Dear Neighbor,

Here is some information that I hope you will find helpful, including news and resources from your state government.

Hope Legislation Survives ‘Lame Duck’ 

While last session did not end as many Michigan residents and I might have liked, I am happy to share that the following legislation survived the so-called “lame duck” period between the November general election and year’s end. 

  • Expand Access to Birth Control: House Bill 5436 would allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense all forms of self-administered hormonal contraceptives, including the pill, ring and patch. Pharmacists would be required to complete a Pharmacy Board-approved training program before prescribing birth control. Patients would have to complete a self-screening risk assessment before receiving birth control prescribed by a pharmacist. House Bill 5435, requires insurance companies to cover pharmacist-prescribed birth control like other prescriptions, making birth control more affordable.

 

  • Improve Maternal Infant Health: House Bills 4728 and 5166–73 would improve the health and well-being of mothers and infants across Michigan. These bills will help address glaring disparities in health outcomes while making pregnancy and the postpartum period safer for everyone. My bill in the package would require hospitals to provide information on the health insurance enrollment process to parents of newborns (House Bill 5173).

 

  • Update Michigan’s Garnishment Exemptions: Michigan’s current garnishment exemption laws have not been significantly updated since 1964, and do not account for modern technology, the growth of the debt buying industry and inflation. In 2022, Michigan was one of five states to get an “F” for protecting families from excessive garnishment and seizure in the National Consumer Law Center’s No Fresh Start report. House Bill 4900 would protect more wages, public benefits, vehicles and homes from seizure by debt collectors so families can meet their day-to-day needs while paying off debts.

 

  • Criminalize Sextortion: House Bills 5887–89 would punish those who coerce individuals into sending explicit images to extort them for money or other acts under the threat of exposure to friends, family or the public. This legislation not only enhances the criminal penalties for this egregious conduct, it also requires children be educated on how to recognize a “sextortion” attempt and what to do in response. Since 2021, the FBI has seen a tenfold increase in “sextortion” cases, though it is believed that the humiliating nature of this crime has resulted in significant underreporting.
Michigan State Representative Kara Hope is ceremoniously sworn in to the 103rd Michigan Legislature by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden.

State Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) is ceremoniously sworn in to the 103rd Michigan Legislature by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden on Jan. 8, 2025.

Michigan State Representative Kara Hope sits at her desk on the first day of Michigan's 103rd Legislature.

Jan. 8 was Opening Day for the 103rd Legislature

Jan. 8 was the Legislature’s opening day, which is required by the Michigan Constitution. The House convened for mostly ceremonial functions, including the swearing-in of representatives. I officially took the oath of office in December, so I am ready to get to work for the people of Lansing and Delhi Township!

While Democrats are no longer in control of the Michigan House, I will do everything I can to work with Republicans to lift up working families, improve public education and make our systems more just. I will share my committee assignments as soon as they’re announced.

Happy New Year!

 

Sincerely,

Kara Hope

State Representative