State of the State 2025

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s 7th annual State of the State address: view the full speech.

Governor Whitmer delivered her 7th annual update on Michigan’s progress and needs this last week. We have extended highlights of her presentation.

But there’s also important work from the 2024 session hanging over Lansing: the refusal, to date, of newly elected Republican Speaker Matt Hall to send 9 bills enacted by the Legislature to the Governor for signing or vetoing. The state Senate has taken the unusual step of suing the state House and Speaker Hall to force the Speaker to comply with the state constitution’s requirement that the bills go down the hall to the Governor’s office for final action. The lead attorney for the state Senate is former MDP chair Mark Brewer, commenting on the ruling this past week by Court of Claims judge Sima Patel:

“We had a great decision from the judge. People should understand the context of this lawsuit.

It’s very difficult for legislators to bring lawsuits. particularly against the other house. There’s always questions where they have what’s called standing to even be in court. And then people always throw up, well, this is just a political fight, political dispute, court doesn’t have any business doing that.

And so we had to cut through all of that. The judge rejected those defenses. Hall had also thrown up a lot of objections about the quality of the bills and other kinds of things. She would cut through all of that. And she said she set a deadline. She said the Constitution requires that these nine bills be presented to the Governor.

And the House has until March 19th to do that. It’s a very strong decision. It applies not just to these nine bills, but to all bills going forward. She was very clear. If bills pass the legislature, they have to go to the Governor. In this case, by March 19th, so the Governor has enough time.

To consider them before they’re supposed to take effect, which will be April 2nd, if the governor signs them. So, it was a great victory. We’re not there yet. I’ve been telling people, if you use a football metaphor, we executed an option play. We got to the red zone. We got to the red zone. And we’re gonna keep pushing.

We’re not gonna let the Speaker off the hook here. And I know there is and should be lots of public pressure on him. To obey the Constitution, which is what the judge told him to do yesterday.

There were parts of the judge’s decision yesterday that she disagreed with us. For example, she said the speaker is immune from liability here. We’ve got other defendants. We’re suing the house and the clerk. So we’ve got other ways to get. Get those bills presented. My clients, the Senate, could appeal that.

The House and the Speaker and others could appeal the judge’s decision, that they only have until the 19th. Both sides have 21 days from yesterday to decide whether to appeal. But you’re right, Jeff, this could quickly be resolved by the Speaker simply doing the right thing, and Sending those bills to the governor.”

House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri added: “Holding these nine bills hostage came at the cost of Michigan taxpayers. The bills, if signed into law, would lower health care costs, add pension benefits for corrections and conservation officers, help to financially protect struggling workers and more. I applaud the ruling today and call on Speaker Hall to comply with the court’s decision.”

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