The Michigan legislature: how it works
What your state legislature controls covers the general powers. This page profiles Michigan's legislature.
The basics
Michigan runs one of the nation's few full-time state legislatures. The Senate has 38 members elected to 4-year terms concurrent with the governor's race, and the House has 110 members elected to 2-year terms concurrent with U.S. House elections. Members devote at least 84 percent of a full-time job to the role, and pay reflects that: a base salary of $71,685 a year plus a $10,800 annual expense allowance, the fourth-highest legislator compensation in the country behind California, Pennsylvania, and New York. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2022 replacing Michigan's older, stricter separate House and Senate term-limit caps with a combined 12-year limit that can be served in either chamber in any combination, among the tightest limits of any state legislature.
Who controls it now
As of mid-2026, Democrats hold the Senate 19-18 and Republicans hold the House 58-52. All 38 Senate seats and all 110 House seats are on the ballot November 3, 2026, alongside the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state races.
Where to go
- Michigan Legislature: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/
- Michigan Senate: https://senate.michigan.gov/
- Michigan House: https://www.house.mi.gov/