Fighting to Lower Costs and Expand Opportunity for Michigan Families

Fighting to Lower Costs and Expand Opportunity for Michigan Families

E-Newsletter | July 2, 2026 | Rep. Tonya Myers Phillips

Dear Neighbor,

I enjoy our community meetings, coffee hours, and front porch conversations. As a public interest lawyer and community advocate with 25+ years of experience fighting for people, I believe the best policies are made with community members. I value time together to hear your wants, needs, stories, and experiences.

One thing is loud and clear from our communities: rising costs are a huge burden for all of us. Families need affordable childcare, affordable housing, relief from high water and utility bills, and protection from unfair fees that make it harder to make ends meet.

I’ve been taking action and will continue to fight for laws that make life more affordable for all of us in House District 7. Here are a few important changes I’m fighting for.

Families deserve to raise their children without financial strain. I am committed to:

• Lowering the cost of childcare, including by supporting MI Tri-Share, a program where the employer, the employee, and the State of Michigan equally split the costs of licensed childcare. This program helps working parents.
• Expanding family and child tax credits to put more money back into the pockets of working families.

Everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. I am prioritizing:

• Investing in affordable housing to lower the cost of homeownership and rental homes for our residents.
• Preventing billionaires and corporate investors from buying up homes so our families can have a fair shot at homeownership.
• Keeping families from going into tax foreclosure by waiving high fines and fees and offering affordable, multiyear payment plans (HB 4741).

No one should have to choose between paying the bills and putting food on the table. I am working to:

• Rein in the cost of utilities, including energy and water, to keep essential services affordable (HBs 4973–4978).
• Protect seniors and children from dangerous utility shutoffs during the winter season (HB 5047).
• Ban surge pricing and junk fees designed to rip you off.
• Protect consumers from predatory practices and hold greedy corporations accountable for taking advantage of Michiganders.
• Making sure workers know about the rights I fought for alongside a coalition of mothers, women of color, and workers, and WON last year. This includes the right to receive increases in the state minimum wage and the right to paid sick time (Public Act 1 of 2025).

No one should be priced out of the medications they need to stay healthy. I will do this by:

• Taking on big drug companies to cap the cost of essential medications like insulin and inhalers.
• Protecting seniors and vulnerable adults from prescription drug price gouging.

• Expanding programs like Rx Kids that provide direct financial support to pregnant moms and new parents so they can afford essentials like diapers and formula.
• Improving birth outcomes for moms and babies — I also successfully sponsored resolutions recognizing the third week of April as Black Maternal Health Week in Michigan.

Students learn best when they are safe, fed, and supported. Last year, I stood with community members and parents, and we WON:

• Free breakfast and lunch for every student.
  
• Increased investment in school safety, mental health support, and student well-being.
  
• Improved support for literacy and reading outcomes.

A child’s education should not depend on their ZIP code. I am fighting to:

• Ensure every public school in Michigan has the resources and funding needed to help every student succeed.

Our students should not be saddled with crushing student loan of debt. That is why I am:

• Helping Michiganders relieve the burden of student loan debt while building a life in Michigan. Individuals will be eligible for a tax credit on student loan payments. Employers who help pay for their employees’ student loans are also eligible (HBs 6061–6065).

We must always be vigilant of our rights and continuously defend them, or we will lose them. That is why I am:

• Defending voting rights protections and ensuring every eligible Michigander can freely and fairly cast their ballot (HBs 5969-5972).
• Safeguarding First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful protest by clarifying the definition of riot and incitement (HB 5528).
• Prohibiting the use of masks by law enforcement in ways that undermine transparency and public trust (HB 4760).
• Protecting places of worship from immigration enforcement actions so families can worship safely without fear (HB 4859).

I am committed to fighting for policies that make a real difference for working families and ensure everyone has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead.

If you have any questions or input about this people-driven plan, legislation I am working on, or if there’s anything else my office can help you with, please contact me at [email protected] or 517-373-2276. Your suggestions continue to guide the work I do on your behalf.In service,

Tonya Myers Phillips
State Representative