Features

Lawyer-legislators of Michigan's 102nd Legislature

 

Michigan Bar Journal

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.

 

Joey AndrewsREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Kelly BreenREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Graham FillerREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Andrew FinkREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Jim HaadsmaREPRESENTATIVE 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)

 

Matt HallREPRESENTATIVE 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)

 

Kara HopeREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Jason HoskinsREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Thomas KuhnREPRESENTATIVE 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)

 

Christine MorseREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Penelope TsernoglouREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Douglas WozniakREPRESENTATIVE 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

 

Sue ShinkSENATOR 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