Updating Michigan’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program
Last week, Representative Farhat and I testified in front of the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee in support of our legislation to modernize the Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program.
This program has been utilized successfully for decades across our state to revitalize abandoned properties and return them to the tax rolls. These grants are targeted to address environmental remediation at contaminated properties to spur redevelopment.
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 earlier this month, 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.
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 new 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 at the end of April, 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.
Learn more here.
Virtual Community Conversation
WHEN: Thursday, June 11, from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: Virtual — Check back here for a link to RSVP
Community Conversation in East Lansing
WHEN: Monday, June 22, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823
To stay up to date on all of my upcoming events, check out the event page on my website.
Biology Science Camp: From Cells to Animals
This hands-on science camp introduces 6th – 8th grade students to the fascinating world of biology — from microscopic cells to complex animal life! Campers will engage in interactive experiments, lab work, and a science fair while exploring topics such as genetics, ecosystems, and biomedical science.
WHEN: Monday, June 22 – Friday, June 26, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Baker College Owosso Campus, 1020 S. Washington St., Owosso, MI 48867
Pathways to Greatness: Earn college credit while discovering your potential
The Baker College High School Dual Enrollment program allows 10th – 12th grade students to earn college credit while completing their high school education. Through courses like SCI 2710 – Environmental Science, students explore ecological systems, human impacts on the environment, and sustainable solutions using scientific methods and hands-on investigations. In ENG 2410 – Creative Writing, students develop their voice and storytelling skills through the study and practice of poetry, fiction, and personal narrative, strengthening critical thinking and communication skills. This program provides motivated students with an early college experience that enhances both academic readiness and personal growth.
WHEN: Mondays – Thursdays, June 29 – August 6, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: This camp will be offered on both the Baker College Owosso and Royal Oak campuses.
Pop-Up Medical Clinic in Big Rapids
Remote Area Medical (RAM) provides pop-up medical clinics throughout the nation and will be coming to the Ferris State University (FSU) campus in Big Rapids on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31. FSU hosted the first-ever clinic in Michigan last year, providing over $245,000 in free medical, dental, and vision services to 268 patients. Patients came from throughout Michigan, representing 67 different zip codes, and some traveled from out of state for the opportunity to receive free healthcare.
All services are free to anyone wishing to attend. There are no income, residency, or identification requirements to participate. Everyone is welcome! Available free services include:
- Dental: fillings, cleanings, extractions, and x-rays
- Vision: vision exams, glasses created onsite (bifocals may be mailed within a week if unable to create onsite)
- Medical: general medical exams, sports physicals, women’s health exams
- Laboratory: A1c testing, complete metabolic panels, cholesterol testing
- Mammograms: Saturday only
All services are provided by volunteers on a first-come, first-served basis
WHEN: Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31. The parking lot opens on Friday evening, with clinic doors opening at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
WHERE: R.L. Ewigleben Sports Complex, 210 Sports Dr., Big Rapids, MI 49307
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.
Supporting Michigan Moms on Mother’s Day & Beyond
Happy belated Mother’s Day to Michigan’s hardworking moms, grandmothers, and all who serve as loving maternal figures across the state. Moms hold our families and entire communities together with patience, resilience, and care — and they deserve to have that same support poured back into them. Senate Democrats are investing in the health, well-being, and economic security of Michigan moms by:
- Expanding Rx Kids to communities all over the state, providing expectant and new moms with no-strings-attached cash assistance to reduce poverty, tackle food insecurity, and improve maternal and infant health. Check if Rx Kids is available in your community here;
- Passing our Momnibus bill package to improve integrity and accountability in Michigan’s maternal health care system;
- Championing legislation to address the child care crisis from both the supply and demand sides;
- Tackling the gender wage gap by passing legislation to ban employers from requiring applicants to disclose their past pay or credit history, practices that disproportionately harm women and people of color; and
- Quintupling the state’s match of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to help working moms and families save an average of $890 every year.
As always, if you or someone you know would like to provide feedback about what’s happening in Lansing or needs assistance, feel free to contact my office. You can email us at SenSSingh@senate.michigan.gov or call (517) 373-3447.
Sincerely,
Sam Singh
State Senator
District 28