Dear Neighbor,
From having our first bill of the year signed into law to attending the governor’s State of the State address, we’ve been busy up in Lansing working on the issues that matter most to our community. In this newsletter, I want to take a moment to provide an update on this work and share some of our priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
Also, with it being tax season, you can find a few helpful tips to help you make the most of your tax return this year. While it’s still a month away, the filing deadline is soon approaching, so make sure to file your return by Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
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
- We had our first bill of the year signed into law! This legislation speeds up the increase of Michigan’s minimum wage, while protecting workers’ tips.
- Don’t forget that Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend, with clocks springing forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9.
- Join me for my upcoming Coffee and Conversation event on February 22 at 11:00 a.m. at our District Office (28800 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores). RSVP here.
Boosting Wages and Saving Workers’ Tips
As new policies around Michigan’s tipped wage were set to go into effect last month, I introduced legislation, Senate Bill 8, to help address concerns workers and small businesses owners were facing. Crafted with their perspectives at its core, the bill sought to accelerate the increase of Michigan’s minimum wage to $15/hour, while protecting and improving the tipped credit which is essential to the livelihoods of servers and bartenders across our state.
While crafting this legislation, I spent time with local workers and small business owners across our community to learn more about the importance of the tipped wage and discuss potential policy solutions to preserve it. Here, I had the pleasure of meeting with bartenders and owners from Baffin Brewing Company and Copper Hop Brewing in St. Clair Shores.
This bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Senate and House, and it was the first piece of legislation the governor signed into law this session, earning it the title of Public Act 1 of 2025. As a result, this law will provide 731,000 workers with a well-deserved pay raise, while ensuring employers are able to continue running their businesses.
I’m thankful for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who stepped up, put politics aside, and worked in good faith to reach a compromise on this important issue. You can read more about this bill and the impact it’ll have on our community here.
Securing Best-in-Nation Earned Sick Leave Policy
Everyone deserves time to care for themselves and their family members when they are sick without fear of going without pay or losing their jobs. And it’s good for business — paid sick leave allows workers the ability to rest and recuperate, ensuring they can return healthy and ready to perform their jobs with precision and care, while preventing the spread of illness around the workplace.
That’s why my colleagues and I passed bipartisan legislation to deliver earned sick time for over a million more Michigan workers. This legislation sets the highest standards nationwide by requiring larger businesses to provide a minimum of 72 hours of earned sick time to full-time employees, while expanding more flexible requirements to small businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
This common-sense, bipartisan bill was signed into law by the governor last month. To read more about it, click here.
Introducing Legislation to Protect Seniors and Vulnerable Adults
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 joined my colleagues to introduce Senate Bills 111-114 which would increase protections by:
- Creating an elder and vulnerable adult personal protection order (PPO).
- Increasing the amount of time prosecutors have to recover property in embezzlement cases where criminals have taken advantage of vulnerable adults.
- Protecting vulnerable adults even after death, treating those offenses the same as if the exploitation had occurred during the victim’s lifetime.
- Taking an all-in approach to preventing, intervening, investigating, and prosecuting abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older and vulnerable adults by bringing together local teams of experts.
These bills were referred to the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety. Read more about this legislation here.
Going into the 2025 Legislative Session with a Focus on Lowering Costs
Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her annual State of the State address, outlining her priorities for the year ahead. She highlighted plans to make housing more affordable, lower costs for working families, and ensure every Michigander has the opportunity to build a secure future here in Michigan.
In her speech, Gov. Whitmer highlighted the significant work we have achieved together so far including:
- Repealing the retirement tax to help seniors save $1,000 annually.
- Passing the largest tax cut for working families in Michigan history to help them save over $3,150 a year.
- Codifying the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act into law to help protect residents’ access to critical, affordable care when they need it.
- Making transformational investments in housing to increase our housing stock and lower the cost of purchasing a new home.
Similar to the governor, I am eager to continue building on this work and delivering solutions to the challenges facing our communities. Looking ahead, I’m focused on continuing to cut taxes and lower costs for folks to ensure that no Michigander is left struggling to afford the basics. Among the items I’m committed to making more affordable and accessible is child care, which is critical to both the success of Michigan families and businesses. I was glad to hear the governor echo this sentiment and outline plans to open more child care centers, while also expanding PreK opportunities for our youngest Michiganders.
In her address, Gov. Whitmer also excitingly proposed including a $26 million investment in the state budget for infrastructure upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. All of us in Macomb County know how important the base is to both our national security and our regional economy, and this investment would help ensure Selfridge is able to keep playing that important role. I’m grateful to have Gov. Whitmer as a strong partner who recognizes this and is committed to building on the progress we’ve already made to secure the funds needed for its long-term success.
As conversations on the final budget continue, I will remain a staunch advocate for the future of Selfridge and keep working to ensure the Legislature’s spending matches the governor’s — and my — commitment to the base and the many men and women it employs.
As the legislative session continues, I look forward to working with the governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to continue passing policies to move our state forward. If you missed the address, you can watch the full recording here.
Maximize Your Tax Return with the Retirement Tax Repeal and Expanded Tax Credits for Working Families
Rising costs are making it harder for families to put food on the table and fill up their gas tank. To help support Michiganders facing economic challenges, my colleagues and I passed the Lowering MI Costs Plan in 2023 — the biggest tax relief initiative Michigan has seen in decades, which cut taxes by $1 billion for folks who need it most. This plan repealed the unfair retirement tax and expanded tax credits for working families to help them not only make ends meet but thrive here in Michigan.
Click here to learn more about how you can take advantage of these policies to maximize your return this tax season.
Tick Tock, Time to Change the Clock!
Here’s your reminder that starting this weekend, be prepared to lose an hour of sleep and gain an extra hour of daylight in return! Yep, Daylight Saving Time is upon us. This Sunday, March 9, clocks will spring forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. and reset to 3:00 a.m. While cell phones will automatically reset themselves, make sure to change any manually controlled clocks ahead of time before heading to bed on Saturday night, March 8, to avoid any confusion or a last-minute morning scramble to get out the door.
That lost hour of sleep? Don’t worry — we’ll get it back on Nov. 3, 2025, when standard time resumes.
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 at the District Office
WHEN: Friday, March 21, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper Ave., Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
Storytime with Senator Hertel
WHEN: Saturday, March 22, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: St. Clair Shores Public Library, 22500 East 11 Mile Rd., Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
Come celebrate Reading Month with me at the St. Clair Shores Library! I’ll be reading a favorite Dr. Seuss-inspired book that’s full of fun facts about voting and the history of democracy in America. I’ll also be available to field questions from kids (and parents) about the work we’re doing in the State Legislature to support you. Please RSVP here so we make sure to have enough snacks and goody bags.
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.