Michigan Guide 2024
We all deserve the freedom to make our own decisions about our bodies, lives, and futures without barriers or political interference. In 2024, we know that freedom is at stake – for our reproductive health care and bodily autonomy, for building safe and inclusive schools, for protecting our democracy, and for investing in a real care economy, where all of us can thrive.
But the Michigan that Republicans fight for is one that would strip us of our fundamental freedoms and take us back decades. It is a vision for our state that we must fight against at the ballot box. Our votes are not only for candidates, but for freedom to access health care, schools that teach honest curricula and protect students’ right to be themselves, the ability to care for our loved ones, an open and fair democracy, unbiased and diverse federal courts, and an economy that uplifts women and people of color while making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share.
Republicans have shared their dangerous and extreme Project 2025 playbook for America, which includes an unprecedented slate of policies that would abolish fundamental rights for Nevadans and folks across the country – particularly hurting hardworking families and seniors to benefit the super-rich and corporations. Candidates who support Project 2025 want to criminally charge people experiencing miscarriages, abolish overtime pay, and roll back health insurance protections for pre-existing conditions. And that’s just the beginning. We want to elect legislators who care about the Mama’s Agenda – pro-care candidates who will fight against attacks on our freedoms and champion affordable child care, reproductive justice, paid leave, and basic needs.
Michigan is a great example of the change that is possible when we elect leaders who share our values. Since taking office, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repealed several harmful abortion restrictions, making it easier for new clinics to open and allowing higher education institutions’ pregnant and parenting student services offices to provide referrals for abortion services. Michigan has passed stronger anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQI+ community, ensuring protections stay in place and expanding the current policy to gender identity and expression. Our state also became the first in decades to repeal the “right to work” law that hobbled unions – a victory that will strengthen the organizing power of working women.
But there’s still a lot of work to do, and we need to elect the leaders who will do it. If we show up and speak out, this election could be a gateway to paid leave, expanded child care, better elections, easier access to birth control, and improved maternal health care.
There is more at stake in this election than who will be President. Candidates up and down the ballot have committed to creating a Michigan more aligned with and committed to gender equity. Now it’s up to us to use our votes to support that vision.
Policies to support:
- 1.
Pass the Family Leave Optimal Coverage Act (FLOC) to provide a statewide comprehensive paid family and medical leave benefit.
- 2.
Pass the Child Care for All package in the Michigan Legislature – including the Working Parents Tax Credit, expanded tax subsidies for child care providers, and needed adjustments to child care licensing requirements – to make child care more affordable for parents and help providers pay staff higher wages.
- 3.
Expand access to the ballot box and improve election data by passing Senate bills 401-404.
- 4.
Raise the minimum wage to $17 for all Michiganders.
- 5.
Vote against any legislation seeking to restrict gender affirming care to the patients who need it.
- 6.
Pass House Bills 5435 and 5436 to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control and require health insurance providers to fully cover it.
- 7.
On the federal level, support Black maternal health by passing the Momnibus package of policies.
Questions to ask candidates:
- 1.
Can you commit to supporting the Family Leave Optimal Coverage Act?
- 2.
Will you promise to support working families by passing the Child Care for All package of policies?
- 3.
Will you promise to support working families by passing the Child Care for All package of policies?
- 4.
Can you commit to doing everything you can to support health care, including passing legislation to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control and require health insurance providers to fully cover it as well as legislation to improve maternal health outcomes in Michigan?
- 5.
Will you promise to support transgender patients seeking care by rejecting any attempt to limit access?
- 6.
Will you commit to honoring the results of the 2024 election?
Presidential and Senate Candidates:
State and Local Races to Watch:
Paid for by the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund (www.nwlcactionfund.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.