Democratic lawmaker garners wide bipartisan support to pass legislation through the House
State Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac) speaks in support of HB 4666 on the House floor on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 at the Capitol Building in Lansing.
LANSING, Mich., Oct. 28, 2025 — Last week, the Michigan House of Representatives passed state Rep. Brenda Carter’s (D-Pontiac) bill, House Bill 4666, in a 104-1 vote. The bill, which Carter introduced in recognition of Juneteenth, would strike offensive and outdated racial language from Michigan’s Insurance Code. Specifically, it would remove references to “colored persons” — a term rooted in segregationist policies — and replace it with modern, inclusive language that ensures insurers in Michigan cannot discriminate based on race or color.
“This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. We all want our children to grow up in a state where respect is written not just in our hearts, but in our laws. For too long, remnants of the past have lingered quietly in our statutes — words written in another era, words that once defined people not by their character or contributions, but by the color of their skin. Those words no longer represent Michigan. I’m proud we’re taking these steps to remove the hurtful, insensitive language that exists in our laws. Now, I call on the Senate to get this bill across the finish line and on to Governor Whitmer’s desk.”
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