Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday signed off on bills to modify teacher evaluations, provide tenants with notifications of imminent hazards on their property and establish Juneteenth as a state holiday, alongside a number of other policies.

Senate Bills 395 and 396, introduced by state Sens. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, and Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, would change the criteria for teacher evaluations, with teachers being rated effective, developing or needing support beginning on July 1, 2024.

While student growth makes up 40% of current evaluation criteria, that percentage will be determined by collective bargaining beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, with student performance being capped at 20% of an evaluation.

The bill also includes other provisions aimed at supporting developing teachers and reducing red tape and bureaucracy in schools.

“The important changes Governor Whitmer signed into law today will help our state better develop world-class teachers who can prepare Michigan students for long-term success in college and the workplace,” Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi said in a statement.

“Instead of having a punitive teacher evaluation system based largely on standardized test scores, our local schools can focus more on meeting students’ individual learning needs and helping our kids grow into lifelong learners,” Madafferi said.

Whitmer also signed a set of bills from Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit, amending a previous bill naming the third Saturday in June, “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” and naming June 19 as Juneteenth, making it a public holiday.

Juneteenth commemorates the date the Union Army arrived in Galveston Texas in 1865 and announced to the people of Texas that the more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans in the state were free.

“Establishing Juneteenth as an official state holiday supports an ongoing effort to expand racial justice and equity in Michigan. It’s important to recognize, to learn and to teach the truths of our country’s past — history matters, even the true but difficult parts of our nation’s history, the parts of history that tell the lived experiences and stories of marginalized people and often misremembered cultures,” Scott said in a statement.

House Bill 4273, introduced by Rep. Amos O’Neal, D-Saginaw, was also signed into law Wednesday. The bill requires that apartment building tenants be notified of serious hazards to their health and safety.

“This bill was about communication; it ensures the right information is given at the right time to the right people,” O’Neal said in a statement.

“Tenants deserve transparency to know when their apartment complex is at risk of condemnation — this bill eliminates discretion-related notification and mandates this essential communication. Folks will rest easy knowing they are entitled to receive important information about the status of their living situation,” he said.

Other bills signed by the governor include providing requirements for commercial fishing and hunting guides, and giving the state’s Natural Resources Commission exclusive authority to regulate sport fishing.

“Strengthening protections for Michigan’s natural resources and reinforcing our commitment to environmental conservation and wildlife preservation is paramount,” Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, said in a statement.

“The signing of these bills represents a crucial step in establishing essential regulations for hunting and fishing guides in Michigan, safeguarding the integrity of our state’s valuable natural resources and promoting responsible outdoor practices.”

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