Michigan State Senate

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Michigan State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:   January 10, 2024
Session end:   December 31, 2024
Term length:   4 years
Term limits:   12 combined years in the Legislature
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:   $71,685/year + expenses
Members
Total:  38
Democrats:  20
Republicans:  18
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:   Garlin Gilchrist II (D)
Maj. Leader:   Winnie Brinks (D)
Min. Leader:   Aric Nesbitt (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 3, 2026

The Michigan State Senate is the upper chamber of the Michigan State Legislature. Alongside the Michigan House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Michigan state government and works alongside the governor of Michigan to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Michigan State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Michigan State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Lansing, Michigan.

  • All 38 seats in the Michigan State Senate were up for election in 2022. The chamber flipped to a 20-18 Democratic majority.
  • All 38 seats in the state Senate were up for election in 2018. The chamber's Republican majority decreased from 27-10 (with one vacancy) to 22-16.
  • Michigan has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the Michigan State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Michigan State Senate as of January 2024:

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 20
         Republican Party 18
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 38

    Members

    Leadership

    The lieutenant governor serves as the presiding officer of the Senate, known as the president of the Senate. The president can only vote when there is a tie. In the absence of the president, the president pro tempore presides. The president pro tempore, assistant president pro tempore, and associate president pro tempore are elected by a vote of a majority of the Senators.[1][2]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Michigan State Senate District 1 Erika Geiss Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 2 Sylvia Santana Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 3 Stephanie Chang Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 4 Darrin Camilleri Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 5 Dayna Polehanki Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 6 Mary Cavanagh Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 7 Jeremy Moss Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 8 Mallory McMorrow Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 9 Michael Webber Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 10 Paul Wojno Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 11 Veronica Klinefelt Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 12 Kevin Hertel Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 13 Rosemary Bayer Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 14 Sue Shink Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 15 Jeff Irwin Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 16 Joseph Bellino Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 17 Jonathan Lindsey Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 18 Thomas Albert Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 19 Sean McCann Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 20 Aric Nesbitt Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 21 Sarah Anthony Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 22 Lana Theis Republican January 1, 2019
    Michigan State Senate District 23 Jim Runestad Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 24 Ruth Johnson Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 25 Dan Lauwers Republican January 1, 2019
    Michigan State Senate District 26 Kevin Daley Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 27 John Cherry Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 28 Sam Singh Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 29 Winnie Brinks Democratic January 1, 2019
    Michigan State Senate District 30 Mark Huizenga Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 31 Roger Victory Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 32 Jon Bumstead Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 33 Rick Outman Republican January 1, 2019
    Michigan State Senate District 34 Roger Hauck Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 35 Kristen McDonald Rivet Democratic January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 36 Michele Hoitenga Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 37 John Damoose Republican January 1, 2023
    Michigan State Senate District 38 Ed McBroom Republican January 1, 2019


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $71,685/yearNo per diem is paid. Legislators receive an expense allowance of $10,800/year for session and interim. Set by the compensation commission. Vouchered.

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Michigan legislators assume office at noon on the first day of January.[3]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Section 7 of Article 4 of the Michigan Constitution states, "Each senator and representative must be a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years of age, and an elector of the district he represents. The removal of his domicile from the district shall be deemed a vacation of the office. No person who has been convicted of subversion or who has within the preceding 20 years been convicted of a felony involving a breach of public trust shall be eligible for either house of the legislature."[4]

    Historical party control

    Democrats won a 20-18 majority in the Michigan State Senate in 2022, gaining control of the chamber for the first time since 1984.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Michigan Senate following every general election from 1990 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Michigan State Senate election results: 1990-2022

    Year '90 '94 '98 '02 '06 '10 '14 '18 '22
    Democrats 18 16 15 16 17 12 11 16 20
    Republicans 20 22 23 22 21 26 27 22 18

    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Michigan was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: 2023
    • Republican trifecta: 1995-1996, 1999-2002, 2011-2018
    • Divided government: 1992-1994, 1997-1998, 2003-2010, 2019-2022

    Michigan Party Control: 1992-2024
    Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D
    Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D
    House D S S R R D D R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Michigan state senators serve four-year terms, with all seats up for election every four years. Michigan holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2022

    See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2022

    Elections for the Michigan State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 2, 2022. The filing deadline was April 19, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, Democrats gained the majority in the Michigan State Senate with 20-18.

    Michigan State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 16 20
         Republican Party 22 18
    Total 38 38

    2018

    See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the Michigan State Senate took place in 2018. The open primary election took place on August 7, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was April 24, 2018.[5]

    In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Michigan State Senate was reduced from 27-10 to 22-16.

    Michigan State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 10 16
         Republican Party 27 22
         Vacancy 1 0
    Total 38 38

    Term limits

    See also: State legislatures with term limits

    The Michigan legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. The legislature has been term-limited since Michigan voters approved the Michigan Term Limits Act in 1992. The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was 2002.

