Dear Friend, Thank you for reading my e-newsletter. It’s an honor serving Kalamazoo County as your Michigan State Senator. Featured in this newsletter:
As always, please feel free to contact my office to let me know your thoughts, concerns and how I and my staff can be of service to you. Sincerely, |
It was a privilege to join local leaders on Friday, May 20, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Charles and Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center. Many thanks to the Zhangs, Portage Mayor Patricia Randall, and Senior Center staff and volunteers for their hard work on the capital campaign to bring this facility to fruition. A first-of-its-kind public/private partnership funded the 32,000-square-foot facility, with $5.7 million raised through community donations and another $5.5 million contributed by the City of Portage. I was proud to work with Rep. Christine Morse last year to secure $1.5 million from the State of Michigan towards the construction of the new Center. It will offer programming, activities, and amenities to provide an enhanced lifestyle of personal growth, health, friendship, and independence for a more dynamic older adult population. This beautiful facility will serve countless seniors throughout Kalamazoo County! PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS Earlier this month, POLITICO published a draft SCOTUS opinion by Justice Alito indicating that the U.S. Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade. As of right now, abortion in the United States and in Michigan is still legal. Should the Supreme Court move forward in issuing this ruling to overturn Roe, abortion access will immediately become illegal in Michigan. This is because of a 1931 law still on our state’s books. When Roe was decided in 1973, the federal ruling superseded state law. But if Roe falls, the determination comes back to the states. Nancy Kaffer at the Detroit Free Press offers a thorough explanation of what this means for Michigan. Efforts are underway to protect reproductive rights on multiple fronts. In the legislature, bills have been introduced to repeal the 1931 law and codify reproductive rights into law. In the Senate, I’m a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 732, the Reproductive Health Act, that was introduced by my colleague, Sen. Mallory McMorrow from Royal Oak. The bill seeks to codify reproductive rights and access to abortion into state law. Similar legislation has also been introduced in the House. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has filed a lawsuit leveraging her executive authority to ask the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately resolve whether the state constitution can, and should, protect access to abortion and reproductive rights. On Friday, May 20, the court unanimously granted the motion for immediate consideration regarding the governor’s legal fight to uphold abortion access in Michigan if Roe v. Wade falls as expected and requested that she file a brief with them within 14 days. An executive message with a motion to intervene and motion to dismiss remains pending. While the fight to protect reproductive freedoms continues at all levels of government, trust that I will continue my advocacy to protect and preserve every Michigan resident’s right to choose. LEGISLATIVE BUDGET UPDATE: FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 Senate Moves Budget Bills Along Party Lines Earlier this month, on Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4, the Senate passed 17 budget bills targeting key state priorities, continuing our work on the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget. Several amendments were proposed by the Democratic caucus but most failed, largely along party lines. While there were some areas of bipartisan agreement and I am optimistic that we will reach a good compromise in the coming months, I simply could not vote at this time for a budget that didn’t solve some of the most critical problems facing our state. Many of the remaining federal Covid relief dollars that were appropriated to Michigan are still unallocated and should not continue to sit in the state’s bank account. Although the Senate fell short this time, planning the state budget is a lengthy process and negotiations are currently underway, on both sides of the aisle in the Senate and in the House. I remain hopeful that we can work together in a bipartisan way to reconcile our differences so that we can successfully address the most critical issues facing Michigan — and fund them appropriately. On Friday, May 20, the Michigan Department of Treasury, House Fiscal Agency, and Senate Fiscal Agency met for their Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference during which they projected the state will end 2022 with a $6 billion surplus. Approximately $1.7 billion was added to the General Fund revenue forecast from January and $1.26 billion was added to the School Aid Fund forecast for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, which ends Sept. 30. Negotiations between legislative leadership and the State Budget Office on the FY 2023 budget have begun. GOV. WHITMER ANNOUNCES CARING FOR MI FUTURE Last Monday, May 16, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced an ambitious goal to open 1,000 new childcare programs by the end of 2024 and launched the $100 million plan, known as Caring for MI Future, to get there. According to the Michigan League for Public Policy, nearly half of Michigan families live in a community without enough childcare options to meet their needs. The bipartisan plan seeks to address this need by helping parents return to work knowing their kids are in a safe, dependable environment. Through the initiative, entrepreneurs will have access to:
Caring for MI Future is part of a bipartisan $1.4 billion investment to expand access to quality, affordable childcare and get Michigan families back to work. Childcare is often the largest expense in a family’s budget, and one in three Michigan families are now eligible for free or low-cost childcare. To qualify, families must:
Families can apply for childcare support by visiting Michigan.gov/MiBridges STAY IN TOUCH Visiting Lansing? If you plan to visit Lansing for a conference or to advocate for an issue important to you, please contact my office so we can set up a time to meet you. Paying tribute? It is my pleasure to produce official legislative tributes honoring Kalamazoo County residents for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and special accomplishments. If you would like a tribute from state officials, please let me know and we would be glad to assist. HELPFUL LINKS |
As an elected representative, I believe in being readily available and transparent because my office is your office. |