As the Legislative session comes to a close, the Michigan Chapter is proud of its legislative progress in 2022. Over the course of the session, Sierra Club tracked over 245 bills in the Michigan legislature. Below are the top initiatives the Michigan Chapter played a significant role in:
- A major $4.7 billion supplemental budget bill that included investments to clean up and protect Michigan’s water, overhaul outdated water infrastructure, fund state and local parks and clean energy, remove lead pipes, and expand broadband internet and more.
- Stopping the 39-bill package to suppress the vote in Michigan. Working with the national Sierra Club, the Michigan Chapter generated thousands of phone calls to State legislative offices opposing these bills.
- topping another bad bottle bill that would have diverted money away from contaminated site clean up.
- Passing legislation to update and modernize Michigan's state clean water and drinking water revolving loan-fund statute.
- Helping introduce many important pieces of legislation around renewable energy, clean transportation, utility accountability, water and air protection, public lands and climate resiliency.
Sierra Club Michigan earned praise for explicitly linking our work to protect democracy with our legislative advocacy. This past spring, we released our first scorecard that focused entirely on democracy.
Lastly, the Sierra Club members had over 70 meetings with state legislators, hosted multiple successful virtual lobby days with more than 100 participants, held more than 30 constituent lobby meetings, and helped over 13,000 people contact their lawmakers!
As 2022 comes to a close, the Michigan Sierra Club is looking ahead to the new legislature as we define our 2023 budget and legislative priorities.
With the new environmental majority coming into power in Lansing, 2023 holds opportunities to push and create change on the issues that matter most to all of us. However, it will not be easy as we continue to fight against big corporate interests. Protecting Michigan's environment will continue to need all hands on deck come January to advocate for our top priorities.