No. 22

STATE OF MICHIGAN

JOURNAL

OF THE

House of Representatives

103rd Legislature

REGULAR SESSION OF 2025

House Chamber, Lansing, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

1:30 p.m.

The House was called to order by the Speaker Pro Tempore.

The roll was called by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who announced that a quorum was present.

Alexander—present	Foreman—present	McFall—present	Schuette—present
Andrews—present	Fox—present	McKinney—present	Scott—present
Aragona—present	Frisbie—present	Meerman—present	Skaggs—present
Arbit—present	Glanville—present	Mentzer—present	Slagh—present
BeGole—excused	Grant—excused	Miller—present	Smit—present
Beson—present	Green, P.—present	Morgan—present	Snyder—present
Bierlein—present	Greene, J.—present	Mueller—present	St. Germaine—present
Bohnak—excused	Hall—present	Myers-Phillips—excused	Steckloff—present
Bollin—present	Harris—present	Neeley—present	Steele—present
Borton—present	Herzberg—present	Neyer—present	Tate—present
Breen—present	Hoadley—present	O’Neal—present	Thompson—present
Brixie—present	Hope—present	Outman—present	Tisdel—present
Bruck—present	Hoskins—present	Paiz—present	Tsernoglou—present
Byrnes—present	Jenkins-Arno—present	Paquette—excused	VanderWall—present
Carra—present	Johnsen—present	Pavlov—present	VanWoerkom—present
Carter, B.—present	Kelly—present	Pohutsky—present	Wegela—present
Carter, T.—excused	Koleszar—present	Posthumus—present	Weiss—present
Cavitt—present	Kuhn—present	Prestin—present	Wendzel—present
Coffia—present	Kunse—present	Price—present	Whitsett—excused
Conlin—present	Liberati—present	Puri—present	Wilson—excused
DeBoer—present	Lightner—present	Rheingans—present	Witwer—present
DeBoyer—present	Linting—present	Rigas—present	Wooden—present
DeSana—present	Longjohn—present	Robinson—present	Woolford—present
Dievendorf—present	MacDonell—present	Rogers—present	Wortz—present
Edwards—present	Maddock—present	Roth—present	Wozniak—present
Fairbairn—present	Markkanen—present	Schmaltz—present	Xiong—present
Farhat—present	Martin—present	Schriver—present	Young—present
Fitzgerald—present	Martus—present

e/d/s = entered during session

Rep. Alabas Farhat, from the 3rd District delivered the following invocation on behalf of Sheikh Mohammad Ayad, Sheikh of Islamic Center of America in Dearborn:

“⬥ Opening (Praise and Gratitude)

•Begin with:

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful).

•Praise Allah (SWT), the Lord of Mercy, the Sustainer, the One who answers the call of the distressed and brings peace to the hearts.

•Send salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad (S) and his purified family, the Ahlulbayt (AS), who illuminated the path of justice, mercy, and righteousness for all humanity.

Prophet Muhammad (P) said:

‘Praise be to Allah, Whose mercy is universal, and Whose blessings are abundant. We praise Him for His boundless favors and seek His help in fulfilling our duties.’

⬥ Acknowledgment of Ramadan’s Spiritual and Social Importance

•Ramadan is a time of self-discipline, reflection, and spiritual renewal, where we humble ourselves before Allah and seek closeness to Him.

•It is a month where millions of Muslims across the world engage in fasting—not just from food and drink but also from negativity, injustice, and harm.

•The Quran reminds us:

‘O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety (taqwa).’ (Quran 2:183)

•This blessed month calls us to embody justice, compassion, and charity, values deeply rooted in the teachings of the Quran , Prophet Muhammad(P) and the Ahlulbayt

•Imam Ali (AS) final words were a testament to justice:

‘Be mindful of Allah in matters concerning orphans. Do not let them starve while you are full. Do not let them be lost while you are present.’

•Let this month be a reminder that our faith is not just about prayer and fasting but about serving the most vulnerable.

⬥ A Call for Unity, Compassion, and Justice

•Ramadan teaches us empathy, patience, and generosity—qualities that transcend religious, racial, and cultural divides.

•We are called to remember the oppressed and the needy, those struggling with poverty, injustice, and displacement.

•The Prophet (S) said:

‘He is not a believer who sleeps full while his neighbor is hungry.’

•We must open our hearts to the orphans, the refugees, the homeless, and the forgotten members of society.

•The Quran calls upon us:

‘And they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, saying: “We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We desire neither reward nor thanks from you.”‘ (Quran 76:8-9)

•Ramadan is a call for justice. It is a month where the suffering of the poor is not ignored but rather uplifted.

⬥ Prayer for Leaders and the Community

•O Allah, bless our leaders with wisdom, sincerity, and justice. Let them govern with fairness and compassion, and may they always uplift the voices of the oppressed.

•O Allah, bless the citizens of Michigan. Grant them safety, prosperity, and harmony in their communities.

•O Allah, unite us in righteousness. Remove the barriers of division, hatred, and injustice. Let our differences be a source of strength, not discord.

•Let us lead with courage, with fairness, and with a heart that sees the pain of others as our own.

⬥ Closing (Quranic Verse and Supplication)

‘Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.’ (Quran 16:90)

⬥ Ending with a dua (supplication):

‘O Allah, bring joy to the hearts of the broken.

O Allah, feed the hungry, clothe the unclothed, and shelter the homeless.

O Allah, relieve the distressed, heal the sick, and free the oppressed.

O Allah, grant us the strength to serve others with sincerity and love.

