Advocacy News – Nov, 3, 2023
In the late hours of the evening Nov. 2, the Michigan Legislature passed a series of policy bills as well, including a budget bill totaling over $600 million. House bill 4292 is a combination of previous fiscal year and current year spending in various areas of state government.
In this bill:
- A combination of capital outlay authorizations that extend government debt.
- Additional spending of federal funding as well as more of the limited general fund resources available at the state level.
Of note: This spending bill authorizes $250,000 for an actuarial study on the effectiveness of potential paid leave policies in our state. This appropriation is intended to learn more about the policies prior to potential implementation and may attempt to build a case for implementation of similar policies in the future.
Read our full analysis of the legislation HERE.
The bottom line: Continued efforts to pursue implementation of this harmful policy are still underway, and creative new ways to garner attention are tactics being used by legislative leadership. This spending bill was voted through on extremely thin margins: party lines in the House, and with a vote of 21-17 in the Senate.
The MI Chamber stands ready to defend employers against burdensome regulations and advocate for fiscally sound state spending.
For questions or more information on the proposed paid leave changes, contact Wendy Block at wblock@michamber.com.