Dear Neighbor,
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. Our legislative session for the 102nd Legislature at the Capitol is coming to an end and I wanted to take the time to review some of our accomplishments from 2024.
This historic session began in 2023 when our majority finally enacted many priorities that languished for decades, including: lowering taxes for seniors and working families, restoring labor laws, expanding civil rights, protecting reproductive freedom, passing gun safety measures, and budgeting with a lens of equity.
Last year, 10 of my bills were signed into law – the most of all lawmakers – and this year saw an additional two of my bills become public acts, with many more of my proposals passing through the Senate. There were certainly some disappointments toward the end of this session with the work undone, but I will be renewing these efforts in the new year.
It’s a continuing honor to represent Auburn Hills, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Detroit, Franklin, Lake Angelus, Lathrup Village, Pontiac, Southfield and Waterford in the Michigan Senate.
If you should ever need to contact me, don’t hesitate to call my office at (517) 373-7888 or email me at senjmoss@senate.michigan.gov.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Moss
President Pro Tempore of the Michigan Senate
State Senator
District 7
AT THE CAPITOL…
As Chairman of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee, I held 11 committee meetings this year, moving 4 of bills into law and an additional 8 awaiting the Governor’s signature. I also Chair the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee, where I held 20 committee meetings and passed 19 bills into law with 3 still before the Governor.
Early voting and other election changes
By far, our biggest accomplishment this year was the success of early voting in the February Presidential Primary, August Primary, and November General Election. Voters passed Proposal 2 in 2022 requiring at least 9 days of early voting before each statewide election. Last year, I convened a workgroup of election administrators and voting rights advocates to help draft my law that gave direction to Michigan’s 83 county clerks and 1500 municipal clerks to implement early voting in 2024 and future elections.
>>> Read more here
I also worked to reform and update Michigan’s 70-year-old recount law so every valid ballot can be subject to a recount in close races. Gov. Whitmer signed these bills into law.
>>> Read more here
Budget wins for our district
In June, the Legislature passed a fiscally responsible budget that invests in our communities’ needs. I secured funding for our district, including an additional $4 million for Southfield roads, $2 million for Lathrup Village water infrastructure, $500,000 for the Greater Pontiac Community Coalition, and $500,000 for Waterford’s senior center.
>>> Read more here
We also celebrated the expansion of pre-K classrooms, including in our district in Detroit, through the Great Start Readiness Program.
>>> Read more here
IN THE DISTRICT…
In 2024, I hosted 10 community conversations around our district with our area State Representatives, an opportunity for residents to catch up with their legislators to find out what is going on in Lansing and how it impacts them back home. I also held several other community events, including:
Senior Resource Fairs
Watch our Senior Summit recap video
I hosted my annual Senior Summits, a one-stop shop for seniors seeking information on healthcare, food access, consumer protection, local government support and more. This year, we held two events in Pontiac and Southfield.
>>> Read more here
Voting Rights Town Hall
I held a town hall in our district in Detroit to share more information about the Michigan Voting Rights Act legislation I introduced with colleagues in the Senate. We were joined by many advocacy groups including the NAACP, ACLU of Michigan, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, MI PODER, Promote The Vote, Detroit Disability Power, We The People, and All Voting Is Local.
>>> Read more here
CONTINUING PRIORITIES…
This year was not without its share of disappointments. Several of my major pieces of legislation – many that I’ve worked on for years – passed through the Senate but not in the Michigan House. As we resume the term in January, I will continue to fight for these priorities.
Freedom of Information Act
Michigan is one of the only states that blocks the public from accessing inner documents of the Legislature and Governor. After advocating for nearly a decade, the Senate finally passed my bipartisan open records legislation, but the bills stalled in the House in the last week of session. I have made expanding the Freedom of Information Act a centerpiece of my tenure at the Capitol and will continue pushing for greater transparency in state government.
>>> Read more here
Anti-Price Gouging Legislation
More than thirty other states protect their residents from price gouging during a declared state of emergency, like an extreme weather event. Michigan does not, and I have been working to strengthen the law here. No one should be exploiting human misery by profiting off essential supplies and lodging.
>>> Read more here
Michigan Voting Rights Act
We must continue to work to ensure that every qualified Michigander has access their ballot free from discrimination, intimidation or any undue burden. The Senate took critical steps to pass our Michigan Voting Rights Act to make certain that every vote is counted and every voice is heard through a safe and secure election process. This work continues.
>>> Read more here
UPCOMING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS IN 2025
We will resume our monthly ‘Community Conversations’ around our district so I can hear directly from you about your priorities. Our typical schedule will include a Bloomfield-area forum the first Monday of the month for the northern part of our district, and a Southfield-area forum the last Monday of the month for the southern end of our district. Stay tuned for email updates as our schedule throughout the year may change.
Mark your calendars for our first community events in 2025:
Monday, January 27, 5:30 p.m. at the Southfield Public Library
Monday, February 3, 5:30 p.m. at the Bloomfield Public Library