Dear Neighbor,
Spring has sprung here in Michigan! I hope you are having a great start to the season and enjoying everything the warmer weather brings to our state. As we transition into spring, I encourage you to take advantage of the longer days and pleasant weather by spending time outdoors, whether it’s exploring our beautiful state parks, going for a hike, or simply relaxing in your backyard.
As always, if you would like to provide any feedback about what’s happening in Lansing or need assistance of any sort, please feel free to reach out to my office. You can email us at senmcavanagh@senate.michigan.gov or call 517-373-7748.
In service,
Mary Cavanagh
State Senator
District 6
Livonia Delegation Town Hall
WHEN: Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Please sign up for the event here: Webinar Registration – Zoom
Please join me for a virtual community town hall featuring Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and state Reps. Laurie Pohutsky and Stephanie Young. Congresswoman Tlaib will provide us with an update on the current issues we are facing at the federal level and how Michiganders and their families could be impacted.
Community Conversation with Rep. Steckloff and Other Local Elected Officials
WHEN: Saturday, April 19, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hawk Community Center, 29995 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI
I’ll be joining Sen. Rosemary Bayer and Reps. Samantha Steckloff, Kelly Breen, and Jason Hoskins for a community conversation to discuss updates on our work in Lansing and issues facing our communities in Senate District 6.
Coffee and Conversation
WHEN: Friday, April 25, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Redford Township District Library, 25320 Six Mile Rd., Redford Township, MI 48240
My monthly coffee and conversation events are a great way for me to hear directly from you about the issues you care about. I encourage you to stop by on April 25 and share your thoughts on state government or issues our community is facing!
Detroit District 1 Community Meeting
Rosedale Fun Litter Pick-Up Club
Join the fun! The Rosedale Fun Litter Pickup Club is dedicated to beautifying our neighborhood through once-monthly litter pickups (on second Saturdays), fun, and fellowship. ALL ARE WELCOME! For more information, email funlitterpickupclub@gmail.com or call/text Mary Madigan at 313-980-8850.
WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Rosa Coffee Shop, 19180 Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48223
Busting Bots to Keep More Money in Consumers’ Pockets
This month, I introduced Senate Bills 158 and 159 along with my colleague Sen. Damoose to crack down on malicious practices harming consumers purchasing event tickets. Currently, resellers will use automated software called bots to bulk-buy mass quantities of event tickets at once, bypassing regulations to resell tickets for as much as 70 times the original price.
These bills take on these bad actors by prohibiting resellers from using bots to disable ticket seller security software and implement civil fines up to $5,000 for each ticket acquired in violation. This legislation protects consumers from deceptive practices and high-pricing and enhances business accountability to the individuals and communities they serve.
Fighting to Close the Gender Pay Gap
This year, I introduced a resolution to recognize Equal Pay Day – a day that acknowledges the pay disparity that women continue to face in the workplace. Equal Pay Day is recognized on the day that the earnings of women catch up to the average earnings of men. It took women an additional 84 days into 2025 to match the average earnings of men in 2024. These pay disparities are even more significant among racial and ethnic minorities. I’m proud to share that the Senate unanimously passed my resolution, and I assure you that I will continue to fight to ensure that everyone has the dignity of fair wages.
Holding the Trump Administration and DOGE Accountable
Building on previous work Senate Democrats have done to expose and highlight the consequences the federal funding freeze is having on public safety as well as on Michigan children, seniors, and families, my colleagues and I came together this week to stand up and speak out to protect Michiganders’ health care and private data.
Protecting Health Care Access
Last month, Republicans in Washington voted for a budget resolution that paves the way for massive, indiscriminate cuts to Medicaid. And as the federal Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seeks to slash enough from the federal budget to pay for a tax break for the wealthiest 1% of Americans, Medicaid is among the critical programs on the chopping block.
To protect the 2.6 million Michiganders — including children, seniors, and veterans — who rely on Medicaid for essential health care services, my colleagues and I joined physicians, patients, and advocates for a committee hearing and press conference where we called on the Trump administration to stop these dangerous cuts.
To learn more, you can watch the committee hearing here.
Addressing DOGE’s Access to Your Private Information
Last week, the Senate Oversight Committee heard testimony from IT and cybersecurity experts on the impact and potential implications of DOGE’s unfettered access to Michiganders’ personal, financial, and health information. In addition to addressing the various cybersecurity issues raised by the Trump administration’s invasion of private data, experts also shared ways individuals can protect themselves from any repercussions.
To watch the committee hearing and learn more, click here.
Unveiling the “Building Blocks” Needed to Cut Costs, Improve Child Care, and Create Opportunity for Parents and Kids
Earlier this month, Senate Democrats unveiled a bold, transformative proposal that would provide the “Building Blocks” Michigan needs to uplift working parents and ensure they have a fair shot at a better quality of life for themselves and their children.
The plan takes a multi-angled approach to cutting the cost of parenting by:
- Providing a significant income boost to working families through a targeted Working Parents Tax Credit;
- Expanding Rx Kids statewide, a first-of-its-kind program that provides cash payments to new mothers and their babies; and
- Tackling the child care crisis from both the demand and supply side.
To watch the press conference, visit the Michigan Senate Democrats’ Facebook Page. And to sign on as a supporter of this game-changing proposal, click here.
Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse
Elderly individuals and vulnerable adults are at high risk of being subject to abuse and exploitation at the hands of family members, friends, or other close associates. According to the Michigan Dept. of Attorney General, more than 73,000 older adults in the state are victims of these crimes, which can lead to serious physical and psychological effects such as depression, increased hospitalization, and premature death.
To protect older and vulnerable Michiganders from these threats, I recently joined my colleagues to advance Senate Bills 111–114, which would increase protections by making a special personal protection order available, strengthening penalties for abuse and financial exploitation offenses, and developing programs to bolster prevention efforts. Learn more about this legislation here.
Breakfast of Champions
My office recently hosted a “Breakfast of Champions” with neighborhood groups from Northwest Detroit. It was an amazing way to start the day and great to hear updates on the amazing work so many of these fantastic organizations are doing in our community. The entire staff of Team Cavanagh was on hand for this exciting event, making it even better! I look forward to hosting more events like this in the future!
Building Better Men Program Black History Awards
We participated in numerous community events this past month, including the Building Better Men Program Black History Awards. Building Better Men (B2M) was founded in 1991 by Odis Bellinger, a male leadership program for youth from economically challenged communities in Southeast Detroit. We are happy to be among those awarded for their fantastic achievements. The past month’s events were reminders of how caring, active, and engaged the residents of District 6 truly are.
AIWA Annual International Women’s Day Celebration
I was very happy to be able to join the Asian Indian Women’s Association (AIWA) along with several Asian American and Pacific Islander community organizations for the Annual International Women’s Day Celebration. It was great to come together and hear discussions on gender equality and the reminder of why it is so important to celebrate multicultural women across the State. Thank you to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community for having me!
Protect Your Crown Initiative
Our District Director, Shawnte, connected with individuals from the Protect Your Crown Initiative for an important conversation on trauma and healing. My office is dedicated to learning about the stories of residents, and we are very proud of the work being done to create safe spaces for discussion and community connection. The Protect Your Crown Initiative does amazing work with the community on the importance of maintaining one’s overall mental health and addressing any concerns without shame or fear.