    In 2022, Michigan voters modified the term limits for Michigan state legislative members. Voters passed Michigan Proposal 1 in November 2022 which changed the term limits for state legislators from three two-year terms in the state House and two four-year terms in the state Senate to 12 combined years in the Legislature.

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Michigan State Legislature, the governor must call for a special election to fill the vacancy or direct that the vacancy be filled at the next general election.[9][10]

    If the vacancy happens after the statewide primary election, the party organizations in the district select the party's nominee. The nominee must be voted on no later than 21 days after the vacancy occurred and at least 10 days before the general election.[11]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Michigan Const. Art. 5, § 13

    District map

    See also: Michigan state legislative districts

    The state of Michigan has 148 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 38 districts and the state House has 110 districts.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Michigan

    In Michigan, a non-politician commission is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district plans. The commission comprises 13 members, including four Democrats, four Republicans, and five unaffiliated voters or members of minor parties. In order for a map to be enacted, at least seven members must vote for it, including at least two Democrats, two Republicans, and two members not affiliated with either major party.[12]

    The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission prepared this document specifically explaining the redistricting process after the 2020 census.

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Michigan after the 2020 census

    The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) approved new district boundaries for both the state Senate and state House of Representatives on December 28, 2021. The commission approved what was known as the "Linden" map for state Senate districts by a vote of 9-4 with two Democrats, two Republicans, and all five nonpartisan members supporting the proposal. The commission adopted what was known as the "Hickory" map for state House of Representatives districts by a vote of 11-2 with four Democrats, two Republicans, and all five nonpartisan members supporting it.[13][14] As required, the adopted map was approved by "at least two commissioners who affiliate with each major party, and at least two commissioners who do not affiliate with either major party."[15] The maps became law on March 26, 2022—60 days after the MICRC published a report on the redistricting plans with the secretary of state.[16]

    According to The Detroit News, The Linden Senate map...is expected to create districts that could yield 20 Democratic seats and 18 Republican seats. Senate Republicans currently have a 22-16 majority."[13] Clara Hendrickson of the Detroit Free Press wrote that, "The map appears to create 19 solidly Democratic districts, 16 solidly Republican districts, one Republican-leaning district and two toss-up districts, according to election results from the past decade."[17]

    Beth LeBlanc of The Detroit News wrote that, "The Hickory House map...is expected to create districts that could produce 57 Democratic seats and 53 Republican seats. After the 2020 election, Michigan House Republicans had a 58-52 majority in the House."[13] Hendrickson wrote that, "The new map appears to create 41 solidly Democratic districts, 46 solidly Republican districts, nine Democratic-leaning districts, two Republican-leaning districts and 12 toss-up districts."[17] She also wrote, "Unlike the current map, there is no majority-Black district in the state Senate map adopted by the commission, while the state House map reduces the number of majority-Black districts in place today. Current and former state lawmakers from Detroit and civil rights leaders are vehemently opposed to how the new district lines reduce the share of Black voters. They argue that the elimination of majority-Black districts disenfranchises Black voters."[17] These maps took effect for Michigan’s 2022 legislative elections.

    District map after 2020 redistricting

    This map took effect for Michigan’s 2022 legislative elections.

    An interactive version of the adopted state Senate map is here.

    2010

    See also: Redistricting in Michigan after the 2010 census

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Michigan's population fell from 9.94 million to 9.88 million between 2000 and 2010, resulting in Michigan's U.S. Congressional delegation decreasing in size from 15 to 14 seats.[18][19] A substantial population shift occurred from Detroit proper into the suburban areas.[20]

    A Republican-proposed redistricting plan passed with bipartisan support after the House made some changes to the Senate plan. Governor Rick Snyder (R) signed the plan, Senate Bill 498, into law on August 9, 2011.

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Michigan State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Michigan by year

    2024

    See also: 2024 Michigan legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 10, 2024, and adjourn on December 31, 2024.

    2023

    See also: 2023 Michigan legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

    In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2023, and adjourn on November 14, 2023.



    About legislative sessions in Michigan

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[32] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the Michigan Constitution establishes when the Michigan Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 13 of Article IV states that the legislature is to convene on the second Wednesday in January of each year. Section 13 gives the Legislature the power to determine its date of adjournment through concurrent resolution.[33]

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, term limits, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Michigan are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 74 of the 110 members in the Michigan House of Representatives and 26 of the 38 members in the Michigan State Senate. Michigan is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    Authority: Article IV, Section 33 of the Michigan Constitution.

