MML March/April 2024 Review Magazine

–By Dave Hodgkins MUNICIPAL CAUCUS: LOCAL TO LANSING

As we enter the second year of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session, the Michigan Municipal League continues to work with a key group in the Michigan Legislature. Known as the Municipal Caucus, this bi-partisan effort was formed by the League’s State and Federal Affairs team three sessions ago. It comprises elected officials—representatives and senators— with prior experience serving in municipal government. The underlying principle is that regardless of where and who a lawmaker represents, everyone in the Municipal Caucus shares the common bond of having served constituents at the village and city levels before arriving in Lansing. This background in local government and their time promoting our cities and villages makes the organization instrumental in forming—and achieving—solutions.

July 2005 House Local Government Caucus Formed The League assisted with the formation of a bi-partisan Local Government Caucus. The idea came about after two freshman legislators expressed an interest in putting together such a group soon after they came to Lansing. League staff worked with them to identify legislators with local government experience (65 of the 110 House members). At its first meeting, the group determined “The purpose of the Caucus is to provide a forum for education, awareness, and discussion of issues impacting local units of government and their residents.”

“ . . . everyone in the Municipal Caucus shares the common bond of having served constituents at the village and city levels before arriving in Lansing. ”

Municipal Caucus Co-Chairs

Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield)

Senator Mike Webber (R-Rochester Hills)

Representative Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw)

Representative Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills)

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