Beyond the Bill: Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint)

Beyond the Bill is a segment that features a Michigan Legislator for Detroit Regional Chamber members to get to know on a more personal level and highlight their legislative priorities.

Michigan Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint) is serving his first term in the Senate representing Michigan’s 27th Senate District, including parts of Genesee County, Flint, Grand Blanc, Flushing, and Clayton Twp. Before working in the Senate, Cherry represented Michigan’s 49th House District from 2018 to 2022. Cherry has also previously served in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), protecting our natural resources, and held the position of vice chair of the Flint Charter Commission.

Cherry currently Chairs the Labor Committee as well as multiple subcommittees, including the Appropriations Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee and the Appropriations General Government Subcommittee. He also serves as Vice Chair on the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee and the Appropriations Health and Human Services Subcommittee. He serves as a member on the Appropriations Committee, Appropriations Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Subcommittee, Appropriations Labor of Economic Opportunity (LEO), and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Subcommittee, Health Policy Committee, and the Housing and Human Services Committee. In 2025, he was also elected Assistant President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

One policy initiative Cherry is focused on is modernizing Michigan’s manufactured housing regulations. The effort is particularly meaningful to him because it originated from a conversation with a constituent during a district coffee hour. Since then, he has spent several years leading the legislation through Lansing.

“The policy issue I’m most known for right now is manufactured housing regulation reform,” Cherry said. “This is a package of bipartisan bills that passed the Senate overwhelmingly and puts in place new consumer protections while improving regulatory certainty and efficiency for the industry.”

Looking at Michigan’s broader economy, Cherry pointed to the proposed Mundy Township Advanced Manufacturing District as a project with the potential to have a significant impact.

“If we’re able to secure a large semiconductor manufacturer, it would be hugely beneficial for Michigan’s economy,” Cherry said, and notes that advanced manufacturing investments of this scale could strengthen Michigan’s position in a critical industry while creating substantial opportunities for future economic growth.

Cherry believes Michigan’s talent pipeline is strongest when educational institutions and employers work together to prepare students for in-demand careers. He specifically highlighted Kettering University’s cooperative education model as one example of successful collaboration between education and industry.

“Government and industry should co-invest in this model to expand its utilization and capacity in our state,” Cherry said. “We need educational models like this that are truly aligned with employer needs.”

Cherry also emphasized that policymakers must recognize the many pathways available to economic success. He identified expanded dual enrollment opportunities, registered apprenticeships, and better alignment between credentials and workforce needs as areas where state policy can make a meaningful difference.

“We need to meet students where they are,” he said, pointing to community colleges, career and technical education programs, and apprenticeships as critical pieces of Michigan’s workforce strategy. “Not every pathway to a good-paying job runs through a four-year degree, and our policy framework should reflect that.”

While Flint and Genesee County are often associated with their industrial and water infrastructure legacy, Cherry believes one of the region’s greatest opportunities lies in redeveloping former industrial sites.

“One of our biggest challenges is the reactivation of legacy industrial brownfields,” he said, referencing properties left vacant following different bankruptcies throughout the years. He believes turning these sites back into productive employment centers will be key to future economic growth throughout the Region.

When asked about a hidden gem in the district, Cherry was quick to highlight the Flint Cultural Center, which includes the Flint Institute of Arts, the Sloan Museum of Discovery, the Longway Planetarium, the Flint School of Performing Arts, the Whiting Auditorium, and the Flint Public Library.

“People outside of Genesee County are often surprised to learn that Flint is home to a world-class cultural campus,” Cherry said. “It’s a source of real community pride and reflects something important about Flint. There’s far more here than the headlines suggest.”