O Allah, purify our hearts, forgive our sins, and accept our prayers in this blessed month.

O Allah, let Ramadan be a source of mercy for us, for our families, and for all humanity.

Ya Allah, answer our prayers, for You are the Most Merciful, the Most Generous. Ameen.’”

Rep. Fitzgerald moved that Reps. Myers-Phillips, Grant, Tyrone Carter, Wilson and Whitsett be excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

Rep. Posthumus moved that Reps. BeGole, Bohnak and Paquette be excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

Motions and Resolutions

Reps. Johnsen, Meerman, Wortz, Neyer, Woolford, Aragona, Cavitt, Roth, Miller, Jaime Greene, Wozniak, Alexander, Kelly, Fairbairn, Steele, Pavlov, Hoadley, Bierlein, Kunse, Beson, BeGole, Frisbie, Rigas, Fox and VanderWall offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 29.

A resolution to urge the United States Congress to pass legislation temporarily freezing the Adverse Effect Wage Rate for the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Program.

Whereas, Michigan farmers participating in the federal H-2A program must pay temporary foreign workers 18.15 dollars per hour, the 2025 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) in Michigan. The Adverse Effect Wage Rate for agricultural workers in Michigan, which is set annually by the U.S. Department of Labor, has increased by 81 percent since 2008 and 34 percent since 2019; and

Whereas, According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farm production expenses in the United States totaled 481 billion dollars in 2023, a nearly 125 billion dollar increase since 2019. Congress now has the opportunity to help bring down some of these rapidly increasing costs for Michigan farmers by freezing the Adverse Effect Wage Rate; and

Whereas, During the 118th Congress, Michigan U.S. Congressman John Moolenaar introduced the “Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2024,” directing the Secretary of Labor to ensure that the Adverse Effect Wage Rate for H-2A workers that was in effect on December 31, 2023 remains the rate through December 31, 2025. Agricultural organizations in Michigan, including the Michigan Agri-Business Association and Michigan Pork Producers, have voiced their support for Congressman Moolenaar’s bill as they recognize that if the cost of farming continues to increase, farms across the state will be forced to shut down. The loss of farms will be catastrophic for the state, not only because agriculture is a leading economic engine for Michigan, but also because farms serve as the backbone of our rural communities; and

Whereas, In addition to labor costs, farmers have experienced skyrocketing price increases in feed, fertilizer, machinery, and more. Congress should not waste the opportunity to provide much needed relief from rising costs by ensuring that the Adverse Effect Wage Rate does not continue to climb; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Congress to pass legislation temporarily freezing the Adverse Effect Wage Rate for the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Program; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

The resolution was referred to Committee on Agriculture.

Reps. Fairbairn, Prestin, Outman, Wortz, Fox, Cavitt, Bohnak, Markkanen, Kunse, Roth, Schuette, Hoadley, Beson, St. Germaine, Neyer, Borton, DeBoyer, DeSana, Alexander, Johnsen, Woolford, Martin, VanderWall and Jaime Greene offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 30.

A resolution urging the United States Congress to enact legislation that would reinstate the Department of Interior’s prior removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list, thus allowing gray wolf population management to be handled at the state level.

Whereas, Gray wolves were first classified as an endangered species by the federal government in a first of its kind list issued in 1967. Since this initial listing, gray wolves in Michigan and elsewhere have been federally protected under a variety of laws, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and

Whereas, Since its first listing, gray wolf populations across the United States - and especially in Michigan - have made a tremendous recovery and stand as a true success story of the Endangered Species Act. As of 2020, gray wolf populations across the United States have swelled to exceed six thousand animals. Accordingly, gray wolves were delisted by the United States Department of Interior that year, giving authority over population management back to the states. However, in 2022, a federal court overturned this delisting, reclassifying gray wolves as an endangered species in 44 states, including Michigan, effectively revoking states’ management authority over these animals; and

Whereas, Michigan’s thriving gray wolf population is evidence that federal protection for these animals through the Endangered Species Act listing is no longer necessary. In its 2024 winter wolf survey, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimated that there were, at a minimum, over seven-hundred and fifty gray wolves populating the Upper Peninsula, an increase of over a hundred from the DNR’s 2022 survey. The growing wolf population in the Upper Peninsula is estimated to be comprised of over one-hundred and fifty wolf packs and, per the DNR’s research, remains in equilibrium with available habitat. By continuing to benefit from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the killing of these predators unless they pose a direct and immediate threat, the gray wolf population may continue to swell and consequently wreak havoc on an already severely declining white-tail deer population in Michigan. Having exceeded expectations, the gray wolf’s recovery in Michigan should now be managed at the state level by the expertise of our DNR; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Congress to enact legislation that would reinstate the Department of Interior’s prior removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list, thus allowing gray wolf population management to be handled at the state level; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

The resolution was referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism.

Announcement by the Clerk of Printing and Enrollment

The Clerk announced that the following bills and joint resolution had been reproduced and made available electronically on Wednesday, February 26:

House Bill Nos. 4130 4131 4132 4133 4134 4135 4136 4137 4138 4139 4140 4141 4142 4143 4144 4145 4146 4147 4148 4149 4150 4151 4152 4153 4154 4155 4156 4157 4158 4159 4160 4161 4162

House Joint Resolution E

Senate Bill Nos. 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

The Clerk announced that the following bills had been reproduced and made available electronically on Thursday, February 27:

Senate Bill Nos. 110 111 112 113 114

Reports of Standing Committees

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The following report, submitted by Rep. Wendzel, Chair, of the Committee on Energy, was received and read: