News & Resources

New Bill Aims to Limit Independent Contractor Use

SBAM prioritizes alerting our membership to legislation that we see as problematic and could impact the way you run your business.

August 9, 2022

Gov. Whitmer Announces 40% of Michigan’s Working Families with Kids Under Age 12 Now Eligible for Free or Low-Cost Child Care

Courtesy of the Governor’s office LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Whitmer celebrated the bipartisan expansion of access to free or low-cost child care for 150,000 more Michigan kids and their […]

April 11, 2022

Michigan and small businesses can’t afford a Line 5 shutdown

Opinion piece by SBAM President & CEO Brian CalleyOriginally featured in Bridge Magazine | April 4, 2022 We have record high energy prices and somehow there is still a debate […]

March 9, 2022

Biden’s State of the Union Address Points Out Several Employment Legislative Initiatives

By Michael Burns, courtesy of SBAM Approved Partner ASE In last week’s State of the Union address by President Biden, in addition to his opening focus on the Russian invasion […]

February 3, 2022

Why increasing labor force participation is essential for Michigan’s economy

By SBAM President & CEO Brian Calley, originally posted in Crain’s Detroit Business Forum We are facing massive challenges as a state and country, but the lack of jobs is […]

December 28, 2021

A look back at SBAM’s Advocacy Work in 2021

As we look back on 2021, we wanted to highlight some of the important measures taken to advocate for Michigan small businesses. 1. Safely Reopen Michigan We were crucial in advocating to […]

October 12, 2021

Whitmer Vetoes Election Bills For Perpetuating ‘Big Lie,’ Suppressing Voters

Four election-related bills were scratched off by the Governor’s veto pen, with her reasoning being that they were “attempts to suppress the vote or perpetuate the ‘Big Lie.'” “I will […]

September 27, 2021

Can the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats Enact the $3.5 Trillion Reconciliation Bill?

By Christopher Condeluci | CC Law & Policy At the end of August, I asked this very question. And it continues to be a relevant question to ask. Why? Because over […]

September 21, 2021

Few Know What’s In The Budget… That’s The Point

The Legislature is expected to approve more than $50 billion in spending next week, likely the most amount of money Michigan state government has spent in state history. What’s in […]

August 31, 2021

Gov Wants $2.1B In Fed COVID Money For Job Training, Economic Development

A $2.1 billion chunk of the federal COVID-19 response money would go toward bolstering more small business jobs, help citizens get a free education and build some 2,000 new housing […]

August 24, 2021

Banning Mandatory Vaccines, Masks For Businesses Considered By House Panel

Many workers feel they are being pressured by their employers to get the mRNA shot, Chair Beth Griffin (R-Mattawan) said Thursday morning as her Workforce, Trades and Talent Committee took […]

August 17, 2021

88% Of Hotels, Restaurants Operating With ‘Inadequate’ Staffing, High Foot Traffic

From Aug. 3-6, more than 85% of full-service restaurants were closing early or working under specific time segments directly due to “inadequate staffing levels.” On Wednesday, the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging […]

August 17, 2021

No ‘Broad Order’ On COVID Coming, But Schools Should Be Masking

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is not planning to issue any “broad COVID-19 epidemic orders” that would mandate masking or limit gatherings sizes, Director Elizabeth Hertel said Friday in an […]

August 10, 2021

UI Became Biggest Assistance Program In History During COVID

The federal government “stood up the biggest cash assistance program in history” in just a couple of weeks at the start of the pandemic last year through the Coronavirus Aid, […]

August 10, 2021

Shirkey, Wentworth On CDC Eviction Order: ‘Property Owners Deserve Advocates’

The Senate Majority Leader and House Speaker are requesting the Attorney General to “step in” after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order determining evictions “could […]

August 3, 2021

Supremes: State ‘Properly Counted’ Prop A Spending To Local Governments

State payments under Proposal A revenues paid under the Headlee Amendment count as state aid to local governments, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a decision that mostly favored the state. […]