The Bills That Made It Under Whitmer's Christmas Tree

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/18/2025) In the first “deal” House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said he'd made with Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) this session, the House and Senate passed around 25 bills cracking down on bots during high-volume ticket sales, creating a voluntary high school hunter safety education class and updating standards on the machines used in mammograms.

“It's the best year of the years that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been in office, and we wanted to end it on a high note in the spirit of the season,” Hall said. “We're doing some collaborative work and all leaving here happy.”

Brinks, too, said getting a few bipartisan things through the Legislature was “great,” but the “destructive” move the House Republicans took last week to deny $644.9 million in work projects will “leave a bad taste in the mouths of many Michiganders as we enter the holiday season.”

By and large, the legislation can be classified as “dogs and cats,” odds and ends that are of significance to an interest group, but not overly significant to the public at large.

Not in the mix are bills that would shield more personal information on judges, legislators and other state officials from public disclosure. Hall said the bills still need work.

Highlights from the list include the first likely public act from Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown), a Downriver House member who represents a competitive seat. Hall accused the Senate of holding up her bills in the past.

Other vulnerable incumbents getting PAs include Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Wyandotte) and Rep. Steve Frisbie (R-Battle Creek).

- SB 23 by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), allowing housing developers to divide up more of their property for individual housing projects. Currently, state statute keeps developers from making more than four separate land plots out of 10 acres of a parcel they own.

- SB 25 by Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint), authorizing auto repair shops and dealerships to operate an additional location under the same state registration.

- SB 93 by Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and HB 4122 by Rep. Gregory Alexander (R-Carsonville), allowing honey and maple syrup retailers to remain unlicensed if they keep sales under $25,000 rather than the current maximum o $15,001 or under. Additionally, it increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the sales threshold at which a cottage food operation would no longer be exempt from license mandates. Moving forward, the legislation adjusts totals to the inflation rate.

- SB 96, SB 97 and SB 98 by Sens Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield Twp.), Roger Hauck (R-Union Twp.) and Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), permitting childcare facilities to install automatic locks for anti-shooter security without getting in trouble with the fire code or building codes.

- SB 136 by Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), dealing with breast density and detecting a breast cancer diagnosis, aligning Michigan's notification standards with federal guidelines.

- SB 158 by Sen. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.) and HB 4262 by Rep. Mike Harris (R-Clarkston), banning ticket bots from gobbling up large numbers of event tickets. The legislation allows the Attorney General to investigate potential violators and pursue fines.

- SB 269 by Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton), allowing federal grants awarded to the Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) to go directly to it instead of first being processed and dispersed by the Michigan Aeronautics Commission.

- SB 512 and SB 513 by Singh and Hauck, permitting breweries to sell nonalcoholic beer produced off premise for visitors to consume. Furthermore, it allows shops in airports serving international travelers to obtain products from Michigan-based distributors, when they're currently restricted to Canadian distributors.

- Legislation aimed at protecting tax credits given to generational farmers participating in Michigan's Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program (P.A. 116), despite recent interpretations by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and state Treasury.

SB 685, SB 686, SB 687, SB 688, SB 689, SB 690 and SB 699 clarify that farm owners enrolled in both P.A. 116 and a permanent conservation easement can still receive tax credits. They also protect tax credit agreements with farmers who purchase a small parcel – not to exceed one acre – to not be used for agriculture if it makes land boundaries more regular.

Additionally, the bills increase from $1.4 million to $2.1 million the maximum amount of money that can be spent on yearly P.A. 116 administrative costs.

- HB 4045 by Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt), creating a path for courts to quickly dismiss Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participants (SLAPP) lawsuits believed to be retaliatory legal claims intended to intimidate someone from speaking out.

- HB 4065 by Rep. Joseph Aragona (R-Clinton Township), allowing alcohol to be sold at the Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center Complex.

- HB 4098 and HB 4099 by Reps. Pat Outman (R-Six Lakes) and Steve Frisbie (R-Battle Creek), allowing Michigan's Tax Tribunal to conduct hearings and proceedings electronically.

- HB 4493 by Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown), removing licensing fees for blind Michiganders who operate concession stands and snack bars inside of government buildings. The bill is identical to last term's SB 986.

- HB 4666 by Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac), increasing from $500 to $1,000 the fine against life insurers for making distinctions and discriminations based "on race or color."

- HB 4401 by Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond), removing the Jan. 1, 2026 sunset on annual pheasant hunting licenses, allowing the fee – which has generated $179,500 in average revenues over the last three fiscal years – to continue in perpetuity.