LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Office of the Tribal Legislative Liaison is one step closer to becoming a reality. Wednesday, the state House of Representatives voted to pass the bill, sending it over to the Senate for further consideration.
Once signed by the Governor, the legislation will allow the twelve recognized tribes in Michigan to appoint an official legislative liaison. Authored by state Representative Carrie Rheingans (D- Ann Arbor), the legislation states that the liaison will work with two aids to provide training and reports to lawmakers and advise on policy.
“I actually had to learn the hard way about why we needed a tribal liaison after many tribal leaders felt very disappointed that I didn’t consult with them as I was developing bills earlier this term,” Rheingans said. “I’m really glad that we’ll have that resource going forward.”
The liaison will be required to visit each tribe annually and produce a report for the legislature.
Currently, all of Michigan’s departments, including the governor’s office, have tribal consultants, but lawmakers don’t. Many lawmakers still consult the tribes as they draft new legislation, but this would be the first office in the nation dedicated to assisting legislators. Funding for the office has already been set aside in the 2025 fiscal year budget.
