Dear Neighbor,
We closed a productive legislative year at the Capitol in 2023 and I want to share with you the progress we made and victories we won for the people of Michigan.
Starting strong in our first 100 days, the new Senate Democratic Majority passed legislation to affirm the rights of all Michigan residents, help lower costs of living for working families and seniors, and finally enact common-sense gun safety measures.
Heading into the summer, our caucus crafted a sensible and people-focused budget to serve the interests of all Michiganders. As Chairman of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee, I led the expansion of voting rights and implementation of early voting.
In the fall, we ensured access to reproductive healthcare. We finished the session by passing legislation I drafted to make Michigan government more transparent and accountable.
Our plan so far has been simple, yet effective: Engage stakeholders and continue to bring forth tangible change in the state of Michigan. In this mailer, you’ll learn about all this work and more — as well as some of our ongoing work for the year ahead.
If you ever need assistance navigating changes in our state government, or would like to share your feedback and suggestions, contact my office via email or phone.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Moss
State Senator for District 7
President Pro Tem of the Michigan Senate
Click here to review the PDF version of the newsletter
These new measures will go a long way in protecting our communities from senseless, preventable gun violence. Learn more about the implementation of these laws on the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards website, Michigan.gov/MCOLES.
After years of pushing for more openness and transparency in policymaking, we finally enacted Michigan’s first-ever financial disclosure law that would unveil potential conflicts of interests from the officeholders who govern our state.
Following the passage of Proposal 1 in 2022, I sponsored this new law which would require the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, each state lawmaker, and candidates for these offices to publicly report:
- All sources of income
- Assets held for investment or production of income
- Significant liabilities
- Positions held in organizations
- Future employment agreements
- Spouse’s employment
Up next in 2024
I re-introduced legislation I’ve long championed to expand the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The public is denied access to the records in the Governor’s office and the State Legislature, and this lack of transparency laws breeds distrust in state government. We must include lawmakers and the Governor in FOIA.
Michigan voters overwhelmingly supported Proposal 2 in 2022 and sent a clear message to the Legislature: reduce barriers to voting and increase access to the ballot box. As Chairman of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee, I led the effort to provide more convenient early options to vote through nine days of in-person voting before Election Day, easier ways to sign up to receive absentee ballots, required drop boxes in each community, and more. These are the most comprehensive and expansive voting improvements in a generation.
Up next in 2024
I joined with colleagues to introduce the Michigan Voting Rights Act to improve every aspect of elections, ensuring voters are physically and legally protected and accommodated throughout the process and local election officials comply with state law.
In 2022, Michiganders turned out in record numbers to pass Proposal 3 and enshrine reproductive freedom in the state constitution. To ensure these freedoms were protected to the fullest extent, we swiftly passed new laws that removed an unconstitutional 1931 abortion ban from the books, guaranteeing Michiganders could make their own decisions about their own bodies. In the fall of 2023, we adopted the Reproductive Health Act as another effort to safeguard Michiganders’ right to reproductive choice.
By standing up for people’s fundamental freedoms, our majority is demonstrating its commitment to making this state a safe and welcoming home for all. Find more information on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website at Michigan.gov/MDHHS.
My colleagues and I came together to pass a historic state budget for Fiscal Year 2024, which went into effect on October 1. Totaling $81.7 billion, our budget is full of transformative, innovative and equitable investments that will improve the lives of Michiganders, and our state’s future.
Putting Michigan residents first, this budget delivers on kitchen-table issues — uplifting families struggling to make ends meet by expanding access to affordable housing and nutritious food; providing students with the resources needed to achieve their full potential inside and outside of the classroom; making investments to ensure workers receive fair pay and have access to job training programs; fixing roads, dams and bridges across the state; improving water quality and protecting our state’s natural resources; and so much more.
The budget process was informed by meaningful conversations with residents, local leaders, small business owners and organizations from our community. To learn more about the current budget, go to https://senatedems.com/blog/2023/10/06/transformational-state-budget/.
