Michigan lawmakers introduced a three-bill package Thursday that would create a state commission to study reparations for descendants of enslaved Americans. The bills landed in Lansing on the eve of Juneteenth and immediately drew opposition from House leadership.

The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus called the proposal the Reparative Justice Package. It includes House Bills 6111, 6112, and 6113. The bills were sponsored by Rep. Jason Hoskins (D-Southfield), Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit), and Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac).

"Our history is not distant. Its effects are still with us today. If we are serious about addressing systemic challenges, we must do so based on facts, evidence, and sound data," Hoskins said in a statement. "This legislation puts that principle into practice by allowing us to move from assumptions to evidence, and from anecdotes to facts."

What the bills would do

The three bills each address a different part of the proposed framework:

  • HB 6111 would create a nine-member American Freedmen Reparations Commission within the state Treasury Department. The commission would have subpoena power and would be tasked with producing a report on recommended reparations within 18 months. Five members would be appointed by the governor. Two would be appointed by the Senate President Pro Tempore. Two would be appointed by the House Speaker.
  • HB 6112 would establish an Office of Freedmen Affairs inside the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. The office would coordinate resources, conduct research, preserve history, and advise policymakers on issues affecting descendants of enslaved Americans.
  • HB 6113 would require state and local government entities collecting demographic data to create subcategories for Black residents. Individuals would be able to self-identify as descendants of those enslaved in the United States. Lawmakers are seeking $3 million to $5 million in state funding to support the data collection effort, according to WILX.

The bills define "American Freedmen" as a person having at least one ancestor who was an enslaved individual. Reparations are defined as "any tangible benefits or remuneration for the purpose of repaying the debt of unpaid labor from slavery and repairing the effects of slavery," according to the text of HB 6111.

Why lawmakers say the bills are needed

Sponsors pointed to persistent gaps between Black and white Michiganders in household income, poverty rates, and health outcomes. They said those disparities trace back to decades of discriminatory public policy.

"Put emotions aside, put the culture wars aside, this is about honoring and recognizing the harms that have happened years prior to now," McKinney said during a press conference Thursday, according to WKAR.

Carter said the push would continue even if the bills do not advance this session.

"If we don't get it through this legislative session, we will do it the next one, and we'll keep on going just like our ancestors did," Carter told WILX.

Opposition from House Speaker

House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) said he opposed reparations payments. He told WILX the effort would come at the expense of services that all Michiganders rely on.

"A lot of these type of task forces are pushing these reparations where we would take resources from schools, police, and local governments and pay reparations," Hall said. "I don't support that."

Hall told WILX he had not seen the bills in full and would review them.

The bills were referred to the House Committee on Government Operations. WKAR noted that committee is known as a graveyard for most legislation assigned to it.

How this fits into a broader national conversation

Detroit released its own reparations task force report last year. The city's recommendations included up to $40,000 in downpayment assistance for homes, up to $30,000 for home repairs, and $100,000 grants for Black businesses. Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield established the task force as a city council member but has not implemented any of its recommendations since taking office in January, according to The Midwesterner.

Ann Arbor City Council voted 10-0 on June 15 to approve a contract for up to $200,000 for a one-year reparations harm study, according to MLive. The study will examine housing and policing policies and their impacts on Black residents.

Public opinion on reparations remains divided. A 2023 University of Michigan poll found 63 percent of Detroit residents supported some form of reparations. A 2021 Pew Research survey found 30 percent of Americans supported reparations for Black Americans. A 2024 YouGov poll found that figure had risen to 38 percent, according to The Midwesterner.

Who is backing the effort

Ernest Russell, president of the Freedmen Agenda League of Michigan, released a statement supporting the bills.

"History does not simply disappear because time passes. Justice requires remembrance, and remembrance requires action," Russell said, according to WILX.

Senate Democrats have signaled support for the concept. Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) said last month during a podcast interview that she was open to ideas including investments in education, small business ownership, debt forgiveness, and homeownership forgiveness.

The bills now sit in committee. Their fate depends on whether lawmakers schedule a hearing before the session ends.