Democrats in the state Senate are pushing for an “amusement tax” to ensure that Michiganders cannot have fun without paying fees.

Although a Democratic attempt to pass an amusement tax failed to gain traction when introduced in 2019, the Democrat trifecta currently controlling the state’s governorship, House and Senate increases the likelihood of the bill’s passage, especially during the lame duck session between Nov. 5 and Jan. 1, 2025.

According to a January Bridge Detroit report, efforts to tax fun were led by Detroit City Councilperson Angela Whitfield-Calloway, who partnered with Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit, and Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, to push the bill in Lansing.

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“I am going to solicit feedback from all of my colleagues to have those conversations,” McMorrow, who is maneuvering to run for governor in 2026, told Bridge. “Is it zoos or museums or minor league baseball teams? What’s the scale, what’s the size to make sure that this is something that the majority of the Legislature is interested in at least taking a look at?”

She continued: “The fact that all the major sports teams have moved back into the city, now is the time to do it,” she said to Bridge Detroit. “It’s a very different time than it was back during the bankruptcy. There’s been a lot of energy and investment and emphasis on remaking Detroit and creating a sports and entertainment complex in the city. It’s time that the city and the residents can benefit from that.”

For her part, Santana introduced an amusement tax bill, SB 235, in 2019. That bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee, and never moved forward.

Whitfield-Calloway appealed to the Lansing lawmakers because amusement taxes – that is, taxes on commercial entertainment, sports games, and movie tickets –could not be implemented in the City of Detroit without an alteration to state law.

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She told Bridge in January that, with Detroit’s allegedly thriving tourist scene, it was time for the city to start cashing in.

“With all the things happening in our city, people are coming in from all over the world,” she said.

“We want to make sure everyone who supports our venues are safe, we’re able to clean up after everything is over,” she added, suggesting that state laws protecting citizens should be changed so that Detroit can provide a high “level of service.”

Eric Lupher, president of the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council, concurred with Whitfield-Calloway, blaming Republicans across the state for historically resisting efforts to raise local taxes even more.

“You have to put it in the context of three decades of Republican control of the Legislature,” Lupher said. “There has just been high-level resistance to authorizing local governments to levy any sort of new tax.”

In response, state Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, released a statement noting that Democrats “want to turn $10 ballpark hotdogs into $15 ballpark hot dogs, so they can give even more handouts to foreign governments.”

The amusement tax attempt failed to gain traction – for now at least. But that failure has not deterred those hoping to see tax hikes in the future.

“Start looking at our neighbors,” Lupher said. “Ohio. Illinois. Indiana. They’ve all done this.”