The 2022 general election—the first to implement legislative districts drawn by Michigan’s new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission—ushered in tectonic shifts in the political landscape of the Great Lakes State. When the 102nd Legislature convened on Jan. 11, Democrats controlled both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first time since 1983 (before many of the newly sworn-in legislators were even born). Fifty-four of the 110 members of the House and four of the 38 members of the Senate are new to the Legislature—a turnover rate not uncommon since voters approved term limits for legislators in 1992, but nonetheless significant.
In notable ways, the new Legislature looks quite different than those that came before it. For one, it’s decidedly younger. In the House, nearly one-third of the representatives are less than 40 years of age, while only 18% are older than 60. The Legislature’s leadership is more diverse and represents a number of historic firsts. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) is the first woman to serve in that role. In fact, she’s the first woman to lead either chamber in Michigan. Likewise, House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) is the first Black Michigander to serve as speaker and the first to lead either chamber. Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) and House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Township)—an attorney—round out this term’s chamber leadership. The number of women elected and serving ticked up slightly from the 101st Legislature, with 15 women in the new Senate and 45 in the House, and this Legislature also boasts the largest (seven) contingent of openly LGBTQ lawmakers in the state’s history. At the same time, the number of Black lawmakers fell from 20 last term to 17.
Thirteen lawyer-legislators will serve in the 102nd Legislature, with one attorney elected to the Senate and 12 serving in the House. While that figure isn’t uncommon when compared to recent legislative sessions, it continues a historical slide the number of lawyer-legislators in Michigan. We need to go back to 1980 to find fewer members of the Bar serving at the state capitol. With that said, attorneys will continue to play prominent leadership roles at the committee level. For this session, the House will have both a Judiciary Committee and Criminal Justice Committee. Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) will chair Judiciary with Rep. Graham Filler (R-St. Johns) serving as minority vice chair. Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) will chair Criminal Justice with Rep. Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale) serving as minority vice chair. All four are attorneys. In the Senate, Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) will chair the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee with Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) serving as minority vice chair. Neither are attorneys.
There will be no shortage of issues of interest to the Bar before this Legislature: many recommendations from the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration and the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform remain to be debated; legislation expanding access to problem-solving courts is expected to be a priority; and legislators will need to address the perennial question of how Michigan can secure sustainable funding for our trial courts, to name but a few. Lawyer-legislators will bring their considerable expertise in a broad range of practice areas to bear on these challenges and more. Read the following profiles to learn more about them.
REPRESENTATIVE JOEY ANDREWS
D-38 | ST. JOSEPH | FIRST TERM
House Office Building 887
Phone: 517.373.0827
Email: joeyandrews@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/joey-andrews/
Bar Admit Date: Dec. 10, 2014
Law School: Wayne State University Law School
Standing Committees: Criminal Justice (majority vice chair); Energy, Communications, and Technology (majority vice chair); Labor
Economic Development and Small Business Subcommittee: Housing
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY BREEN
D-21 | NOVI | SECOND TERM
House Office Building 785
Phone: 517.373.2575
Email: kellybreen@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/kelly-breen/
Bar Admit Date: May 13, 2003
Law School: Wayne State University Law School
Standing Committees: Criminal Justice; Ethics and Oversight; Insurance and Financial Service; Judiciary (chair); Local Government and Municipal Finance
REPRESENTATIVE GRAHAM FILLER
R-93 | DEWITT | THIRD TERM
House Office Building 1197
Phone: 517.373.1778
Email: grahamfiller@house.mi.gov
