Dear Neighbor,
It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of 2023, and my first full year serving as your Senator in the new eighth state Senate district. We’ve been busy! For some historical perspective, we passed more bills into law in the first six months of this term than the past six legislatures combined, a major feat for the first Democratic trifecta — with the state House, state Senate and Governorship all led by Democrats — since 1984.
Some of our most significant reforms: Sweeping gun violence prevention bills, expansion of our state civil rights act to explicitly protect LGBTQ residents and prevent discrimination based on natural hairstyles, putting our state on track to achieve 100% clean energy, repealing the “retirement tax” for seniors on a fixed income, quintupling the working families tax credit to lift hundreds of thousands of families out of poverty, expanding voting rights and access to the ballot, expanding childcare access, making historic investments in our education system and so much more.
If you ever need assistance navigating these changes, issues with various state departments or would like to share your feedback or suggestions, please contact my office via email at SenMMcMorrow@senate.michigan.gov or phone at (517) 373-2523.
Sincerely,
Mallory McMorrow
State Senator
District 8
Sweeping Gun Violence Prevention Reforms
In 2020, firearms surpassed auto accidents as the leading cause of child deaths. Despite years of effort by myself and Democratic colleagues, gun violence prevention legislation was consistently blocked by the previous Republican majority.
This year, the new Democratic majority delivered — passing the most sweeping gun violence prevention reforms in a generation into law, including universal background checks, safe firearm storage mandates, “red flag” laws and restrictions for individuals convicted of domestic violence.
I led the extreme risk protection order legislation, which I first introduced back in 2019. These “red flag” laws create a preventative tool for loved ones, judges and law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from those who are an immediate risk to themselves or others. This legislation took years of work to finally be signed into law, and I am grateful for the tireless advocates in our communities who helped make it happen.
Protecting Children from Lead Contaminated Water
Studies have shown that Michigan has some of the highest rates in the U.S. of children whose blood has shown elevated lead levels. Even low levels of lead can negatively affect children’s brains, impacting their intellectual development and academic achievement.
After bipartisan support in the House and Senate, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Filter First” bills into law on October 19, implementing the Clean Drinking Water Act. This requires Michigan schools and childcare centers to install bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets, develop a drinking water management plan and conduct routine sampling and testing. This legislation will help keep our children protected by ensuring on-tap filters where water is used for human consumption.
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act Expanded
Senate Bill 4 expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes from discrimination. This effort has been 50 years in the making and protects our LGBTQ+ family, friends, coworkers and neighbors against discrimination in employment, public accommodations and public services. It also provides protection in educational facilities, housing and real estate.
Additionally, we passed the CROWN Act into law. Led by Senator Sarah Anthony, this legislation protects residents from discrimination in the workplace based on wearing their natural hair. Such discrimination has disproportionately impacted Michiganders of color and the Black community.
Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare and Abortion Services
In 2022, a decisive majority of Michiganders voted to enshrine reproductive rights and access to abortion services as a constitutional right via Proposal 3. However, Michigan still had many laws on the books contradicting this new constitutional amendment. This year, we finally repealed our barbaric 1931 abortion ban — the “zombie law” —that had been on our books for nearly a century that was triggered when the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Additionally, we passed the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which removed several arbitrary and medically unnecessary hurdles that made it significantly harder for women to access reproductive healthcare and abortion services. The RHA now requires that all private insurance providers cover all pregnancy-related health care, including abortion. It also repealed the law requiring patients to receive politically driven and medically unnecessary documentation to receive abortion services and repealed arduous requirements on clinics that had previously forced many to close.
Together, these reforms ensure the will of the voters is upheld, and Michiganders will be able to access their constitutional right to reproductive healthcare without arbitrary hurdles.
Unique-in-the-Nation Drug Industry Immunity Eliminated
For decades, Michigan’s unique laws granted sweeping immunity to pharmaceutical companies, making it the sole state with blanket immunity, even for harm or death caused by their products. This not only harmed individuals but also barred the state from participating in class action lawsuits, resulting in the loss of millions in settlement funds.
