Michigan state representative and Democrat Joe Tate was a three-year starting offensive lineman at Michigan State and a co-captain in 2003. Michigan state representative and Republican Brandt Iden was a tennis player at Kalamazoo College.
Brandt has introduced House Bill 5217. Tate has introduced House Bill 5218.
Together they are pushing legislation in Michigan to allow college student-athletes to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness, protecting their rights without risking their status as college athletes. It is similar to the Fair Pay to Play Act signed into California law last October. The law, scheduled to go into effect in 2023, allows college athletes in California to hire agents and be compensated for endorsements.