102nd Legislature: Lame Duck
Advocates: We are on the clock.
This is your one-stop shop for all legislative actions related to transit, safe streets, and other related policy between the November 2024 election and the final day of the 102nd Michigan Legislature. Expect weekly updates: Bookmark this page.
As always: This is independent policy coverage and does not imply endorsement of legislation by any public agency, association, or advocacy organization unless otherwise noted.
Last updated: Wednesday, November 27th
Lame Duck Week 3: Nov 26-27
Recap coming soon.
Lame Duck Week 2: Nov 12-14
Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing
House Bills 5949, 5950, and 5951 passed the House on Thursday, November 14th and await a hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure . Previous coverage
Road and Bridge Disaster Relief Fund
Testimony on House Bill 5945 , introduced by Reps. Shannon and Conlin, was heard during a dedicated meeting of the House Committee on Transportation, Mobility, and Infrastructure on Thursday, November 14th following the regularly scheduled meeting on November 12th. This bill would allocate $5M in annual gas tax revenue, up to a limit of $50M, for repairs to roadways and bridges should a state of emergency be declared. A new board comprised of various state and local officials would be established to oversee distribution of these funds.
Wayne County Transit
House Bill 6088, introduced on Wednesday, November 13th by lead sponsor Rep. Farhat (D-Dearborn), would amend Public Act 196 of 1986 (the Public Transportation Authority Act) to remove provisions which currently allow individual municipalities to withdraw from a local public transportation authority that levies an operating millage. The bill is written such that the changes apply only to a county with a population of 1.5 million or more; therefore, only the Wayne County Transit Authority is impacted.
The WCTA is the pass-through organization which levies the SMART operating millage. The ultimate effect of this bill would be the elimination of opt-out communities in Wayne County. See the House Fiscal Agency analysis for the complete summary.
Disclosure: I assisted with the sourcing of historical data and background information that informed portions of this analysis. The House Fiscal Agency maintained independent editorial control over the final publication.
Vulnerable Roadway Users
Senate Bills 617 and 618, part of a package which creates and enforces stricter penalties for harming Vulnerable Roadway Users , are also slated for a hearing during Tuesday's House Transpo/Mobility/Infra committee meeting. These two bills passed the House in June.
Two-Person Crews for Freight Train Operations
Senate Bill 100, previously shelved due to federal enforcement of this policy , is slated for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Tuesday, November 12th at 10:30am in advance of the new presidential administration taking office.
Jared Cassity of the SMART Union (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers) shared a powerful example of why more than one crew member on a freight train is necessary during last April's testimony on Senate Bill 100.
Lame Duck Week 1: Nov 5-7
Speed Cameras in Construction Zones
House Bills 4132 and 4133 , which passed the House in June 2023 and were reported from the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure this past May, passed the Senate on Thursday, November 7th and await Governor Whitmer's signature. These bills will “prescribe penalties, including written warnings and civil fines, for exceeding the posted speed limit in a work zone by 10 miles per hour, as evidenced by an automated speed enforcement system.”
Stop-Arm Cameras on School Buses
House Bills 4928, 4929, and 4930 , which passed the House last November, passed the Senate on Thursday, November 7th, 2024 and await Governor Whitmer's signature. These bills would create and enforce fines for motorists who fail to stop for a school bus as required by law. HB 4928 in particular would newly require motorists to stop even when physical barriers separate traffic, such as on a divided highway, if a crosswalk or pedestrian walkway is present.
Remote Participation for Members of Public Bodies
Senate Bill 870 , introduced in May 2024, passed the Senate on Thursday, November 7th and now awaits a hearing in the House Committee on Government Operations. This bill would allow disabled members of a public body to request remote participation as an accommodation.
This isn't strictly transportation-related, but as an advocate who attends and documents various public bodies, I'm happy to see this legislation move forward.
Important to note: This bill pertains only to those who wish to sit on a public body, not members of the public who wish to attend said meetings. Public bodies, of course, can (and often do) allow the public to participate remotely, but they are not legally required to do so.
I would love to see future legislation go further. Civic engagement should be virtually accessible to all, and disabled individuals should be included by default, not by exception.
The Advocates' Wishlist
First thing's first: Everybody breathe.
Transit advocates are in for a rough four years at the federal level. There's no denying that. I focus mainly on state-level policy when writing here, so I'll say this: Remember that only the State House majority will flip when the 103rd Legislature takes office. The Senate and Governor Whitmer will still have the capacity to keep its power in check until at least 2026, which means it's unlikely we'll see any full reversals of the policy reforms the current legislature has enacted up to this point.
That said: When the 102nd Legislature adjourns sine die in December, any bills that haven't reached the Governor's desk will be lost. Legislation can always be reintroduced under a new number and sponsor, but unless extraordinary compromise deals are reached next year, the most progressive policies advocates are fighting for will be dead. This includes but is not limited to:
- Transit funding through SOAR reform
- The e-bike incentive
- Public power and community solar
- Tenants' rights and rent control
- Water affordability and polluter pay
- Driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants
- Single payer healthcare
I'm locked in on covering transit as it's my area of expertise, but freedom of movement and access to opportunity is just one piece of a larger social fabric. All of these priorities are connected and of equal importance, and I support my fellow advocates who've been fighting for action on them for the better part of two years.
Our goal is to push legislators to act on as many of these priorities as possible over the next month. It's a tall order, and we might not get everything, but we must try. Organizers: Now's the time to arm yourself with those spreadsheets and plan those action days on the Capitol lawn. Ask your legislators and their staff when their last few coffee hours of the year will be, and take those opportunities to get in front of them. And as always, send emails and make calls. Personal messages are always better than using action alert forms, but use whichever method is most accessible to you: What's most important is that your lawmakers hear your voice.
The House and Senate both have four scheduled weeks – eleven session days – remaining on the 2024 calendar. While subject to change at the discretion of chamber leadership, Thursday, December 19th is the tentative final session day of the 102nd Legislature.
Good luck, advocates. We are on the clock.