SB51, titled the Black Leadership Advisory Council Act, would codify a state advisory council to recommend policies to the governor and state agencies aimed at addressing alleged discrimination and racial inequities in areas such as housing, education, healthcare, employment, and economic opportunity. The council would also act as a resource for community groups by providing information about state programs, funding opportunities, and compliance requirements. The bill codifies an advisory council that had previously been created by executive order, enshrining it in state statute, so it will not depend on a governor's order.

The Michigan State Senate passed SB51 on March 19, 2025 by a vote of 29 to 7. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill expands government bureaucracy by directing yet another state commission to study supposed discrimination and racial inequities—an exercise that assumes inequality and invites policymakers to engineer outcomes through further regulation. Instead of uniting Michiganders, this approach reinforces group identities and frames ordinary occupational choices as evidence of discrimination. As the Declaration of Independence affirms, "all men are created equal" and endowed with God-given rights; government's role is to secure those rights, not divide people into categories or use data studies to justify more interference in the market.