LANSING — Wayne County-based members of the Michigan House Democratic Caucus were ceremonially sworn in to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives for the 99th Legislature in 2017-18. The seven Greater Wayne County Democratic representatives said that their priorities in office will mirror those of the working families, seniors and students of Southeast Michigan.
“Michigan government needs to get back to serving the people and communities of this state, not wealthy special interests and political donors,” said state Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Township), who is in his first term representing the 23rd House District. “If we’re going to attract and retain young talent and small businesses to the state, we must invest in the good schools and vibrant communities that will lure them to Michigan.”
Greater Wayne County Democrats will continue fighting for the health and well-being of their constituents so they can lead secure, productive lives.
“Workers, employers and the entire state benefit when children, adults and families can get and stay healthy,” said state Rep. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), who is in her second term representing the 12th House District. “I am committed to enacting policies such as earned, paid sick leave and family leave so that employees — particularly working mothers and fathers and people in the ‘sandwich generation’ also attending to aging parents — can attain the economic security we all deserve.”
“Dearborn is a diverse community – culturally, demographically, and economically – and I look forward to being that voice for all of Dearborn and its residents” said state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn), who is in his first term representing the 15th House District. “There are several priorities that I am bringing with me to Lansing — health care access and affordability, clean air and water reforms, small business protections, and support for public education.”
Democrats representing Greater Wayne County communities know that local governments are struggling after years of cuts to revenue sharing, and they will fight to restore the funding that provides vital services residents depend on.
“Young people like myself want to live in communities that provide an outstanding quality of life through reliable public transportation, vibrant neighborhoods and safe communities, but without full revenue sharing, our cities are struggling to afford even the most basic services,” said state Rep. Jewell Jones (D-Inkster), who is in his first term representing the 11th House District. “I’m proud of my home town and my home state, but we must do better.”
“Communities across our state have been struggling to provide the critical and necessary services that our citizens expect and deserve. Over the past five years, revenue sharing has been cut by nearly $2.5 billion, forcing cities to provide the same services with over $500 million less in state revenue per year.” said state Rep. Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park), who is in his second term representing the 13th House District. “It’s time to stop balancing the state budget on the backs of our police and firefighters, local governments and working families.”
Many of the Greater Wayne County Democrats have worked in and around schools, and they are passionate about ensuring a great education for all Michigan kids.
“The appalling situation in Detroit Public Schools got a lot of attention last year, and not only do we believe that problem is not fully solved, but schools across Michigan are barely coping with funding cuts and lack of state support,” said state Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit), who is in her second term representing the 10th House District. “Every child deserves access to a great education, and it’s our responsibility to help teachers and schools provide it to them.”
“The best investment we can make in our state’s future is education. Unfortunately, a recent independent study solidified the fact that our state has significant funding gaps when it comes to our schools, and we have yet to return to the funding levels that were in place before 2011,” said state Rep. Kristy Pagan (D-Canton), who is in her second term representing the 21st House District. “Making Michigan a top-10 education state remains one of my top priorities, and this includes ensuring that our schools have adequate per-pupil funding for K-12, increasing access to quality early-learning programs and making college more affordable. I’m ready to continue the fight on behalf of Michigan’s students, teachers, parents and schools.”