“Fentanyl and other opioids continue to devastate families and communities around the state, underscoring the need to tackle this crisis head-on through a swift and smart approach,” said Sen. Victory. “Through creating proportional penalties for drug-related crimes and entrusting the knowledge and expertise of our judges to impose fair sentences, we can make real progress in getting these dangerous drugs off our streets and keep our kids and communities safe.”
“I am proud of our legislators for bringing our drug laws into alignment with good policy,” said David LaGrand, Mayor of Grand Rapids and former State Representative. “Our drug laws should reflect an evaluation of the harm caused by the drug, not legacy penalties that don’t help our law enforcement agencies focus on making our communities safer.”
“Safe & Just Michigan applauds this bipartisan effort to rebalance Michigan’s drug sentencing laws in response to public concern about fentanyl without resort to failed, one-size-fits-all policies like mandatory minimum sentences,” said John Cooper, Executive Director of Safe & Just Michigan. “To end the opioid epidemic, we need to learn from past mistakes, not repeat them.”
These bills build on the previous efforts of Senate Democrats to address Michigan’s opioid crisis through a package of comprehensive legislation introduced earlier this summer. They now head to the Senate floor for consideration.