With legislative activity in Lansing still on a slow simmer, at best, MAC’s advocacy staff continue to prepare for what is expected to be an extraordinary “lame duck” session after the General Election, MAC’s Podcast 83 team explains in a new episode.

“First, there are the concerns around minimum staffing,” said Deena Bosworth. “Legislation in the House right now would make minimum staffing a mandatory subject of bargaining at the local level, particularly for Public Act 312 employees, and you combine that with the expansion of binding arbitration to corrections officers earlier this year, that's highly concerning for us, and we will continue to oppose that going into lame duck.

“On the tax and finance side of things, we're looking at perhaps tackling the ‘Dark Stores’ legislation,” Bosworth added. “Reps. (Julie) Brixie and (Jenn) Hill have some bills in and I know it's a very big priority for them.

“And clearly the no. 1 issue is our Revenue Sharing Trust Fund again, which is sitting in the Senate Finance Committee; we are hoping that they move it out of there. We do know we have an overwhelming number of legislators in support of it. It's just (a matter of) will they move it and put it on the governor's desk for her signature?”

Bosworth also noted that MAC has released a series of one-page “Issue Briefs” for members to use in their talks with state legislators.

“We give them a little bit of background on the topic and really what we want you to talk to your legislators about,” Bosworth said. “So please, everybody … look up those issue briefs. If you are seeing your legislators back in district before the election … please bring some of these items up and help us get over the finish line on some of them.”

MAC Issue Briefs

Host and Executive Director Stephan Currie reviewed the results of MAC’s Annual Conference, held Sept. 24-26, including: