LANSING, Mich. (Oct. 27, 2025) — Today, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and the Michigan Senate in Michigan Senate v. Michigan House of Representatives, the lawsuit brought forth by Leader Brinks after House Speaker Matt Hall deliberately withheld nine bills that passed both chambers to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. With four judges having now said that the State Constitution requires that the bills be presented, this ruling should serve as a clear conclusion to Speaker Hall’s drawn-out attempt to evade the Constitution.
Leader Brinks issued the following response:
“At a time when Republican leaders across the country are breaking the law and getting away with it, this is a particularly meaningful win. No matter how deep our political differences, the Constitution must be followed. Skirting the law is bad enough, but it’s so much worse that they did it in the name of stopping bills that would have helped thousands of their constituents make ends meet.
“I’m proud to fight this fight on behalf of educators, first responders, and the many hardworking folks who keep our communities running and deserve to have this legislation enacted. I hope this case serves as a warning for all future legislators – following the law is your oath, and you will be held accountable for doing your job.”
House Bills 4177 and 4665–4667 of 2023 and House Bills 4900–4901, 5817–5818, and 6058 of 2024 were passed by the Senate and returned to the House for presentation to the governor. The Republican House of Representatives attempted to block these nine bills — which lower health care costs for teachers and first responders and improve retirement benefits for corrections officers — from being presented to the governor.
The court remanded the case to the Court of Claims for issuance of a writ of mandamus ordering defendants to present the bills to the governor. The opinion can be read here.