Dear Neighbor,
With the first month of the year already over, we’re one step closer to the end of winter and the start of spring! But before the snow melts and the ice thaws for the year, make sure you don’t miss out on the fun of a pure Michigan winter — from ice skating and fishing on Lake St. Clair to snowboarding and tubing, there’s no shortage of frozen fun to be had
Our work in the Legislature is well underway for the year. My colleagues and I hit the ground running and have introduced a slate of policies that put Michiganders — their health, their pocketbooks, and their voices — first. Read on to learn more about these bills and the progress we’re working to deliver for communities across District 12 and our entire state.
As always, please feel free to reach out to share your thoughts 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 emailing SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov, calling our Lansing office at (517) 373-7315, or calling our district office at (586) 252-2157.
Sincerely,
Kevin Hertel
State Senator
District 12
- As we began Michigan’s 103rd Legislature, my colleagues and I wasted no time in introducing legislation to increase government transparency, improve access to affordable health care, and support working families.
- In the Senate, I’ve been focused on cutting taxes for working families. Learn how you may be able to take advantage of our expanded Earned Income Tax Credit to save on your taxes this year.
- We’ve got two coffee hours coming up this month — one in St. Clair Shores and another in New Baltimore! Read on or click here to learn more.
Breaking Down the First Bills Introduced in 2025
As we began Michigan’s 103rd Legislature in early January, my colleagues and I wasted no time in introducing legislation to address the issues important to you. These bills would increase government transparency, improve access to affordable health care, and support working families. Learn more about what some of our first bills would do for the people of Michigan:
Building an Economy to Support Workers, Business Owners, and Consumers
As new policies around Michigan’s tipped wage and paid sick leave are set to go into effect later this month, I worked with colleagues to introduce an ambitious yet pragmatic legislative package to build a fair economy that works for all — workers, small businesses, and consumers.
More specifically, this package seeks to:
- Accelerate the increase of Michigan’s minimum wage to $15/hour by 2027.
- Protect and improve the tipped credit, having it remain at 38% for the remainder of 2025, then gradually increasing and capping it at 60% over 10 years.
- Guarantee access to paid sick time for workers by requiring larger businesses to provide a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick time to full-time employees, while expanding more flexible requirements to small businesses with fewer than 25 employees.
- Strengthen laws to prevent wage theft, in addition to enhancing wage transparency for workers.
Recently, I joined local workers and small business owners for a roundtable discussion at Baffin Brewing Company in St. Clair Shores. The main goal for the discussion was to hear about the impact new policies are set to have on their livelihoods and discuss potential solutions.
While crafting these bills, I engaged a broad coalition of stakeholders, including workers, small business owners, and policy advocates, to listen to their concerns and find a balance that ensures that workers have strong rights and employers are able to run their businesses. Thanks to their input, I’m hopeful the Legislature can find a reasonable compromise that sets us on a path to create a fairer, more robust economy that works for everyone.
Read more about this legislation here.
Shinning a Light on State Government Through FOIA Expansion
Currently, Michigan has some of the weakest government transparency laws in the nation. In a 2015 report, the Center for Public Integrity gave Michigan an F scorecard, and the state ranked dead last — failing 10 out of 13 categories, including public access to information, executive accountability, and legislative accountability.
Michiganders deserve better. They deserve a government that is open, honest, and accountable to them. That’s why the first two bills we introduced this session are aimed at righting this wrong and giving people greater access to their elected representatives in Lansing. Senate Bills 1 and 2, which passed the upper chamber last week, would expand Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and subject the Legislature and governor’s office to records requests from the public.
Read more about this bipartisan bill package here.
Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs
Another set of bills we introduced on the first day of session this year would rein in the skyrocketing costs of medication to help Michiganders stay healthy and save money. More specifically, Senate Bills 3–5 would establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in Michigan (PDAB) — an independent body designed to lower prescription drug costs and hold Big Pharma accountable.
The PDAB would be able to analyze and recommend ways to lower drug costs in Michigan. This includes setting upper payment limits — maximum amounts that can be charged for prescription drugs — on prescription drugs sold in the state. By establishing these limits on the most expensive medications, Michiganders would be able to save money without giving up necessary medications.
Read more about this legislation here.
Fighting to Protect Teachers and First Responders
Last year, my colleagues and I began hearing from public employees — including teachers, police officers — that because of a law passed under the Synder administration, they would be seeing the price of their health insurance spike upwards of $9,000 between 2024 and 2025.
