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 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.
As always, if you need assistance with anything or have questions or concerns you’d like to share, please reach out to my office. You can reach us by emailing SenSShink@senate.michigan.gov or calling (517) 373-2426. Also, please visit my official Facebook page or website for the latest updates.
Sincerely,
Sue Shink
State Senator
14th Senate District
- Please join me for my upcoming Walk and Talk event on Monday, June 15, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve. See below for more details.
- 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.
- 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.
Walk and Talk Event at Watkins Lake State Park
Mark your calendar! You are invited to join me on June 15 at the Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve. We will walk one of the trails, discuss how we are protecting Michigan’s natural beauty, and provide updates on the latest news from Lansing.
WHEN: Monday, June 15, 2026, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve, 14801 Arnold Rd., Brooklyn, MI 49230
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.)
- Tackling skyrocketing childcare costs, making it cheaper for parents and cutting red tape for daycares.
- 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.
Voter Rights Town Hall
Last week, I hosted a Voter Rights Town Hall at the Dexter District Library together with the Secretary of State’s office. Thank you to the many residents who attended and asked questions about voting procedures and safety ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. While the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, and the Trump administration are working to strip Americans of our fundamental voting rights, we must counteract these harmful decisions with voter empowerment and state protections. I’m grateful for our Secretary of State’s office and Washtenaw County officials for not only joining us, but also for their integrity and hard work to protect safe, fair elections here in Michigan.
Thank you to Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, Washtenaw County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum, and Washtenaw County Director of Elections Rena Basch for bringing your expertise and insight to this important conversation.
If you are interested in learning more about voting in Michigan, check out Michigan.gov/Vote.
Women’s Center Spring Soirée
“Hope Grows Here” was the theme of the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan’s Spring Soirée. Our Constituent Services Director, Sydney, was on hand to present a legislative tribute to Ann Arbor leader Praveena Ramaswami, recognizing her service and dedication to expanding accessibility and independence for residents of Southeast Michigan. Congratulations, Praveena!
Community Build in Brooklyn
Brooklyn’s Swain Park Renovation is updating this popular community space with an engaging, safe playground designed for kids of all abilities. I’m pleased to have brought state funding to support this community effort. Thanks to Kiwanis Club of Brooklyn and Village Trustee Patti Robinson for putting us to work!
South Lyon Area Youth Recognition
South Lyon area youth are showing up to help their community! It was great to join together in honoring these young leaders at the 27th Annual Youth Recognition Program. Congratulations on your achievements!
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.
Honoring Michigan’s Rosie the Riveters
As part of this week’s 31s Annual Senate Memorial Day Ceremony to recognize Michigan veterans and their families, I introduced Senate Bill 1002, legislation that would recognize Michigan’s Rosie the Riveters — the working women of World War II who dropped out of high school to support the war effort.
More than six million American women joined the workforce during World War II, holding careers that were previously exclusive to men. Senate Bill 1002 would commemorate Michigan’s Rosies, allowing women who withdrew from high school in pursuit of wartime employment to request an honorary high school diploma, or allow families of Rosies to request and receive posthumous diplomas.
Senate Bill 1002 now heads to the Senate Education Committee for further consideration. Read on more here.
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 becoming 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? Chedrick Greene, a Saginaw native, U.S. Marine veteran, and now-retired fire captain.
Chedrick’s record speaks for itself. A proud 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, Senator Greene, and welcome to the Michigan Legislature!
If You Need Help
If you have a problem dealing with any department of state government, such as accessing unemployment benefits, my office is available to help resolve it. While we usually cannot assist with local or federal issues, we will always do our best to help direct you to the appropriate person or organization for help.
As always, feel free to email me at SenSShink@senate.michigan.gov. You can also call our office at (517) 373-2426.
Keep Up to Date
Our bi-weekly newsletters are full of updates on what Team Shink has been working on in Lansing and District 14! To keep up to date with what we’ve been up to — sign up here to receive my bi-weekly newsletter, or access previous editions online here.
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