What's On Tap For '26?

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/19/2025) The House and Senate leadership closed the door on 2025 on Thursday with big dreams for 2026, but none that seem to overlap.

Asked Thursday about 2026, the first thing that came to mind for House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) was property tax reform. He'd mentioned earlier this month that he'd like to create a Proposal A-type revenue-neutral choice for voters to choose between.

Next, Hall talked about hospital transparency and price transparency, giving a nod to SB 95 , a Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) bill that prohibits a hospital from collecting debts if doesn't have its prices available for public review.

“We can't let these hospitals set the prices anymore because they're out of control," Hall said. “They're too expensive. We need more accountability out of the hospitals.”

Next, the Speaker said regulatory reform would play a big role in 2026.

“We'll see if economic development gets more momentum because that kind of fizzled out at the end when Democrats lost their focus, because they were distracted by the House lawfully using its power to reject the Whitmer administration from putting all the money into her slush fund and spending hundreds of millions of dollars," Hall said.

On the economic development front, there are two tracks. The first deals with bills that allow select companies to keep the state income payments remitted by their new employees. The second expands Michigan's brownfield redevelopment program to grease the wheels for specific developments across the state.

Over in the Senate, Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) was quick to mention restoring the $644.9 million in work projects the House Appropriations Committee denied. If Hall sees the projects going through the Hall Ethics Accountability and Transparency (HEAT) process and is thinking March for passage “that's far too long.

“We're talking about people who are experiencing a mental health crisis," she continued. “We're talking about fire trucks. You have to wonder how many lives will be lost if there's not proper equipment. Decisions that he is making have real consequences, and it's unconscionable.”

The Senate asked Attorney General Dana Nessel for her opinion on the potential constitutionality of the law the House used to cancel the work projects.

As for other subjects, Brinks mentioned Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) expansion to the Legislature and the Governor's office. She said she'd also like to see prescription drug affordability and regulations on children using artificial intelligence.

Senate Democrats introduced bills this week that were crafted with industry experts and Reset Tech, a global nonprofit that aligns digital markets with democratic values. SB 757 bans social media platforms from providing “addictive, personal data-driven feeds to minors unless parental consent is given.” SB 758 and SB 759 would mandate stricter data privacy and safety settings for minors on digital platforms while also giving parents more control over their children’s online accounts.

The last bill, SB 760 makes sure kids can't access AI companion chatboxes, including those that have the capacity to encourage self-harming behaviors and sexually explicit interactions.

“We've been seeking ways that we can work together and that seems like a great place to start," Brinks said. “We've been disappointed in the past, so hopefully he will see the light, have a resolution when he wakes up on Jan. 1 to come to work with a new attitude an eye on being more productive, but I'm not holding my breath.”