After listening to their concerns, my colleagues and I immediately got to work on a solution. In the Senate, I introduced Senate Bill 1129, and in the House, Rep. Mai Xiong introduced House Bill 6058 which was the version that ended up passing both chambers in December.
Since this bill’s passage, Republican House Speaker Matt Hall has taken illegal action to block this bill, along with eight others, from being presented to the governor for signature. His deliberate obstruction is now forcing teachers, police officers, and firefighters into impossible choices. Do they stay in their profession and make the tough decision between affording their medications or their groceries? Or do they leave their profession all together and go somewhere else?
My Senate colleagues and I will not let the constitution go ignored, and we will not let the needs of our hardworking public servants go unmet. That’s why Senate Majority Leader Brinks has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Michigan Senate against House Republicans for failing to abide by the constitution and rightfully sending this critical legislation, which was passed by both chambers, to the governor. We won’t stop fighting to protect the sanctity of our constitution and stand strong for Michigan workers.
Read more about this legislation here, and for more information on lawsuit, click here. You can also watch our recent press conference on the issue here.
Building a Fairer, More Responsive Criminal Justice System in Macomb County
The Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently announced intentions to close the Shawono Center in Grayling, Michigan and relocate the youth offenders to the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center. At the Macomb facility, youth offenders will have access to a wider range of services, more staff members, and greater access to family visitation — all items that are essential in setting them up for successful reentry into the community.
During the summer of 2023, I joined County Executive Mark Hackle, County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, and State Rep. Denise Mentzer for a tour of the county jail and to learn more about how their project will help them better serve our community.
This move is one of many things the county is doing to improve community safety, while also ensuring the needs of our most vulnerable and underserved are met. Another key project underway is the construction of a new central intake and mental health unit aimed at providing better mental and physical health outcomes for those who come in contact with the criminal justice system. I was proud to work with County Executive Hackle to secure $40 million for this transformational project through the state budget process. Once complete, the new jail is set to become a national model.
I want to thank Macomb County for stepping up, working with the state, and taking a leadership role in this space. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with state and local leaders as we take an all-hands approach to building a fairer, more responsive criminal justice system.
Read more about MDHHS’ announcement here, and for more information on the county jail project, click here.
Save on Your Taxes with the Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit
I’ve been focused on cutting taxes and making it easier for folks to not just get by but thrive. That’s why I worked to deliver the biggest tax break for working families in Michigan history. During the last legislative session, we quintupled Michigan’s match of the Earned Income Tax Credit from 6% to 30% to help families save an average of $3,150 when combined with the federal credit. Learn more about how you may be able to take advantage of this policy to save on your taxes this year:
What is it? The Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax benefit for working individuals with income below a certain level.
What benefits does it provide? It reduces the taxes you owe, putting more money in your pocket! Even if you do not owe taxes, it could result in a refund. This extra income can help you care for your family, meet living expenses, or save for the future.
Who qualifies? To qualify for the Michigan EITC, you must qualify for the federal EITC. You can verify your eligibility here.
How can I claim it? Verify your federal EITC eligibility, file your federal income tax return with the IRS and claim the federal EITC, then file the Michigan individual income tax return and claim the Michigan EITC. For more information, click here.
And as you navigate tax season this year, if you need assistance with the Michigan Treasury or any other state department, please know that we are here to help. You can reach us by phone or email or stop by our District Office in St. Clair Shores.
Drive Sober and Move Over to Protect Our Michigan State Police Officers
During the month of January, several Michigan State Police (MSP) patrol vehicles were struck by motorists, highlighting the urgent need for drivers to be more alert behind the wheel.
Michigan’s Move Over law requires motorists to slow down at least 10 mph below the speed limit and move over to an open lane to give space for stationary authorized vehicles with flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights activated. If it is not safe to move over a lane, motorists must still slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and pass with caution, allowing the authorized vehicle as much space as possible.
It’s important to note this law applies to authorized police, fire, rescue, ambulance, and road service emergency vehicles.
For more information, click here.
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 on the Road
WHEN: Saturday, February 15 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: The Pink House Tea Room, 36341 Front Street, New Baltimore, MI 48047
Coffee and Conversation at the District Office
WHEN: Friday, February 21 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper Ave., 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 Ave., Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
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 email me at SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov. You can also call our Lansing Office at (517) 373-7315 or our District Office at (586) 252-2157.
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, Instagram, and BlueSky.