Lansing quiets down for the summer

Each year as summer warms up, legislators in Lansing start to turn their attention to their home districts. Lawmakers reduce their session schedule in summer months, and elected officials return home to meet with constituents. And in election years like this one, lawmakers are often anxious to get out of Lansing and into their home districts. This year is no different, meaning that many of the projects we have been working on will see little action during the summer months. 

The little activity scheduled this summer for the Legislature is expected to center on crafting a state budget. The current fiscal budget ends on September 30, and legislators are under deadline to pass a new state budget. So far, the sides seem far apart on several issues. Earlier this year, Governor Gretchen Whitmer submitted an $88.1 billion proposed budget that focused on education, infrastructure improvements, road repairs and public safety. The House Republican $75.8 billion proposed budget instead focuses on reducing inefficiency in government. Senate Democrats have also submitted a proposed budget which is similar in size to the Governor’s budget.

At this time, the Senate has scheduled four workdays in July and two in August before resuming a regular schedule in September. The House plans to meet six days in July and four in August before resuming a regular schedule in mid-September. It is unclear whether they will be doing anything beyond working on the budget those days. We will keep you updated. 

Save a date in September!

We’re putting together our program for this year’s Signature Event. The theme this year is Five Years of Fresh Starts, celebrating the landmark anniversary of Clean Slate legislation. We’ve seen more than a million Michiganders get a partial or full expungement thanks to these laws — and that’s something to celebrate!

We’ll also be honoring three justice advocates that evening with our William G. Milliken Award presented to a lawmaker who has championed criminal legal reform, as well as our Lifetime of Service Award and the Justice Warrior Award. We look forward to announcing those recipients very soon.

We also look forward to hearing from featured speaker Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative. CSI was instrumental in helping Michigan pass its own Clean Slate legislation, and ever since then, they have been actively working with us to make the most of these new opportunities. Please stay posted for registration details, which are coming soon.

To learn more, visit us at www.safeandjustmi.org. If you would like to join our efforts, email us at info@safeandjustmi.org or sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/sjmsignup.

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