Bayer Most Liberal; Bellino Most Conservative In Senate

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/29/2025) Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Keego Harbor), who opted against seeking reelection after this term, ended 2025 with having the most liberal or progressive voting record in the state Senate based on MIRS' recording of 46 roll call votes as recorded and categorized on software available to all MIRS subscribers.

Senators Rosemary Bayer and Joseph Bellino Jr.

Bayer voted the progressive position in 45 of the 46 votes, edging out two-time "Most Liberal" recipients Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor). Chang and Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) voted the progressive position 44 out of 46 times, while Irwin joined Sens. John Cherry (D-Flint), Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.) and Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) on voting the progressive position 43 out of 46 times.

Bayer said she was appreciative of the recognition when contacted Monday evening, saying she hopes to see an agenda in 2026 that focuses on protecting the environment when data centers are developed, more affordable housing opportunities and legislation that assists people.

"We need to do all of those things," she said.

The votes that set Bayer apart was her no vote on tossing 34,000 people from the public sex offender registry per a judicial order (SB 424), her yes vote on increasing lot splits for more affordable housing (SB 23), her no vote on speeding up carbon capture technology (SB 394) and her yes vote on transformational brownfield legislation.

Her only non-liberal vote came at the end of the session when she supported HB 4836, a bill that allows schools to opt out of the WorkKeys test without risking state funding, legislation that Irwin and a handful of other caucus members opposed.

On the conservative front, Sen. Joseph Bellino Jr. (R-Monroe) captured his first-ever "Most Conservative" rating after starting his career in the House with a more moderate record. At that time, Bellino's Monroe County district was a competitive district. Today, Monroe County is solidly red, giving Bellino more liberties to take conservative positions.

Recently, for example, Bellino held a press conference denouncing an Ann Arbor high school for allegedly playing a transgender girl on a volleyball team that played a school in Bellino's district. 

In the Senate, he voted for the conservative position 44 out of 46 roll call votes. 

"I take the position that my constituents want," Bellino said. "I have a very conservative district now. My people want a conservative voter in the Senate and that's what they got."

Bellino edged out Sen. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) and Sen. Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton) (42 out of 46 roll call votes) with votes like a no on SB 540 , which created a Michigan National Guard child care assistance program to provide child care assistance, or SB 51 that puts into state law the Michigan Black Leadership Advisory Council (BLAC).

He also voted against a cell phone school ban and raising fees for the cosmetology industry.

Bellino's only liberal votes were in favor of SB 235, which offered tax credits incentivizing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production for planes, and SB 462, which required retailers to obtain a three-year, $500 license from the state to sell tobacco and vapor products.

Senate Votes Used

 1. Roll Call 7, SB 8 - restored the tipped wage for wait staff, while creating a permanent minimum wage structure that's less pronounced than a passed ballot initiative. Conservative vote is yes.

 2. Roll Call 10, HB 4002 - created an earned sick time policy that proved more palatable to the business community. Conservative vote is yes.

 3. Roll Call 11, SB 52 - designed to give the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority more options to pursue economic development outside its traditional industrial uses. Conservative vote is no.

 4. Roll Call 17, SB 23  - increased lot splits that could be approved by a local unit of government to theoretically open the door to more affordable housing. Conservative vote is no.

 5. Roll Call 38, SR 18 - recognized diversity, equity and inclusion as essential foundational principles for achieving the American Dream. Conservative vote is no.

 6. Roll Call 36, SB 81 - expanded the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission to include juvenile defense. Conservative vote is no.

 7. Roll Call 41, SB 51 - put into state law the Michigan Black Leadership Advisory Council (BLAC), an entity designed to promote Black health and financial wellness. Conservative vote is no.

 8. Roll Call 44, SB 111 - allowed for special restraining orders to prevent elder abuse. Opponents said it would take away a gun owner's due process rights or come without any wrongdoing taking place. Conservative vote is no.

 9. Roll Call 51, SB 29 - instructed the state's health department to maintain statistics on the incidence and prevalence of obstetric violence and racism. Conservative vote is no.

10. Roll Call 68, SB 3 - established the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) in Michigan. Conservative vote is no.

11. Roll Call 71, SB 130 - raised annual license fee for cosmetology establishments from $25 to $150, among other related industry fee increases. Conservative vote is no.

12. Roll Call 78, SB 234 - insisted that school districts enforce a school-wide cell phone ban, a policy initiative that critics said was too permissive and didn't go far enough. Conservative vote is no.

13. Roll Call 89, Bellino amendment to SB 179 - required that any money spent on the Office of Global Michigan go toward immigration services for those who are legally in the country.  Conservative vote is yes.

 14. Roll Call 125, Sen. Lana Theis (R-Brighton) amendment to SB 166 - required that school districts not allow athletes born biologically as males to participate in female sports. Conservative vote is yes.

 15. Roll Call 140, SB 257 - extended the deadline for filing sexual assault-related lawsuits to recover damages, or the statute of limitations (SOL). Currently, victims have until their 28th birthday or up to three years upon discovering they were injured in connection to criminal sexual conduct. Conservative vote is no.

 16. Roll Call 148, SR 50 - urged the President and Congress to fully fund Medicaid and to reject any proposal that would strip access to those in need and shift costs onto states, health care providers and vulnerable individuals. Conservative vote is no.

 17. Roll Call 158, SB 134 - restored the Attorney General's pre-1990s authority to investigate and press charges against businesses suspected of deceiving customers. Conservative vote is no.

 18. Roll Call 162, SB 285 - allowed a civil celebrant, township supervisor or state legislator to solemnize a marriage. Conservative vote is no.

 19. Roll Call 166, SB 424 - prevented 34,000 people with sexual-related crimes on their record from being tossed off the state's public sex offender registry in reaction to a court order. Conservative vote is no.

 20. Roll Call 172, SB 224 - made it a $2,500, five-year felony to manufacture, sell or possess a bump stock or a "multiburst trigger activator," which can also include devices placed within trigger guards causing the finger to move rapidly back and forth. Conservative vote is no.

 21. Roll Call 178, SB 154 - laid out federal charges for intentionally intimidating, harming or interfering with someone seeking reproductive health services. Conservative vote is no.

 22. Roll Call 180, SB 235 - offered tax credits incentivizing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production for planes, processed through feedstocks like corn and soybeans. Conservative vote is no.

 23. Roll Call 183, SB 46 - gave the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) the power to investigate drinking water complaints inside of mobile home parks. Conservative vote is no.

 24. Roll Call 189, SB 319 - required that, when local governments and police and firefighter unions negotiate contracts, minimum staffing levels must be considered – although new staffing levels don't need to be implemented. Conservative vote is no.

 25. Roll Call 197, SB 402 - make it easier to get access to addiction treatment drugs and overdose-reversal medications. Conservative vote is no.

 26. Roll Call 212, SB 360 - created Michigan's own mandates on businesses to obtain consent to collect online data from customers and notify them of security data breaches. Conservative vote is no.

 27. Roll Call 217, SB 246 - raised Michigan's landfill tipping fees from 36 cents per ton to $1.20 for solid and municipal waste deposits. The bill also aims to halt hazardous waste facilities from expanding in the state. Conservative vote is no.

 28. Roll Call 219, SB 394 - designed to speed up carbon capture and storage permitting in Michigan, allowing industries to turn their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into a liquid-like form, pumping them thousands of feet underground. Conservative vote is yes.

 29. Roll Call 226, SB 204 - required districts and public school academies to give notice to parents of students and school employees at least one month prior to a closure. They must also host at least one public meeting on the topic. Conservative vote is no.

 30. Roll Call 227, SB 533  - created a $1,000 fine for making false statements or misrepresentations about an election with the intention of possibly preventing someone from voting. Conservative vote is no.