Finally, this term, a bipartisan vote repealed this immunity, aligning Michigan with the rest of the country, granting people the right to sue companies for harm caused by their products.
Community-Based Approach to Economic Development
Recent headlines highlight the use of the SOAR Fund — Michigan’s largest incentive-based economic development tool — being used to secure businesses like Ford’s new battery plant in Marshall, GM’s Ultium battery plant in Lansing and a $7 billion investment in overhauling GM’s Orion Township assembly facility.
Despite successes, concerns persist about the program’s size, tensions between companies and communities and whether taxpayer dollars could yield a higher return elsewhere.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Economic and Community Development, I spearheaded efforts to reevaluate Michigan’s economic development strategy. Advocating for a more holistic approach, I proposed legislation to transform the SOAR Fund into the Make It In Michigan Fund. This reform mandates that large economic development deals allocate a minimum of 20% directly into the communities where companies choose to locate, fostering a more balanced investment in people and places, not solely in companies.
Shifting from simply providing cash to companies, this initiative aims to foster partnerships between companies and communities. These focused community investments could enhance childcare, housing, broadband access, transit options, workforce training programs and more. Michigan should capitalize on its economic momentum by adopting a holistic approach to attract and retain talent, emphasizing investment in our state’s greatest assets: its people and communities.
Clean Energy Future Package Puts Michigan on Path to 100% Clean Energy
Michiganders endure expensive, unreliable and environmentally harmful electricity. Metro Detroit witnesses these issues firsthand, exacerbated by more frequent extreme weather due to climate change.
The Clean Energy Future Package aims to address this by diversifying our energy portfolio with wind, solar and energy storage. We’ve also strengthened the Michigan Public Service Commission for better utility regulation and established the Just Transition Office, ensuring a smooth shift to a clean energy economy with a strong, unionized workforce.
Collectively, the Clean Energy Future Package will:
- Put Michigan on a path to 100% clean energy by 2040;
- Increase opportunities for rooftop solar;
- Set an energy storage standard of 2,500 MW by 2030 to stabilize the grid and increase reliability;
- Require a minimum of 25% of energy efficiency spending to be targeted to low-income communities;
- Enhance Michigan Public Service Commission’s regulatory authority to assess utility plans, prioritizing affordability for low-income residents, environmental justice communities and public health in long-term plan approvals; and
- Create the Office of Worker and Community Economic Transition to assist workers and communities in the transition to clean energy — ensuring strong economic opportunities and labor protections.
Lowering MI Costs
This year, the Michigan Senate sent the biggest tax relief package in decades — the Lowering MI Costs plan — to the desk of Gov. Whitmer, who signed the bills into law on March 7. The package includes:
- Repealing the so-called “retirement tax” for seniors on a fixed income;
- Expanding the Working Families Tax Credit;
- And establishing the first permanent funding for affordable housing and community revitalization in state history.
The retirement tax will be phased out over four years and will ultimately put an average of $1,000 back in the pockets of 500,000 households statewide. The plan equalizes the exemption on both public and private retirement income. Learn more at Michigan.gov/taxes.
By expanding the Working Families Tax Credit to 30% of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, 700,000 Michiganders — those who have the hardest time affording the basics — will see an average of $3,150 back in their pockets.
The plan also invests $50 million of surplus tax revenue in the state’s Housing and Community Development Fund — which prioritizes projects offering veterans, seniors, people with disabilities and working families safe, affordable places to call home.
Vintage License Plates Will Return
Representing a district anchored by Woodward Avenue, I know just how much we Michiganders love our cars and car culture. I introduced legislation to bring back three iconic license plates from Michigan’s past: the black plate with white text originally available in 1979, the blue plate with white text originally available in 1983, and — to celebrate the United States’ semi-quincentennial (250th year) coming up in 2026 — the red, white, and blue Bicentennial plate originally available in 1976.
These optional vintage-inspired plates would be available for an additional $50 fee which would go to our state’s transportation fund — allowing you to help your car look its absolute best while raising funds to help fix our roads without raising taxes.
In 2022, Michiganders overwhelmingly supported Proposal 2, a constitutional amendment that, like Proposal 3, required legislative action for implementation. As a member of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee, I played a crucial role in ensuring vital reforms to protect voting rights and enhance ballot security.
The newly enacted measures include:
- Providing at least 9 days of early in-person voting;
- Allowing voters a one-time registration for a mailed absentee ballot in all future elections;
- Ensuring prepaid postage for all absentee ballots;
- Expanding acceptable IDs for voting to include US passport, tribal ID, military ID or student ID;
- Providing one ballot drop box per 15,000 residents;
- Updating the state’s ballot-tracking system for opt-in text or email alerts on ballot status, and allow for mistakes to be corrected.
Additional legislation further expanded voting rights by:
- Repealing the ban on providing paid or discounted rides to polling places;
- Allowing pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds; and
- Automatically registering previously incarcerated individuals upon release.
Increasing Government Transparency
In 2022, voters also supported Proposal 1, requiring public financial disclosure by elected officials to prevent conflicts of interest. Michigan, previously lacking such requirements, now ensures state lawmakers, the governor, attorney general, secretary of state and candidates for these offices disclose:
- Sources of income or assets above $1000;
- Significant liabilities;
- Positions held in a business, non-profit, educational institution or union;
- Future employment agreements;
- Spouse’s occupation, employer; and
- Lobbyists’ gifts or travel.
Additionally, this year, bipartisan legislation passed, making the governor and legislature subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Oversight Committee, I remain committed to advancing transparency and ethics in state government, including potential reforms to campaign finance laws, lobbying regulations and more.
Bringing Critical Funding Back to our Communities
My colleagues and I passed a historic $81.7 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2024 which went into effect on October 1. This transformative budget prioritizes Michigan residents, addressing kitchen-table issues such as affordable housing, nutritious food access, student resources, fair pay, job training, infrastructure repairs, water quality and environmental protection. It aims to improve the lives of Michiganders and secure the state’s future with equitable investments.
I was proud to help secure nearly $40 Million in additional funding for several important projects here in District 8. Some highlights include:
- Marygrove Conservancy Renovations — $10,000,000
- Royal Oak Downtown Parking Garage Improvements — $600,000
- Pleasant Ridge Water Infrastructure Improvements — $1,800,000
- Berkley Community Center — $380,000
- Coleman Young School Building Repairs — $6,500,000
- Ferndale Recreation Center Construction Project — $500,000
- FLICS School Building Repairs — $5,000,000
- Huntington Woods Pedestrian School Crossing — $100,000
- Oak Park Community Event Hub — $2,000,000
The budget process was informed by meaningful conversations with residents, local leaders, small business owners and organizations from our community. To learn more about the 2024 budget, visit senatedems.com/blog/2023/10/06/transformational-state-budget.
Statewide Investments
Some notable highlights from our “Budget for the People” include:
- Providing a 5% increase in per-pupil funding for a total of $9,608 per pupil — the highest level in history — to support our kids as the future of our state.
- Making 5,600 more free Pre-K slots available this Fall, saving families $10,000 a year and providing more Michigan children the opportunity to develop social and academic skills.
- Investing $416 million to fund the repair of local roads and $80 million to replace or rehabilitate crumbling bridges.
- Supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs and farmers, and encouraging greater diversity and representation in all our state’s important industries.
- Doubling support to conservation districts to protect and improve our air, land and water.
- Expanding the eligibility age for Michigan Reconnect, making a tuition-free associate degree or skills training available to 350,000 more Michiganders.
- Providing $400 million to provide safety professionals and first responders with the resources they need to keep our families and communities safe.
- Implementing gun violence prevention policies, and funding programs and services to tackle root causes of crime and reduce recidivism.
