268605

Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. has a long history of fighting for issues that matter most to Michigan’s families. He was elected to the Ingham County Commission at the age of 22, where he championed the county’s living wage ordinance and led the charge for the Ingham County Health Plan, which became a model around the country. As the county’s Register of Deeds, he fought for people who had fallen victim to predatory lending and foreclosure scams, and helped shield residents from foreclosure fraud.

In the state Senate, Hertel is a leader in the fight against the epidemic of sexual assault, specifically on our college campuses. He is working to change the culture by advocating for required education on affirmative consent, and has made headway to include affirmative consent as part of a multifaceted solution.

He has also successfully ushered through legislation that paved the way to a quicker and more viable process for organ donations, cracked down on predatory mailings and removed the derogatory terminology of ‘crippled children’ from our state’s laws.

Additionally, Hertel worked to improve access and affordability to health care for those who need it most, and was instrumental getting part of the state budget allocated to the First Responders Presumed Coverage Fund.

Hertel previously served as Minority Vice-Chair of the Senate Committees for Health Policy, Commerce, Regulatory Reform, Banking and Financial Institutions, and the Appropriations Sub-Committee for Higher Education. He has also served as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Appropriations Sub-Committee for the Department of Health and Human Services, Appropriations Sub-Committee for Capital Outlay, and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.

The senator is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in East Lansing with their four children, CJ, Nathan, Hailey and Jack, and their dog, Samson.