Dear Neighbor,

I am honored and humbled to be your state representative. As we plan our summer barbeques and family gatherings, please know that my staff and I are here for you.

If you are in need of support or resources, have any questions regarding legislation or state government in general, please feel free to reach out to me at my office via email at samanthasteckloff@house.mi.gov or by calling (517) 373-1793.

Sincerely,

Samantha Steckloff

State Representative, 37th House District

In this issue:

  • Upcoming Coffee Hour
  • We passed our first bill!
  • Flex Route Coming to I-96!
  • Budget wins!

Upcoming Coffee Hour

Please join me for my next coffee hour on Monday, July 25, at 5 p.m. at The Hawk Community Center in Farmington Hills. RSVP and learn more about the event by clicking here.

We passed our first bill!

I passed my first bill — House Bill 5486 — out of the Michigan House of Representatives! This bill was part of a small package called the INFORM Act, and it seeks to provide for consumer protections in online marketplaces. Far too many online consumers have fallen victim to scams from third-party sellers on platforms like Amazon or Facebook. While online marketplaces provide an easier way for small businesses to connect with consumers, there isn’t any established oversight to ensure people are protected from bad actors. These bills are essential to protecting consumers as more and more small businesses establish their online presence.

These bills also passed through the Senate this week and are on to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk to be signed into law.

Flex Route!

You may have noticed some road work along westbound I-96 recently. In case you missed it, this is actually the beginning of some cutting-edge highway planning that I am very excited to help bring to our part of Oakland County! Gov. Whitmer and I were proud to announce that this is the state’s second Flex Route project, and it will do us all a lot of good in reducing commutes in western Oakland County. The project should be all wrapped up by 2024.

Budget wins!

We finished session late last night (around 3:30 a.m.!) by voting on the finalized fiscal year 2023 budget. It was a big project, but I am proud of the work we did together with the Senate and the Governor. While the budget is massive and there is a lot to talk about, I just wanted to note a few things here:

  • I am incredibly proud to be bringing home $750,000 for a community innovation center at the former Harrison High School building.
  • My proposal for a study on a new way to fund roads (using vehicle miles traveled rather than a gas tax) was funded and will begin soon!
  • We increased public university funding by nearly 4 percent!
  • We are increasing the base K-12 per pupil funding in Michigan by $450 per student, getting our students and educators more the tools they need to succeed.