Michigan Supreme Court Deliberates on Fate of Nine Blocked Bills

The Michigan Supreme Court heard oral arguments May 6 in a case that tests whether the judicial branch can compel the Legislature to complete its own constitutional processes. At stake are nine bills passed by the 102nd Legislature in December 2024 that were never presented to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before the session ended.

When Republicans took control of the House in January 2025, Speaker Matt Hall declined to present the bills, arguing the new 103rd House has no obligation to complete the unfinished business of its predecessor. The Senate Democratic caucus, led by Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, filed suit. The Court of Claims dismissed the complaint, declining to order action on separation of powers grounds. The Court of Appeals reversed and granted the mandamus relief the Senate had sought. Hall appealed to the MSC.

The central dispute is whether the presentment clause — Michigan Constitution language stating that every bill passed by the Legislature shall be presented to the governor before it becomes law — creates a judicially enforceable duty. Kyle Asher, counsel for the House Republican caucus, argued the clause is a descriptive prerequisite, not a command, and that the Michigan Constitution leaves the mechanics of presentment entirely to internal legislative rules. Mark Brewer, counsel for the Senate Democratic caucus, argued the plain meaning of the word “shall” leaves no room for the kind of unilateral veto Hall has exercised over bills that both chambers had already approved.

Justice Elizabeth Welch pressed Asher on the Senate’s citation of five prior instances in which one chamber presented bills to a governor after the end of a legislative session — a practice the House does not dispute as fact. Asher’s response invoked an Idaho Supreme Court decision on similar circumstances, arguing the constitutional guidance is not as clear as it appears. Brewer told the court that if Hall’s position is sustained, it will give a single legislative leader the power to kill legislation that has survived both chambers — a structural change to Michigan’s bicameral system that no court has ever countenanced.

The policies themselves are not trivial. Among the nine: a bill placing corrections officers in the state police pension system, which the AFL-CIO called a corrections staffing and safety issue; a bill raising the public employer health insurance hard cap that Democrats and educators argue has driven teachers out of the profession; and a bill exempting public assistance payments from debt collection. The $300,000 in legal fees the House has spent on this case is a matter of public record. The MSC, where Democratic-nominated justices hold a 6-1 advantage, is expected to rule before the end of the term.

Federal Court to Approve $700M Google Play Store Settlement; Michigan Among 53 States

A federal court in the Northern District of California announced last week it will approve a $700 million settlement in the multistate antitrust case against Google over its dominance of Android app distribution and in-app payment processing. Michigan AG Dana Nessel joined the bipartisan 53-attorney-general coalition that filed suit in 2021, and the approval ends a five-year case.

The settlement’s conduct provisions are the more consequential piece. For at least five years, app developers may use alternate payment systems, inform users about lower prices available outside Google’s billing infrastructure, and list their apps on competing stores without retaliation. Android users will be able to download apps from outside the Play Store for at least seven years. The settlement also forces Google to update business practices that the attorneys general argued had illegally locked out competition in the Android ecosystem. Nessel’s office noted the approval in a press release issued May 5.

Dearborn Heights Pharmacy Technician Pleads Guilty to $5.6M Medicare and Medicaid Fraud

Ali Naserdean, 32, of Dearborn Heights, pled guilty May 1 in federal court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and possession with intent to illegally distribute oxycodone. Naserdean worked as a pharmacy technician at three metro-Detroit pharmacies between 2019 and 2022. During that period, he and a co-conspirator submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescriptions that were never ordered by physicians and never dispensed to patients. The scheme used forged prescriptions to conceal the fraud, listing physicians who had never seen the patients and medications that were never actually prescribed. Total losses to the three programs exceeded $5.6 million. Separately, Naserdean provided unlawful oxycodone prescriptions to drug traffickers in exchange for cash. Sentencing is set for September 1, 2026. He faces a maximum of 20 years.

Court of Appeals May Session Call Opens; Criminal Panels Sit in Detroit This Week

The Michigan Court of Appeals May 2026 session call is underway. Panels are sitting at Cadillac Place in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Tuesday’s session before Panel 3 includes People v. Hollon and People v. Moran; Wednesday’s session includes People v. Huston, People v. Sterling, and People v. Sexton, among others. Full panel assignments and schedules are available through the Michigan Courts website. Parties with active matters in the May session should confirm argument times and confirm that all filings are in order through MiFile.