Website: gophouse.org/member/ repgrahamfiller/
Bar Admit Date: May 31, 2011
Law School: University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Standing Committees: Criminal Justice (minority vice chair); Health Policy; Regulatory Reform
REPRESENTATIVE ANDREW FINK
R-35 | HILLSDALE | SECOND TERM
House Office Building 799
Phone: 517.373.1788
Email: andrewfink@house.mi.gov
Website: gophouse.org/member/ repandrewfink/
Bar Admit Date: Oct. 22, 2010
Law School: University of Michigan Law School
Standing Committees: Appropriations; Judiciary (minority vice chair); Tax Policy
Appropriations Subcommittee: Joint Capital Outlay
REPRESENTATIVE JIM HAADSMA
D-44 | BATTLE CREEK | THIRD TERM
House Office Building 893
Phone: 517.373.2616
Email: jimhaadsma@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/jim-haadsma/
Bar Admit Date: Nov. 8, 1984
Law School: Wayne State University Law School
Standing Committees: Health Policy; Labor (chair); Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (chair)
REPRESENTATIVE MATT HALL
R-42 | RICHLAND TWP. | THIRD TERM
Capitol Building 167
Phone: 517.373.1784
Email: matthall@house.mi.gov
Website: gophouse.org/member/ repmatthall/
Bar Admit Date: Nov. 3, 2017
Law School: Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Standing Committees: House Fiscal Governing Committee; Legislative Council (minority vice chair)
REPRESENTATIVE KARA HOPE
D-74 | LANSING | THIRD TERM
House Office Building 1093
Phone: 517.373.8900
Email: karahope@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/kara-hope/
Bar Admit Date: June 6, 2003
Law School: Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Standing Committees: Criminal Justice (chair); Elections; Ethics and Oversight (majority vice chair); Judiciary
REPRESENTATIVE JASON HOSKINS
D-18 | SOUTHFIELD |FIRST TERM
House Office Building 697
Phone: 517.373.1180
Email: jasonhoskins@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/jason-hoskins/
Bar Admit Date: Dec. 17, 2020
Law School: University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Standing Committees: Economic Development and Small Business (chair); Ethics and Oversight; Judiciary; Local Government and Municipal Finance; Transportation, Mobility, and Infrastructure
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS KUHN
R-51 | TROY | FIRST TERM
House Office Building 991
Phone: 517.373.1706
Email: thomaskuhn@house.mi.gov
Website: gophouse.org/member/reptomkuhn/
Bar Admit Date: Nov. 13, 1985
Law School: Michigan State University Detroit College of Law
Standing Committees: Appropriations
Appropriations Subcommittees: General Government; Health and Human Services; Higher Education and Community Colleges (minority vice chair)
REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINE MORSE
D-40 | TEXAS TWP. | SECOND TERM
House Office Building 889
Phone: 517.373.8670
Email: christinemorse@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/christine-morse/
Bar Admit Date: Jan. 7, 1999
Law School: Wayne State University Law School
Standing Committees: Appropriations
Appropriations Subcommittee: Corrections; Health and Human Services (chair); Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Insurance and Financial Services; Military and Veterans Affairs and State Police
REPRESENTATIVE PENELOPE TSERNOGLOU
D-75 | EAST LANSING | FIRST TERM
House Office Building 1094
Phone: 517.373.2668
Email: penelopetsernoglou@house.mi.gov
Website: housedems.com/penelope-tsernoglou/
Bar Admit Date: Nov. 22, 2004
Law School: Michigan State University Detroit College of Law
Standing Committees: Criminal Justice; Elections (chair); Judiciary
Subcommittee: Economic Development and Small Business: Housing
REPRESENTATIVE DOUGLAS WOZNIAK
R-59 | SHELBY TWP. | THIRD TERM
House Office Building 993
Phone: 517.373.0832
Email: douglaswozniak@house.mi.gov
Website: gophouse.org/member/ repdougwozniak/
Bar Admit Date: May 21, 1998
Law School: Michigan State University Detroit College of Law
Standing Committees: Ethics and Oversight; Families, Children and Seniors (minority vice chair); Judiciary; Labor
SENATOR SUE SHINK
D-14 | NORTHFIELD | FIRST TERM
Senate Building 4200
Phone: 517.373.2426
Email: sensshink@senate.michigan.gov
Website: senatedems.com/shink/
Bar Admit Date: Nov. 21, 1994
Law School: University of Michigan Law School
Standing Committees: Appropriations; Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety (majority vice chair); Energy and Environment; Housing and Human Services; Local Government; Natural Resources and Agriculture (chair)
Appropriations Subcommittees: Agriculture and Natural Resources (majority vice chair); Corrections and Judiciary (chair); Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy