On February 21, 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 4002, which, effective immediately, revise minimum wage, tip, and paid sick leave standards Michigan employers were expecting to take effect...more
Just as the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act was set to go into effect on February 21, 2025, the Michigan Legislature came to an agreement to revise the Act. The Bill (HB 4002) was promptly signed by Governor Whitmer and became...more
As the February 21, 2025 deadline looms for changes to Michigan’s minimum wage and earned sick time laws, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has suggested an extension as Senate Democrats and House Republicans have been unable to...more
The Uniform Power of Attorney Act (“UPOAA”) was signed into law by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on November 7, 2023. Taking effect on July 1, 2024, the UPOAA repeals and replaces the durable power of attorney provisions...more
Suspense builds as the end of the Michigan Supreme Court’s 2023-2024 term approaches quickly, with scores of argued appeals still unresolved. The 40 appeals that remain undecided reveal interesting trends in the court’s...more
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed bipartisan bills that were proposed to address significant patterns of violence against Michigan’s health care professionals and medical volunteers. Roughly half of emergency room...more
On November 28, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Michigan’s House Bill 5120 and House Bill 5121, which amend the Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act and Zoning Enabling Act, respectively,...more
On Nov. 28, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law energy legislation passed by the House and Senate earlier this month. The law will address Governor Whitmer’s 2023 “MI Healthy Climate” initiative, and make...more
On November 22, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen E. Whitmer signed into law two bills (SB 395 & SB 396) reforming the teacher and school administrator evaluation processes at K-12 schools. The new legislation introduces...more
On November 7, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Michigan’s House Bill 4644, which enacts the Uniform Power of Attorney Act (UPOAA). This legislation will be effective on July 1, 2024, and is intended to:...more
On March 24, 2023, Governor Whitmer signed into law a bill reinstituting Michigan’s Prevailing Wage Act (the “Act”) that will take effect in March of 2024. Previously, a prevailing wage law was in effect in Michigan from 1965...more
On July 18, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a series of bills that will dramatically update the state’s brownfield redevelopment laws to allow the use of tax increment financing for housing projects on brownfield sites...more
On June 8, 2023, the Michigan House of Representatives voted 100-7 to pass Senate Bill 90 (SB 90), known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, which amends and expands the definition of...more
The National Labor Relations Board will release its new joint-employer rule in August. In September 2022, the Board issued its proposed rule for determining joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act under...more
In a highly anticipated move, on March 24, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan signed a repeal of the state’s 2012 so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation. The repeal had long been a stated goal of democrats in the...more
On March 24, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law two significant pieces of legislation amending Michigan labor laws: Public Act (“PA”) 9 (2023), and its private sector equivalent, PA 8 (2023). Together, both...more
As of today, so-called “right-to-work” (“RTW”) laws are effective in 27 states. These laws ensure that no worker can be required, as a condition of employment, to join or not join, nor pay dues to, a labor union, as permitted...more
On Friday, March 24, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a bill that repeals Michigan’s Right-to-Work law and reinstates prevailing wages for construction projects. In effect since 2013, Michigan’s...more
On March 24, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law legislation repealing Michigan’s right-to-work law for private-sector employees. The legislation had previously passed the Michigan House of Representatives on...more
On March 8, 2023, the Michigan Legislature passed an amendment to the state’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) that explicitly includes protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender...more
On Oct. 11, Governor Whitmer signed House Bill 5703: a law that will require schools to post notices including both a provision of the Michigan School Code that reaffirms the prominence of parental rights in school, as well...more
On June 15, 2022, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation amending Act 57, Public Acts of Michigan, 1988 (“Act 57"), to authorize an emergency services authority, established under Act 57 by municipalities to...more
The Michigan Senate introduced a 39-bill reform package (later expanded) on March 24, 2021 “to ensure transparency, integrity, and confidence in Michigan’s election process.” The bills have received much attention and...more
As addressed in our Jan. 1, 2022 E-Alert, Governor Whitmer has signed a bill temporarily permitting Michigan public schools to use non-teaching staff, such as secretaries, paraprofessionals, and other workers, as substitute...more
To address the current substitute teacher shortage, Governor Whitmer has signed a bill temporarily permitting Michigan public schools to use non-teaching staff as substitute teachers. The bill, codified as Public Act 149 of...more