Dear Neighbor,
While our team has been busy in Lansing with budget negotiations beginning and legislative schedules ramping up, there’s much happening across our lakeshore district as well. From coffee hours to community celebrations — it’s always a pleasure being able to connect with folks and hear directly about what’s impacting them. Catch up on all of this in our newsletter below.
We’ve also had some exciting news being made by District 12 residents, with two Grosse Pointe athletes traveling to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics and a University Liggett student winning the governor’s writing competition. Read on to learn more about these impressive feats, as well as some key investments we have coming to our community.
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
- The Michigan Dept. of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential awarded more than $450,000 to expand access to high-quality, home-based child care for Michigan families. Read on to learn more.
- As some of the best athletes in the world headed to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Michigan was proud to send more than a dozen competitors — including two from our lakeshore district! Learn more about their successes below.
- Join me for my upcoming Coffee Hour event on March 9th at 10:00 a.m. in Grosse Pointe Woods. RSVP here.
Coffee and Conversation in Mount Clemens
Thanks to everyone who came out for a great community conversation in Mount Clemens this month! I greatly appreciate so many people taking time out of their schedules to come out and engage in an important discussion about issues that are affecting our lakeshore community. As the legislative calendar kicks into full gear and 2027 state budget negotiations begin, conversations at events like this shape my perspective, my work, and my votes.
Connecting with Veterans at the War Memorial’s Resource Fair
Last month, the Grosse Pointe War Memorial hosted a Veterans Resource Fair where vets and active-duty service members were paired with resources regarding housing, health care, education, and more. Our office was grateful for the opportunity to participate in the event, and as Chair of the committee responsible for the Veterans Affairs budget, I look forward to continuing to find ways we can support our veteran population.
Opening the Brand New Algonac Activity Center
In the 2025 state budget, I fought to secure $500,000 for the city of Algonac to turn an old school building into a new activity center for the community. And just last week, I was able to join Mayor Rocky Gillis, other local leaders, and excited community members to officially open this center to the public! I look forward to seeing all of the fun families have in this newly renovated space.
Macomb County Chamber Annual Meeting
I recently had the pleasure of attending the Macomb County Chamber’s annual board meeting. It was great getting to connect with local leaders and small business owners from our community and talk with them about the ways we can build an environment that supports them, their growth, and their success.
Marsh Master for Harsens Island Secured
For years, phragmites have taken over wetlands in Clay Township and on Harsens Island, destroying wildlife habitats and creating an eyesore for residents and visitors alike.
With the help of township leaders, I worked to secure funding in the last state budget for the Michigan Dept. Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase a Marsh Master to be used specifically in Clay Township to combat this invasive species. Currently, the state and township are waiting to sign an agreement for shared usage. Stay tuned as the DNR and Clay Township Fire Department will be sharing more information in the spring!
Expanding High-Quality, Home-Based Child Care
Home-based child care is a way we can meet the needs of the families who face the greatest barriers to accessing care and early learning opportunities — including families with infants and toddlers and families who work nontraditional hours. Family Child Care Networks support this setup and serve as a critical component of our state’s child care infrastructure by giving home-based child care business owners the tools to grow their programs’ quality and sustainability.
Recently, the Michigan Dept. of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential awarded more than $450,000 to expand access to this high-quality, home-based form of child care for Michigan families. This investment will open up an additional 125 additional child careoptions in southeastern and northwestern Michigan.
More specifically, in our region, MiSide Early Years was awarded over $170,000 of these funds to expand its services to operate two networks across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. To learn more about this exciting investment, click here.
Michigan Athletes Bring Home Hardware from 2026 Winter Olympics
With two Olympic athletes hailing from Senate District 12!
As some of the best athletes in the world headed to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Michigan was proud to send more than a dozen to compete in activities such as figure skating, ice dancing, bobsledding, skiing, and hockey. And excitingly, two of these athletes hail from Senate District 12! Both figure skater, Emilea Zingas, and gold medal winner, Zach Werenski, call the Grosse Pointes home. Over the past few weeks, this group of athletes put their skills and talent to the test, and in the end, our Michigan competitors made our state proud — bringing home some serious hardware, including 11 gold medals.
Some of the most exciting moments from Milan came from the U.S. women’s and men’s hockey teams who put up a great fight against Canada to snag gold in each division, with Michigan players being the ones to score the game-winning goals! On the women’s team, it was Farmington Hills native Megan Keller who was the hero in sudden death overtime. And the men’s team had Canton Township’s Jack Hughes to thank for securing their gold medal as he also scored a sudden-death overtime goal.
To learn more about all of the Michiganders who competed — and won — in this year’s Olympics, click here.
University Liggett Student Wins Governor’s Writing Contest
Ahead of every State of the State address, the governor hosts an art contest for Michigan’s K-12 students, asking them to come up with a creative design for the program cover. For her final address, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also announced a first-ever writing contest where students across the state were invited to submit a short story or essay answering the question, “What do you love most about Michigan?”
In exciting news, a student from our lakeshore district was chosen as the first contest winner! Amelie D., a 10th grader at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, will have her poem featured in the official program for the State of the State address, alongsidememorable excerpts from other student writers.
Take Advantage of Michigan’s Retirement Tax Repeal
Seniors can save up to $1,000 on their taxes!
Michigan’s retirement tax robbed seniors of their promised retirement benefits for more than a decade. Last session, I led the effort to repeal this unfair tax, which will help nearly 500,000 seniors save $1,000 annually — enabling them to enjoy a safe, secure and happy retirement.
Until the full repeal takes effect in 2026, you have multiple options to choose from when it comes to your retirement benefits. You may wish to consult a qualified tax preparer to ensure you can deduct the maximum amount of retirement benefits. For more information about how you can take advantage to save on your taxes this year, visit Michigan.gov/taxes.
To learn more about the retirement tax repeal and the Lowering MI Costs plan — the biggest tax relief initiative Michigan has seen in decades — 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 Hour with Sen. Kevin Hertel
WHEN: Monday, March 9th from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Historic Cook Schoolhouse, 20025 Mack Plaza Dr., Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
Kids Over Clicks: Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion
WHEN: Monday, March 23rd from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Grosse Pointe Central Library, 10 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
As we rapidly accelerate into the age of digital and AI advancements, our youth are bearing the brunt of the harmful consequences. And the documentary, “Can’t Look Away: The Case Against Social Media” captures exactly how Big Tech is deliberately designing its digital platforms to keep our kids scrolling nonstop, profiting off minors’ social media addiction and private online data.
Join me for a screening of this documentary and a panel discussion with subject matter experts to talk about the Kids Over Clicks legislation we’ve introduced to take on Big Tech and give parents the tools they need to protect their kids online.
RSVP here.
Community Office Hours with Team Hertel
Weekly Office Hours in St. Clair Shores
WHEN: Every Thursday from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment.
WHERE: District Office, 22424 Greater Mack Ave., Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080
Mount Clemens Office Hours
WHEN: Tuesday, March 3, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Mount Clemens Public Library, 150 Cass Ave., Mount Clemens, MI 48043
Harper Woods Office Hours
WHEN: Tuesday, March 10, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Harper Woods Public Library, 19601 Harper Ave., Harper Woods, MI 48225
New Baltimore Office Hours
WHEN: Tuesday, March 17, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: MacDonald Public Library, 36480 Main St., New Baltimore, MI 48047
Please note that these office hours are hosted by staff.
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 previouseditions online here.
For more frequent updates, I also encourage you to follow our team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and BlueSky.