Dear Neighbor,
As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, our team is taking full advantage of every opportunity to get out into the community, connect with residents, and keep working on policy solutions that move our state forward.
Read all about this work, including our new A Michigan You Can Afford Agenda, which aims to make the cost of everyday life more affordable for working families. From combatting rising energy bills and helping families put food on the table to cracking down on scams and protecting the services you need, we’re focused on giving you the real, immediate relief you deserve.
If you have questions, concerns, or need help navigating state resources, my office is here for you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out by email at SenSSantana@senate.michigan.gov or by phone at (517) 373-0990.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Santana
State Senator
District 2
- Last week, Michigan Senate Dems announced our agenda to tackle the affordability crisis facing residents statewide, including plans to lower household costs, tackle auto insurance rates, combat rising energy bills, and take on the high costs of healthcare. Learn more below.
- You’re invited to my upcoming Coffee & Conversation on Friday, June 19 at Fusion Flare Kitchen and Cocktails in Detroit. Find more details below.
- As we recognize Memorial Day, I remain committed to delivering support for our service members, including resources to bolster mental health access, address veteran homelessness, and more. Read about this work below.
Making Life More Affordable for Michiganders
From the gas pump and grocery store to your ever-increasing utility bills — it feels harder and harder to catch a break these days. The affordability crisis facing our state isn’t just top of mind for my Senate Democratic colleagues and I — it’s at the top of our priority list.
Unveiled last week, our A Michigan You Can Afford Agenda aims to deliver the financial relief Michiganders like you need and deserve by working to lower household costs, tackle auto insurance rates, combat rising energy bills, and take on the high costs of healthcare. This comprehensive approach, fully outlined here, includes:
- Cutting auto insurance rates by 10%.
- Putting a stop to constant and excessive utility rate increases.
- Making free breakfast and lunch permanent for every school kid.
- Banning private equity firms from buying up housing, ensuring Michigan homes go to Michigan families.
- Capping interest and late fees on medical debt and banning it from appearing on credit reports. (Learn more about ways we’re ensuring access to affordable healthcare below.)
- Giving families a tax break on back-to-school supplies.
Alongside our 2027 state budget proposal we recently passed, Senate Dems are working around the clock to lower costs for you and your loved ones, helping you to breathe a little easier and have more peace of mind. Read more here.
Michigan Senate Acts Unanimously to Strengthen Communities Statewide
Clean drinking water. Safe roads. Responsive police and fire crews. Reliable trash service. While often overlooked, these are the essential services provided by cities, counties, and other local units of government that you count on for your day-to-day needs. But as the state revenue that flows into these communities fluctuates from year to year, so too does the quality and consistency of these services.
That’s why, just last month, every single Michigan Senator voted to address this issue, passing long-awaited legislation to establish a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund. This new fund would be a gamechanger for Michigan cities, villages, townships, and counties, ensuring a sustainable source of revenue for local governments to better plan and provide quality resources and services for their residents. I was proud to vote “yes” on this bill and deliver the solutions that communities statewide have been asking for. Learn more here.
Senate Democrats Tackle Rising Healthcare Costs
While Washington Republicans continue to raise insurance costs and strip Americans of their coverage, my Senate Democratic colleagues and I are working to ensure people here in Michigan can access the healthcare they deserve. Announced recently, our Healthcare You Can Afford agenda aims to expand access to affordable healthcare by:
- Creating a state-based healthcare exchange, lowering premiums, and giving Michiganders more options and more control over their health insurance.
- Increasing options for small businesses to shop for better, more affordable health insurance for their employees through association health plans.
- Holding Big Pharma accountable by capping the price of essential drugs through a Prescription Drug Affordability Board and prohibiting drug manufacturers from denying access to low-cost medications.
- Capping interest and late fees on medical debt and banning it from appearing on credit reports.
- Tackling the crisis in rural healthcare head-on, ensuring hospital doors in rural communities stay open.
Just this week, the Senate Health Policy Committee heard testimony on a piece of this agenda. On Wednesday, the committee heard from doctors, insurance experts, and patient advocates about the positive impact a state-based healthcare exchange would have here in Michigan. Learn more here.
Coffee & Conversation
Please join my upcoming Coffee & Conversation for an open conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
WHEN: Friday, June 19, 2026, from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Fusion Flare Kitchen and Cocktails, 16801 Plymouth Rd., Detroit, MI 48227
Learn more here.
Honoring Memorial Day with Support for Michigan Veterans & Their Families
This Thursday, the Senate hosted our annual Memorial Day ceremony to recognize the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom and democracy.
While we only host this special service once a year, I’m focused every day on delivering results for Michigan’s active servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Through targeted legislation and budget investments, we’ve made it a top priority to build up support by:
- Lowering costs for families of disabled veterans by cutting red tape and ensuring spouses can maintain property tax exemptions;
- Protecting the homes of active-duty military members by reducing the likelihood of their properties going unclaimed and reverting to state ownership while they are serving our country;
- Expanding tuition assistance eligibility for spouses and dependents of National Guard members, helping more military families access higher education;
- Creating a special registration plate for women veterans, raising recognition of their contributions to our nation; and
- Investing in veteran mental health services, Michigan’s three veteran homes, grants for nonprofits who provide housing for homeless veterans and their families, and suicide prevention programs for those who have served.
Recognizing Foster Care Awareness Month
In Michigan, there are approximately 10,000 children in foster care in need of supportive, stable homes. The Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has shared that there
is a particular need for families who can support teenagers, sibling groups, and youth with developmental needs. To recognize Foster Care Awareness Month this May, MDHHS has highlighted ways that you or someone you know could make a difference in a child’s life:
- Become a Foster Parent: Learn what fostering involves and explore the steps to become a licensed foster parent.
- Meet the Faces of Foster Care: Read true stories from foster parents, kinship caregivers, advocates, and others who are making a difference in the lives of youth and families experiencing foster care.
- Volunteer or Donate: Find local volunteer opportunities and donation pathways that support children and youth in foster care across Michigan.
Foster children, just like all kids, deserve a fair shot at a good life. One way we’ve been working to support foster children is by passing a bill to ban the state’s current practice of seizing the income from a child in foster care as reimbursement for their care. The children’s funds would be managed for their own benefit, providing a path to stability, housing, and the education or training necessary to be successful when they exit foster care. Passed with the full support of the Michigan Senate for the second year in a row, this bipartisan legislation continues to remain stalled by House Republicans, blocking meaningful support for Michigan’s foster children. This May, I am hopeful Speaker Matt Hall and his Republican colleagues have a change of heart and change course by advancing this bill to the governor’s desk for her signature.
ICYMI: Chedrick Greene Joins the Michigan Senate Dems
The Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus is changing — in a good way! Earlier this month, the state’s 35th Senate District — which includes the Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland communities — held a special election to fill the vacant seat formerly held by now U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald-Rivet. The voters’ choice? Senator-elect Chedrick Greene, a Saginaw native, U.S. Marine veteran, and now-retired fire captain.
Chedrick’s record speaks for itself. A champion for working families, a heart for service, and a public safety mindset — all things that help Senate Dems continue advancing meaningful legislation and a people-centered budget across the finish line. I couldn’t be more thrilled with this choice, which not only strengthens our Senate Democratic majority, but will also bring valuable perspective to the chamber as we work on delivering solutions for the people of Michigan. Congrats, Chedrick, and welcome to the Michigan Legislature!