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, |
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Senate Joint Resolution P On Wednesday, June 8, I introduced a resolution that would allow 17-year-olds to vote in an August primary if they will be 18 and eligible to vote by the November general election. We have seen a discouraging pattern of consistently lower turnout among young voters compared to other age brackets across the country. This generation refuses to let their differences divide them and celebrates American democracy. They deserve to have an active role in our political process, and that’s exactly what this legislation is asking for. My resolution encourages stronger voting engagement throughout a person’s lifetime and creates more representative results by allowing young voters to participate in the full election cycle. If passed, Michigan would join 17 other states in the nation — including Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana — to allow those who will be 18 by the general election to vote in primaries. >> Read my full statement here. Overdose Fatality Review Team (OFRT) Act On Tuesday, June 14, I introduced Senate Bill 1080, a bill that would give a county medical examiner or county health officer the authority to establish an Overdose Fatality Review Team (OFRT). The purpose of an OFRT is to discuss drug overdose deaths to best understand risk factors, identify trends, and propose harm-reduction efforts to prevent future drug-related deaths. This bill would provide counties with the legal authority to convene an OFRT to do this work with appropriate confidentiality protections for the victims involved. This is a tool we can provide to local communities to combat Michigan’s opioid epidemic, and better prevent further deaths from opioids and novel drugs. Teacher Pipeline and Recruitment Package This week my colleagues and I introduced a bill package created to attract and retain quality teachers in Michigan. I am proud to sponsor Senate Bill 1100 which creates a grant program to provide a no-cost pathway for support staff members to become certified teachers. The 11 bills introduced aims to support teachers in a variety of ways, including increasing pay for student teachers, creating a grant program for teachers looking for childcare reimbursement, providing grant programs for teachers for necessary professional development, and many more great programs and opportunities to ensure that teachers in Michigan are well-supported. FREE TOURISM & TRAVEL GUIDES AVAILABLE NOW Whether you enjoy warmer weather with breathtaking shorelines, outdoor adventures, local restaurants and shops, Michigan has it all! |
The 2022 Pure Michigan Spring/ Summer Travel Guide features beach towns, orchards, wineries, state and national parks, the Great Lakes, and much more! The travel guide also includes a seasonal calendar of festival events. Please call or email our office for a print copy of the Pure Michigan Guide, other tourism materials, or find the digital version at Michigan.org/travel-guide. 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. |