Dear Neighbor,
After the Lions’ exciting victory on Sunday, it looks like we have another great fall ahead of us! Even if you’re not a fan of football, I hope you are still enjoying the season and embracing all that it has to offer — whether you’re visiting the cider mill with your family or simply enjoying the cool, autumn breeze.
While the Senate works to deliver results for Michiganders to support our first responders, secure additional resources for schools, enhance protections for vulnerable adults, and more, our team’s engagement in District 12 continues. In this newsletter, I hope to share with you all what we’ve been up to in our lakeshore community, as well as provide some helpful resources and information about our next coffee hour.
As always, I’d love to hear from you about the topics you’re interested in. Please feel free to reach out to my office to share your perspective or seek assistance with any challenges you may be facing with state departments — we are here to serve you. You can reach my office by calling (517) 373-7315 or emailing SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov. I hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely,
Kevin Hertel
State Senator
District 12
Included in This Newsletter
- Community Connections
- Investments in Our Lakeshore Community
- Helpful Resources
- Upcoming Events
- Contact Us
Community Connections
Save the Manatees 5k Run
It was pleasure to join Save the Manatee Club’s 5k race at Lake St. Clair Metropark this past weekend! Even the threat of rain couldn’t stop these volunteers from pulling off a great event.
Talking About the Issues Over Coffee
Thank you to everyone who came out to our September Coffee and Conversation event! It was great getting to dive into some of the legislation we’ve been moving to boost education outcomes, expand access to health care, and more.
We have another coffee hour coming up later this month on October 18. Find more information below in the “Upcoming Events” section of our newsletter or visit our Facebook page here. These events are a great opportunity for you to ask questions and share your ideas with me while also receiving a firsthand update on what we’ve been working on in Lansing.
Connecting Constituents with Helpful Resources
It was great to join State Rep. Denise Mentzer at the Cairns Community Center in Mount Clemens to connect folks with the representatives and government agencies who serve them! Thank you to everyone who came out to the event.
If you ever need assistance now or in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. You can reach us by calling (517) 373-7315 or emailing SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov, and we’ll help you navigate issues with state departments.
Meeting with Local Small Businesses and the Anchor Bay Chamber
From local retailers and restaurants to health care providers and innovative startups — small businesses help create jobs and promote economic prosperity. It was a pleasure to connect with and learn from a diverse array of small business owners from the northern part of our district recently, as well as provide an update on the work we’re doing in Lansing to support their entrepreneurship.
Celebrating Labor Day with Michigan Workers
Labor Day recognizes the accomplishments of American workers and the achievements of the labor movement. It’s an honor to fight for Michigan workers in the Senate, and I will always be proud to stand with them! In the Majority, my colleagues and I have continuously fought to protect and expand rights for working people in our state to ensure they have the opportunity to buy a home, raise a family, and have a good life right here in Michigan. Learn more about these efforts here.
Uplifting Small Businesses and Recognizing Active Community Members
It was a pleasure celebrating active community members and vibrant small businesses at the annual New Baltimore Mayor’s Dinner last month. Thank you to the Citizens Advisory Committee for your work to uplift these incredible individuals who make our community stronger every day!
Celebrating VFW Bruce Post’s 90th Anniversary
The VFW Bruce Post has been a valued community space in St. Clair Shores for the past 90 years, providing our veterans with a space to connect with one another and receive important resources. I recently had the pleasure of joining them to celebrate this anniversary — here’s to many more years of service!
Investments in Our Lakeshore Community
Breaking Ground on the Lions Field Community Pool in Algonac
As the father of two young boys, I know how important a pool can be to families and an entire community. It not only provides residents with a way to stay active, but it serves as a space for creating memories and connecting with neighbors. Last month, I joined Algonac Mayor Rocky Gillis and local leaders to break ground on the construction of the Lions Field Community Pool, which we were able to secure funds for in the 2025 State Budget.
After being closed in July 2020 due to safety concerns, community leaders and residents have been actively working to bring back this important public asset. After hearing from these individuals about roadblocks they were experiencing in obtaining funding, I was happy to work with them to identify solutions and bring back funding from the state level.
This project is a shining example of what we can achieve when state and local governments work together to invest in our communities and deliver results to improve the spaces where we live, work, and play. To learn more about the investments the 2025 State Budget makes in our lakeshore community, click here.
