Often times, Michigan’s congressional delegation votes down party lines. But on House Resolution 7, a bill to terminate the three-year-long COVID-19 national emergency, senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, split from one another.

Peters voted yes on the bill, which end the emergency. He was part of a majority of 68 senators who voted yes.

Stabenow was one of 23 senators who voted no, which would continue the emergency. 

Nine others did not vote, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is still recovering from injuries from a fall earlier this month.

Stabenow has been consistent in voting against ending the COVID emergency; she was on the short end of a 62-36 vote last November, in the previous Congress, to “terminate” the national emergency.

Peters has changed. Peters was also a no vote in November. Now he has voted to terminate a national emergency President Joe Biden said would end in May. Peters did not respond to a CapCon request for comment.

Read the bill for yourself

The same day the national COVID emergency ends, May 11, the COVID task force will disband.

House Resolution 7 passed in the U.S. House Feb. 1 by a 229-197 vote. Michigan’s congressional delegation opposed the measure, 7-6, in a party-line vote. Combining House representatives and senators, the Michigan delegation voted 8-7 against terminating the covid emergency.

Related reading: How Michigan reps voted on ending COVID-19 emergency

Now that the bill has passed the Senate, it will head to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

The repeal of right-to-work left some public sector workers confused about their employment rights. But nothing has changed for them. Government workers still do not have to pay union dues or agency fees as a condition of employment.

“Passing bills that are currently unconstitutional can mislead employees into believing that the law has changed and that they must now pay a union,” said Steve Delie, director of labor policy at Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “Public sector employees across the country have a First Amendment right to not pay a union thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision. Repealing right-to-work does nothing for public sector employees except cause confusion.”

Although public sector workers cannot be forced into paying unions, due to the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Janus vs. AFSCME, Democrats in the Michigan Legislature introduced and passed unconstitutional legislation to the contrary. The original version of House Bill 4004 stated that public sector workers would have to pay union dues or agency fees as a condition of employment.

An amendment offered on the House floor introduced a trigger mechanism. The law requiring public sector workers to pay unions would only be valid under two conditions, the amendment said: if the Supreme Court Janus ruling is overturned or if there is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to authorize public sector bargaining with agency.

Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, offered an amendment that would have cleared up any confusion for public sector workers. It would have required union representatives to provide employees with a notice of their Janus rights. The Democratic majority rejected the amendment.

Public sector workers are employees of federal, state, or local government agencies and offices. Jobs in the public sector include public school teachers, emergency service responders, health care workers, and employees in state agencies such as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services or the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, was asked in an email why House Democrats introduced an unconstitutional law and refuse to ensure public sector workers understand their rights.

His office has not responded.