The Michigan legislature is experiencing one of its slowest lawmaking starts in recent history, with political leaders from both parties pointing fingers across the aisle.
- Michigan's legislature has passed only nine bills this year, compared to the 46, 225, 78, and 132 bills passed by August in previous years of divided government.
- Political experts attribute the slowdown to divided government, with Republicans controlling the House and Democrats controlling the Senate.
- Despite the low number of bills passed, both chambers have sent over 150 bills to each other that remain in limbo.
WATCH: Political Gridlock Slows Michigan's Legislative Process
Senate Leader Winnie Brinks places blame squarely on the other chamber. "The responsibility lies with House Republicans," Brinks said.
Speaker of the House Matt Hall offers a different perspective. "This is all about politics for the Democrats," Hall said.
Political experts from both parties agree that the result is unprecedented legislative stagnation.
"It just means that not a lot of laws have changed," Jason Roe, a republican strategist, said.
"We are in an era of political gridlock," Sam Inglot, executive director of Progress Michigan, said.
The primary reason for the lack of passed legislation is Michigan's divided government – a Republican-controlled House and a Democrat-controlled Senate. The last time both parties simultaneously held a chamber was between 2007 and 2010.
According to data from the Michigan legislature, during those four years, lawmakers passed between 46 and 225 bills by August. This year, that number stands at just nine.
Some see the slowdown as potentially beneficial. "A little time out here and there isn't a bad thing for the taxpayers," Roe said.
Despite the low number of bills becoming law, significant legislative activity continues behind the scenes. The House has sent 161 bills to the Senate, while the Senate has sent 150 bills to the House – all awaiting further action.
Inglot believes the situation represents a failure of governance. "When the legislature isn't passing bills, they're not doing the job that the people voted for them to do in Lansing," Inglot said.
I will continue to follow developments on the budget negotiations and legislative progress as lawmakers work through the remainder of the session.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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