Voting to Secure Increased Resources for School Safety and Mental Health
Building up the future of our state begins with investing in the future of our students. For the past two years, my colleagues and I have been focused on passing policies and securing funding to uplift students and educators in every corner of our state.
While our schools had seen years of disinvestment under previous leadership — my colleagues and I began to turn the tides with our state budgets for 2024 and 2025, which included significant resources to support students throughout their academic careers. From providing free school meals for all public-school students and increasing literacy supports to providing extra support to retain and attract educators — we’ve made great strides towards achieving this goal, and we’re continuing to build on this work.
Recently, the Senate passed a school budget supplemental bill, investing millions of extra state dollars into school safety and mental health supports. This gives school districts the flexibility to determine where those funds are needed most — whether it be more school resource officers, counselors, therapists, or infrastructure upgrades. We’re proud to have put even more funding toward one of the most important causes we can: the safety and well-being of Michigan students.
Mount Clemens and Algonac to Receive Clean Water Grants
Access to clean drinking water is not just a priority, it’s a necessity. That’s why, throughout my time in the State Legislature, I have been focused on working with anyone and everyone to secure funding for critical water infrastructure projects.
Recently, the Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced a round of MI Clean Water grants. Mount Clemens was awarded over $7 million to help connect the city’s drinking water system to the regional GLWA drinking water system as well as replace approximately 44 lead service lines. The City of Algonac was also granted $159,000 to identify lead service lines in preparation for replacement.
Securing these grants is a critical first step towards ensuring every resident can count on the water coming out of their faucet at home being clean and safe for consumption. By modernizing outdated water systems, identifying old lead service lines, and connecting local communities to regional resources, this funding is helping to protect the health and well-being of our lakeshore district for generations to come.
Helpful Resources
Breast Cancer Awareness & Preventative Resources
Approximately 13% of American women — or one in eight — will develop breast cancer over the course of their life. To spread awareness and honor those impacted by breast cancer, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is observed every October.
Early detection saves lives, which is why knowing your family history and getting screened annually starting at age 40 is imperative. The Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) encourages residents to take advantage of the following free health screening programs to put their health into their own hands:
- The Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BC3NP), available statewide, provides free breast and cervical cancer screening services to low-income women.
- The WISEWOMAN Program helps participants understand their chronic disease risk factors and make healthy lifestyle choices. Every participant receives a free health screening.
- To learn more about the BC3NP and WISEWOMAN Programs, call 844-446-8727 or visit Michigan.gov/cancer. For Spanish resources, call 800-379-1057.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic violence is a crisis facing women and families across Michigan and the United States. On a typical day, more than 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide. Here in Michigan, an average of one in three families are impacted by domestic violence every year.
The issue of domestic violence is also deeply interconnected with gun violence, as more abusers are choosing firearms as their weapon of choice. That’s why my colleagues and I voted last year to advance legislation to keep weapons out of the hands of convicted abusers. Click here to read more about how Senate Bills 471 and 528 are helping to enhance protections for survivors of domestic violence.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please visit the Michigan State Police webpage on domestic violence here for more information or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Locally, Turning Point in Mount Clemens also provides free, confidential services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking — including a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, counseling, assistance in obtaining a personal protection order, and more. Click here or call 586-463-4430 to learn more.
Upcoming Events
It is one of my top goals as your State Senator to have myself and my office be as accessible to you as possible. To share your thoughts on legislation or seek assistance with an issue, please join me at one of our upcoming district events:
Coffee and Conversation
WHEN: Friday, October 18 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
District Office Hours with Staff
WHEN: Every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
Contact Us
If You Need Help: If you have a problem dealing with any department of state government, such as accessing unemployment benefits, my office is available to help resolve it. While we usually cannot assist with local or federal issues, we will always do our best to help direct you to the appropriate person or organization for help.
You may always feel free to call my office at (517) 373-7315 or email me at SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov.
Keep Up to Date: Our bi-weekly newsletters are full of updates on what Team Hertel has been working on both in Lansing and District 12 to deliver results for Michiganders. To keep up to date with what we’ve been up to — sign up here to receive my bi-weekly newsletter, or access previous editions online here.
For more frequent updates, I also encourage you to follow our team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.