Advocacy

Founded in 1940 to represent the retail industry on a sales tax issue in the Michigan Legislature, MRA has continued its keen focus on legislative affairs. The association works to secure passage of retail-friendly legislation in Michigan and protect the retail industry from costly and harmful taxes and regulations.

Key Michigan Retailers Association advocacy accomplishments:

  • Pre-empted local governments from passing ordinances and policies dealing with employee wages and benefits
  • Prohibited local product bans or local taxes on plastic bags, food and beverages
  • Enacted Main Street Fairness legislation to help level the playing field for Michigan retail businesses
  • Modernized the state’s costly and burdensome item pricing law by giving retailers price marking flexibility and saving retailers and consumers money
  • Cracked down on organized retail crime through passage of the Organized Retail Crime Act and creation of the Organized Retail Crime Advisory Board
  • Pro-retail changes in sales tax collection
  • Phased out the Single Business Tax and replaced the Michigan Business Tax with a more  business-friendly corporate profits tax

Get Involved

No one knows better than you how proposed legislation will affect your business and your community. As a Michigan retailer, you know best what’s needed to improve Michigan’s business climate for retailing.

Learn more about how you can get involved and support issues affecting retailers and other Michigan businesses.

Take Action

The Government Affairs Team

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel William J. Hallan
Before joining Michigan Retailers, Hallan was a litigator in the Dykema law firm’s Bloomfield Hills office. He holds a law degree from University of Toledo School of Law and is a graduate of Denison University.

Vice President, Government Affairs Amy Drumm
Drumm was the legislative director for Michigan State Rep. Sharon Tyler for three years before joining Michigan Retailers. She’s a University of Michigan graduate.

Bill Hallan and Amy Drumm with former Michigan Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter (R-Mt. Pleasant).