Sen. Lana Theis

Maddy summarySB 589 requires Michigan public school districts and intermediate school districts to allow homeschooled or nonpublic school students to participate in extracurricular activities offered by those schools. It directly affects eligible children who live in the district, are homeschooled or attend nonpublic school, and meet standard participation requirements. The bill mandates that school boards cannot block such participation and must ensure their district isn’t part of any athletic conference or association with exclusionary policies. Covered activities include sports, theater, band/orchestra, and debate teams, with the goal of expanding access for nonpublic school students.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Michigan's state budget bills to be passed into law by a specific annual deadline. If the budget isn't enacted by that date, both state legislators and the governor would lose their pay until the budget is approved. The amendment modifies three sections of the state constitution to establish this deadline and link compensation to budget passage. It specifically targets the general appropriation bills that fund state operations, not other legislation. The deadline is defined by existing law (MCL 18.1365) as the date set for budget enactment each year.

Maddy summarySB 438 repeals 2023 PA 10, which required prevailing wages and fringe benefits for workers on state construction projects. This bill directly affects state contractors and construction workers by removing the requirement to pay prevailing wages on state-funded projects. The repeal eliminates the specific legal provisions (MCL 408.1101-408.1126) that governed wage standards and penalties for noncompliance. As a procedural repeal, it makes no new policy changes but removes the existing law.

Maddy summarySB 445 requires Michigan's Department of Corrections to publish aggregate data every 90 days on its website about non-U.S. citizen prisoners. The report must include each prisoner's immigration status, their specific convictions, and their home country (defined as birthplace). This applies only to prisoners under the department's jurisdiction who are not U.S. citizens. The bill mandates this reporting starting six months after it takes effect, focusing on transparency around this specific population's data.

Maddy summarySB 444 requires all public employers (state/local government entities) and contractors working on public contracts to verify new employees' work authorization through the federal E-verify system. It directly affects state/local government departments, contractors, and subcontractors who hire 10+ employees annually, mandating they use E-verify or Form I-9 to confirm employees are U.S. citizens or authorized to work. Violations can result in civil fines ($100-$1,000 per violation) or a one-year ban on contracting with public bodies. The law also requires contractors to verify subcontractor employees and imposes penalties for knowingly false statements. This applies to all public contracts within Michigan, taking effect 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summarySB 437 amends Michigan's public employment law to prohibit most public employees from being required to pay union fees or dues as a condition of employment. It removes mandatory financial contributions to labor organizations for general public employees (excluding police, firefighters, and state troopers under specific constitutional provisions). The bill restores the pre-2023 policy that allows employees to choose whether to financially support a union, while preserving agreements for police/fire departments where such fees were previously permitted. This directly affects all non-exempt public workers in Michigan state and local government positions.

Maddy summarySB 436 amends Michigan's labor law to restore a "right to work" provision, prohibiting employers and labor organizations from requiring employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. The bill explicitly bans mandatory union dues (Section 14(2)), making any agreement requiring such payments unlawful and unenforceable after its effective date. It also allocates $1 million to the Department of Labor for public education and implementation support regarding these changes. The bill directly affects employees (who can no longer be forced to pay union fees), employers (who cannot require such payments), and labor organizations (which must operate under voluntary membership).

Maddy summarySB 439 requires Michigan's Public Service Commission to establish standardized modeling scenarios for electric utilities' integrated resource plans by August 2025. These plans must include specific considerations like environmental regulations, demand response programs, electrification potential, and impacts on environmental justice communities. The bill mandates utilities to project 5-, 10-, and 15-year energy needs while accounting for regional infrastructure limits and technology costs. It directly affects regulated electric utilities in Michigan, requiring them to incorporate these standardized planning elements into their resource strategies. The bill does not address minimum wage payments, as incorrectly referenced in the title.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 226 of Michigan's Clean and Renewable Energy Act (2008 PA 295) to remove a reference to a minimum wage requirement for certain clean energy workers. It specifically updates the law to reflect the repeal of the 2023 PA 10 minimum wage standard that previously applied to these workers. The change affects workers in clean energy projects who were previously subject to that repealed wage provision. The bill makes no new policy changes - it only corrects the law to align with current requirements.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 58) that formally recognizes the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding on June 14, 2025. The resolution commemorates the Army's history from its establishment in 1775 through its current role as a key national defense force. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or policies but serves as a formal acknowledgment by the Senate of the Army's service to the nation.