Michigan Supreme Court Set to Hear Arguments on Withheld Bills Case as Senate Sues House Over Stalled Legislation

The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral arguments in a legal dispute between the state Senate and House of Representatives over nine bills that passed both chambers during the 2023-2024 legislative session but never reached Governor Gretchen Whitmer's desk.

The case, which has been winding through Michigan's court system for months, involves bills dealing with public employee health care premiums, retirement plans for corrections officers, wage garnishment protections, and the ability of Detroit historical museums to levy property taxes.

Bills In Limbo

The nine bills in question were House Bills 4177, 4665-4667, 4900, 4901, 5817, 5818, and 6058 from the 2023-2024 legislative session.

HB 4665-4667 would allow certain state employees to join the State Police Retirement System hybrid pension plan instead of a 401K-type plan. HB 5817 and 5818 would establish history museum authorities in counties with populations over 500,000, allowing these authorities to levy property taxes to support museum operations.

HB 4900 would modify what wages, money, and property are exempt from garnishment and execution. HB 4901 would amend the Revised Judicature Act to expand exemptions from inclusion in a debtor's estate.

HB 6058 would require employers to contribute to certain medical plans and limit the amount employees pay for annual costs, rates, and reimbursements for copays, deductibles, or health savings accounts.

The Legal Battle

The controversy began at the end of the 2024 legislative session when Michigan House Republicans and one Democrat walked out during the final days of the session, preventing these bills from moving forward. The Senate passed the House bills and sent them back to the House to be enrolled and forwarded to Governor Whitmer.

Then-House Speaker Joe Tate did not get the bills enrolled before the clock ran out at the end of the term. When Republicans assumed control of the House in January 2025, current House Speaker Matt Hall ordered a legal review of the situation and told staff to halt processing the bills.

In February 2025, the Senate sued the House over the stalled legislation. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, accused Hall of failing to fulfill his responsibilities as an elected official and failing to abide by the state constitution.

The lawsuit contends that the Legislature is mandated to send bills to the governor after they pass both chambers, and that House Republicans violated the state constitution by refusing to do so.

Court Rulings So Far

A Court of Claims judge ruled that the bills should have been sent to Whitmer's desk but stopped short of forcing the House to present them. Hall has maintained in the months since that those bills are not his responsibility.

The Michigan Supreme Court granted a motion for immediate consideration in the case on Friday, with oral arguments scheduled for May.

Why This Matters

Byron Osborn, president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, said the issue has real consequences for workers in the state's prison system.

One of those nine bills would have allowed Department of Corrections officers to enroll in a hybrid pension program. Osborn, who has been a correctional officer in Michigan for more than 30 years, said the bill was important because corrections officers face diminished benefit packages compared to other sectors.

"They've not been able to keep up with hiring because they've diminished the benefit package to get people to come do this dangerous work," Osborn said.

He noted that private sector jobs and even the federal corrections system offer better benefits. The officer shortage means more dangerous conditions for officers who stay, civilian workers inside prisons, and the prisoners themselves.

"I don't want to downplay how dangerous these prisons are," Osborn said. "Being in a prison setting is the last place you want to have physically and mentally exhausted staff."

What's Next

CBS News Detroit reached out to Speaker Matt Hall and the Governor's office for comment, but did not hear back as of Thursday.

The Senate has maintained that the fate of the bills is "not subject to negotiation."

The Michigan Supreme Court's ruling in May could determine whether these bills become law or remain in limbo indefinitely.

Michigan Supreme Court Set to Hear Arguments on Withheld Bills Case as Senate Sues House Over Stalled Legislation