    "Every bill passed by the legislature shall be presented to the governor before it becomes law, and the governor shall have 14 days measured in hours and minutes from the time of presentation in which to consider it. If he approves, he shall within that time sign and file it with the secretary of state and it shall become law. If he does not approve, and the legislature has within that time finally adjourned the session at which the bill was passed, it shall not become law. If he disapproves, and the legislature continues the session at which the bill was passed, he shall return it within such 14-day period with his objections, to the house in which it originated. That house shall enter such objections in full in its journal and reconsider the bill. If two-thirds of the members elected to and serving in that house pass the bill notwithstanding the objections of the governor, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house for reconsideration. The bill shall become law if passed by two-thirds of the members elected to and serving in that house."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Michigan state budget and finances
    Michigan on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[34]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
    2. State agencies submit their requests to the governor in October.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in February. Newly elected governors are allowed an additional 30 to 60 days after the legislature convenes.
    4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in June. The fiscal year begins October 1.

    Michigan is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[34]

    The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[34]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Michigan state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Michigan State Senate has 20 standing committees:


    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the Michigan Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XII of the Michigan Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Michigan

    The Michigan Constitution can be amended in three different ways—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention.

    Initiative

    See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

    An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. There are 18 states that allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

    In Michigan, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A two-thirds vote is required during one legislative session for the Michigan State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 74 votes in the Michigan House of Representatives and 14 votes in the Michigan State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    Convention

    See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

    According to Section 3 of Article XII of the Michigan Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 16 years starting in 1978. Michigan is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.

    The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:

    State Interval Last question on the ballot Next question on the ballot
    Michigan 16 years 2010 2026



    2025 measures:

    See also: 2025 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

    No measures to list

    2024 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

    See also: Michigan 2024 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

    No measures to list

    See also

    Elections Michigan State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Michigan State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. Michigan Legislature, "Senate Rules," accessed February 12, 2021 (Referenced Ch. 1, Sec. 1)
    2. Michigan Senate, "Michigan State Senate Officers," accessed February 12, 2021
    3. Michigan Constitution, "Article XI, Section 2," accessed February 12, 2021
    4. Michigan Constitution, "Article IV, Section 7," accessed February 10, 2023
    5. Michigan.gov, "2018 Michigan election dates," accessed November 9, 2017
    6. Follow the Money, "Michigan 2010 - Candidates," accessed September 3, 2014
    7. Follow the Money, "Michigan 2006 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
    8. Follow the Money, "Michigan 2002 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
    9. Michigan Legislature, "Statute 168.178, Michigan Compiled Laws," accessed February 12, 2021
    10. Michigan Legislature, "Constitution of Michigan of 1963, Article 5, Section 13," accessed February 12, 2021
    11. Michigan Legislature, "Statute 168.634 (1)-(2), Michigan Compiled Laws," accessed May 22, 2014
    12. Michigan Radio, "Redistricting proposal passes in Michigan," November 6, 2018
    13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 The Detroit News, "Michigan redistricting panel wraps adoption of state House, Senate, congressional maps" December 28, 2021
    14. Detroit Free Press, "Michigan redistricting commission adopts new state legislative maps," December 28, 2021
    15. Michigan Legislature, "Article IV § 6" - Independent citizens redistricting commission for state legislative and congressional districts," accessed January 3, 2022
    16. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MICRCemail
    17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Detroit Free Press, "Michigan redistricting commission adopts new state legislative maps," December 28, 2021
    18. U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Michigan Profile," accessed February 12, 2021
    19. The Hill, "Longtime Dem Reps. Levin and Dingell could face redistricting danger", December 22, 2010
    20. Rose Institute of State and Local Government, "Michigan," accessed February 12, 2021
    21. Michigan Radio, "Lawmakers return to Lansing Friday for special session," accessed April 25, 2020
    22. Detroit Free Press, "Michigan Senate approves more tax breaks for businesses," March 29, 2017
    23. Michigan.gov, "Gov. Rick Snyder's statement regarding passage of Good Jobs legislation," July 12, 2017
    24. Fox2Detroit, "Snyder signs bill to give tax breaks for Michigan jobs," July 26, 2017
    25. MLive.com, "'Good Jobs' bills for new business tax incentives heads to governor," July 12, 2017
    26. MLive, "Q&A with Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof: Energy policy, prevailing wage repeal on agenda," January 20, 2015
    27. MLive, "Michigan Republicans making new push for prevailing wage repeal in state Legislature," January 15, 2015
    28. Crain's Detroit Business, "Mich. has nearly $1B more than expected for budget," January 10, 2014
    29. Detroit Free Press, "Michigan GOP puts tax break atop 2014 agenda, Bolger says," January 9, 2014
    30. South Bend Tribune, "Michigan Legislature starts tamer two-year session today," January 9, 2013
    31. MLive, "Gov. Rick Snyder signs Michigan business/income tax overhaul into law," May 25, 2011
    32. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed February 12, 2021
    33. Michigan Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Michigan," accessed February 12, 2021
    34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023