MICHIGAN LEGISLATIVE HISTORY RESEARCH

Tim Watters, Librarian

Source: US GPO

Michigan

Public Act

Bills (some at the Library; some at the Archives)

Bill analyses (1973-ish to present)

House & Senate Journals (no remarks or debate)

Unpublished manuscript/archival materials

Newspapers, Michigan Report (Gongwer)

Miscellaneous Sticking Points (where researchers get stuck)

•Public Acts which convey state land (“land transfers”) are not codified/compiled. The act is available but it will not be in MCL or West’s MCLA. (Same for local acts.)

•Appropriations acts are not codified/compiled and may include “boilerplate” requirements which do not appear in MCL; example: full-day kindergarten.

•There are no bill analyses for individual MCL sections. Bill analyses are for an entire bill and may not mention the specific section you are researching.

•There is no legislative history at all (not even journal entries) for initiated laws (ballot proposals) such as medical marihuana. You may want to check the petitioner’s website for an explanation of their model state legislation.

•The Michigan Legislature does not publish any record of discussions or debates; there are no published legislative histories.

Example # 1 : “True Value” in a foreclosure deficiency judgement

No bill analyses in 1961. Bill analyses started in late 1960’s or early 1970’s.

Luckily we do have this State Bar of Michigan report which preceded the Revised Judicature Act of 1961

RJA MCL numbers were not added yet so we have to search by subject

This is where we find the prior MCL numbers (similar to West disposition tables) and also committee comments.

Source: Records & Briefs

Just for historical context note that the introduced bill was a temporary measure due to massive numbers of foreclosures.

Example #2:“Auxiliary Services”

Legislators may enter protests in the journals

1965

Thank you!