Having not held a dual-chamber majority for nearly 40 years, we anticipate there is no shortage of issues for Democrats to work on.
Now I have no magic crystal ball so I can not predict what types of legislation we may see introduced and prioritized over the coming months. As part of this process, we hosted the Building Bridges event with our partners at the Small Business Association of Michigan, the Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association for Justice and Business Leaders for Michigan that helped us pursue these goals while also offering new legislators the opportunity to connect with their peers and learn how best to serve in Lansing. Most lawmakers only know healthcare through the prism of a consumer, so it is never too early to begin the education process related to this highly complex field. 8 election, we have been busy establishing new relationships and introducing ourselves to many new faces. Our bonds with the governor and her administration grew even stronger as we confronted the COVID-19 pandemic together.Īs a result of term limits, the new legislative session will also welcome an astounding 59 first-time legislators to Lansing. Whitmer extend back to her time in the state legislature when she was recognized with an MHA Special Recognition Award at the 2014 MHA Annual Meeting. And of course, our close partnership and personal friendships with Gov. Our MHA Advocacy team as well as our member hospitals and health systems consider them friends. Both new Speaker of the House Joe Tate (D-Detroit) and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) have established track-records of working closely with the healthcare community to help us fulfill our mission of advancing the health and wellness of individuals and communities. Our advocacy culture has long been to establish and maintain relationships regardless of leadership role or party affiliation so that in times of need, you have allies you can rely on. The MHA has a long history of being nonpartisan, but moving from divided government to one-party control will always bring about a change in the political dynamics and associated priorities. Turnout was partially driven by three ballot proposals as well as over 14,000 same day voter registrations, primarily from young Gen Z voters. This is a 2.4% increase from the prior record set in 2018 with 4.3 million votes. The Michigan midterm election saw record turnout again, with 4.5 million votes cast, including 1.8 million absentee ballots. Michigan saw a significant increase in the number of competitive districts due to their nonpartisan work. Earlier this year, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission established new district maps, which had previously been handled by the majority party in the state legislature in conjunction with the governor. This change was due to a multitude of factors, including redistricting, ballot proposals, a trickle-down impact from the top of the ballot, candidate viability and record turnout. The last time Democrats had control of the Governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature was 1984. Following last November’s election results, Democrats not only retain power in all areas of the executive branch and a majority in the judicial, but both chambers of the legislative branch flipped to Democratic control. Now shifting to the New Year: 2023 will usher in a monumental shift in power in Lansing as Democrats will control all aspects of government in the state for the first time during my 32-year tenure at the MHA. Another job extremely well done by our MHA Advocacy team as we protect access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for all. I must get to know him better.” ― Abraham LincolnĪs I put the proverbial pen to paper, the Michigan Legislature has completed the 2021-2022 legislative session and I am very pleased to report that in the lame-duck session, we successfully advanced several MHA-supported bills – and not a single MHA-opposed bill was signed into law. Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization Michigan Healthcare Human Resources Conference.Ludwig Community Benefit Nomination Form.Michigan Green Healthcare Awards Nomination Form.Advancing Safe Care Award Nomination Form.