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Views From the Capitol 2023 Wrap-Up Edition Now Available
Governor Calls Special Elections for House Seats
Registration Open for NSBA’s Advocacy Institute
News From the Capitol Takes a Break

Views From the Capitol 2023 Wrap-Up Edition Now Available

On Nov. 27 MASB held a Views From the Capitol webinar recapping legislation that passed this year and when some of those new laws will take effect, what to expect out of the House with the 54-54 split and issues we are watching for the new year. If you missed the event, it is now available to view on our YouTube channel.

Two of the big issues are the changes to teacher and administrator evaluations and the repeal of multiple prohibited subjects of bargaining. We have covered both of those issues in more detail in recent DashBoard articles. You can read about evaluations here and prohibited subjects of bargaining here.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Governor Calls Special Elections for House Seats

Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for special elections for the 13th and 25th House Districts. Those vacancies were created on Election Day when Lori Stone (D-Warren) and Kevin Coleman (D-Westland) won their respective mayoral races and resigned from the House. The filing deadline was Monday, the primary will be January 30, 2024, and the general will be April 16, 2024. This means the House will return to 110 members at the end of April.

When the Legislature returns in January the House will be a 54-54 split between Democrats and Republicans, but Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) and the Democrats will still be in charge. We expect a lot of committee work in the early part of 2024 but not a lot of full House debates.

Registration Open for NSBA’s Advocacy Institute

The National School Boards Association’s annual Advocacy Institute will take place Jan. 28 – 30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. at the Marriott Marquis. NSBA will also be holding its Equity Symposium at the same location the day before, on Jan. 27. Registration for this one-day event is separate from the Advocacy Institute.

The Advocacy Institute will help participants develop a keen understanding of why effective advocacy is important and help raise the voices of school board members to Congress. Speakers include Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., Senior Policy Fellow at the Foundation for Excellence in Education and autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin, Distinguished Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. In the past, Michigan has had one of the largest delegations in the country attending this event and we’d love to have more members join us in D.C.!

News From the Capitol Takes a Break

With the Legislature already adjourned for the year, this will be the last News From the Capitol for 2023. We’ll see you after January 10th when the Legislature officially returns for 2024. You can read any of our prior newsletters on our website. Enjoy the holiday season and as always, please reach out with any questions.