 31. Roll Call 241, SB 540 - created a Michigan National Guard child care assistance program to provide child care assistance. Conservative vote is no.

 32. Roll Call 249, SB 579 - extended the fees for permits to build near bodies of water, discharge storm drains, handle hazardous waste or certify wastewater or stormwater system employees. Conservative vote is no.

 33. Roll Call 264, HB 4951 - created the new wholesale tax on marijuana. Conservative vote is no.

 34. Roll Call 272, HB 4183 - raised the gas tax from 31 cents to 51 cents to cement the roads funding deal. Conservative vote is no.

 35. Roll Call 281, SB 515 - created a $500 civil infraction for landlords who don't have an operating carbon monoxide detector in every rental unit with fuel-fired appliances or near enclosed garages. Conservative vote is no.

 36. Roll Call 283, SR 81 - urged Congress and the President of the United States to permanently extend the Affordable Care Act Enhanced Premium Tax Credit to help ensure that all individuals and families have equitable access to healthcare. Conservative vote is no.

 37. Roll Call 289, SCR 7 - urged the Trump Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding. Conservative vote is no.

 38. Roll Call 299, SB 199 - looked to give the city of Lansing more tax revenue to conduct such improvements with new or renewed bonds. Conservative vote is no.

 39. Roll Call 303, HB 5055 - gave sergeants-at-arms the ability to operate outside the Michigan Capitol. Conservative vote is yes.

 40. Roll Call 317, SB 232 - reduced the minimum age to participate in the Michigan Reconnect scholarship program from 25 to 21. Conservative vote is no.

 41. Roll Call 332, SB 723 - created the transformational brownfield legislation designed to spur specific large projects across the state. Conservative vote is no.

 42. Roll Call 330, SB 729 - increased the State Building Authority bond cap from $2.7 billion to $3.12 billion. Conservative vote is no.

 43. Roll Call 335, HB 4576 - restored the itemized spending that had been reappropriated back to the General Fund when the House Appropriations Committee axed $644.9 million in work projects. Conservative vote is no.

 44. Roll Call 340, SB 600 - mandates that any hemp-derived products with THC, such as drinks and candies, would be illegal unless regulated through the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA). Conservative vote is no.

 45. Roll Call 344, HB 4836 - allows school to opt out of the WorkKeys test without risking their state funding. Conservative vote is yes.

 46. Roll Call 352, SB 462 - required retailers to obtain a three-year, $500 license from the state to sell tobacco and vapor products. Conservative vote is no.

Past Most Conservative Senators: 

2025 - Bellino

2024  - Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) 

2023 - Hoitenga

2022 – Theis

2021 - Sen. Tom Barrett

2020 – Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) 

2019 – Sen. Roger Victory 

2018 – Sen. Patrick Colbeck 

2017 – Colbeck 

2016 – Colbeck 

2015 – Sen. Phil Pavlov 

2014 – Sen. John Moolenaar 

2013 – Sen. Jack Brandenburg 

2012 – Colbeck 

2011 - Sen. Jack Brandenburg

2010 - Sen. Cameron Brown

2009 - Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop

2008 - Sen. Alan Sanborn 

2007 - Sen. Mark Jansen

2006 - Sen. Nancy Cassis

2005 – Sanborn 

2004 – Sanborn 

2003 – Sanborn 

Past Most Liberal Senators

2025 - Bayer

2024 - Chang

2023 - Irwin

2022 – Irwin 

2021 – Chang

2019 – Sen. Erika Geiss 

2018 – Sen. Rebekah Warren 

2017 – Sen. Morris Hood III 

2016 – Warren 

2015 – Sen. Vincent Gregory

2014 – Hood

2013 – Warren 

2012 – Warren 

2011 – Warren 

2010 – Sen. Liz Brater 

2009 – Brater 

2008 – Sen. Martha G. Scott

2007 - Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman

2006 - Scott

2005 – Brater 

2004 – Brater 

2003 – Sen. Burton Leland