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Michigan Senate approves wide slate of bills, including Open Meetings change and maternal-health measures
Summary
On April 15, 2025, the Michigan Senate adopted multiple bills and two resolutions across topics including open meetings, food law, foster care, and a package of maternal-health measures. Vote tallies varied by measure; several bills passed unanimously or by large margins, while others were closer.
LANSING — The Michigan Senate on April 15, 2025, approved a large group of bills and two resolutions covering topics from open meetings and food law to foster care and a multi-bill maternal-health package. Final votes produced a range of outcomes: some bills passed unanimously or nearly so, and others passed by narrower margins.
The session moved through final passage votes on more than a dozen bills. Most measures had no floor amendments, and the secretary announced vote tallies after each roll call. Resolutions designating April as Community College Month and April 18 as Lineman Appreciation Day were adopted by voice vote after brief remarks.
Why it matters: the bills affect several state policies — for example, a change to the Open Meetings Act drew a divided vote and recorded floor objections; a foster care bill was argued by its sponsor as restoring income to foster youth; and a multi-bill maternal-health package (the sponsor called it the "Michigan Mominibus") was described by its backers as addressing obstetric bias, expanding midwife coverage, and improving perinatal reporting and supports.
Votes at a glance (final passage/adoption and announced tallies): - Senate Bill 129 (Open Meetings Act) — Passed, 20 aye, 16 no, 1 excused. (Roll call announced by secretary.) - Senate Bill 93 (Food Law) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 18 (Foster Care and Adoption Services Act) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. Sponsor Senator Irwin said the bill "rights a long standing wrong in our state foster care system." - Senate Bill 29 (Public Health Code; part of maternal-health package) — Passed, 22 aye, 14 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 30 (creates the Biased and Unjust Care Reporting Act) — Passed, 22 aye, 14 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 31 (Public Health Code) — Passed, 22 aye, 14 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 32 (Insurance Code of 1956) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 33 (Estates and Protected Individuals Code) — Passed, 39 aye, (announce showed 39?) [note: transcript shows passage announced; detailed tally announced as 39?]; 1 excused. (Transcript: bill passed; announced tally: majority having voted.) - Senate Bill 34 (Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act amendments) — Passed, 22 aye, 14 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 36 (Public Health Code) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 37 (Insurance Code of 1956) — Passed, 27 aye, 9 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 38 (Social Welfare Act) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 39 (Social Welfare Act) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 135 (Insurance Code of 1956) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused. - Senate Bill 136 (Public Health Code) — Passed, 36 aye, 0 no, 1 excused.
Two resolutions adopted: - Senate Resolution 28 (designating April 2025 as Community College Month) — Adopted (no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript); sponsor: Senator Anthony. - Senate Resolution 26 (designating April 18, 2025, as Lineman Appreciation Day) — Adopted (voice vote); sponsor: Senator Huitinga.
A handful of measures drew recorded objections and floor explanations. Senator Runstead recorded a formal "no" explanation on SB 129, saying the bill "is written, sloppily as seems like all the democrat bills are, [and] is allowing a person to just simply say, I have some kind of a disability and thus can go remote and not have to face the public." The roll-call results for other bills were announced by the secretary after the vote; where the transcript recorded only tallies, those tallies are reported above as announced.
What’s next: many of the bills passed the Senate without amendment and will now proceed according to the legislative process (transmission to the House or other steps as required). The Senate adjourned to reconvene Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 10 a.m.
