State Representative Phil Skaggs

1 day ago

Seek shelter immediately! ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

2 days ago

We're Michiganders -- We Love Water!
🏖️ 🚰🎣 🛶 ⛵️🚤

Every Michigander deserves clean, safe water -- for our families, our communities and our future. But too many of our wells, rivers and beaches are being contaminated by fecal pollution from failing leaking septic systems. We must inspect aging septics and fix problems before they pollute the water we drink and play in. I believe clean water is essential. It's time Michigan takes action, passes my bill to establish a statewide septic code for Michigan and gets the 💩 out of the 🌊.

Michigan is home to some of the most important freshwater resources in the world, Yet the Great Lakes State is the only state in the nation without a comprehensive septic code.

Across Michigan, failing septic systems are quietly polluting ground water, contaminating drinking water wells, and contributing to beach closures and unsafe rivers. Leaking septic systems cause harmful bacteria like e. coli and fuel algae blooms that are making people sick 🦠🤢. Septic pollution is a serious threat to our public health and way of life.

That's why I have a bill to establish Michigan's first statewide septic code to:
📝 Set standards for the design and installation of onsite wastewater systems
🕵️‍♂️ Require regular inspections to ensure systems are not polluting our water
🏊‍♀️ Prevent septic contamination before it reaches our lakes and rivers
👨‍🔧 Help homeowners identify and fix problems before costly failures occur.

It's time we have a Septic Code so we can truly enjoy a pure Michigan! ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

2 days ago

Every family deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, whether they live in Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, or anywhere else in Michigan. And every young person in our communities is worth getting the support they need to turn away from violence.

That's why I am proud to co-sponsor House Bills 5586 and 5587 (Rep. McKinney)! This legislation is supported by the Coalition for Violence Intervention who stopped by the office to talk today!

These bills strengthen community-based violence prevention programs that have been proven to reduce violence, support at-risk individuals, and create safer communities. The bills will make the state investment grants in these programs permanent and create a state Office of Community Violence Intervention.

Public safety is about more than enforcement and incarceration. Public safety is also about prevention, intervention, and ensuring people have access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed right here where we live.

It's about trauma-informed counseling that allows youth and young adults to process traumatic experiences, heal, and develop healthy coping skills. It's about youth mentorship and employment programs. It's about street outreach and violence interruption models that employ trusted, credible messengers from the community to act as mediators to de-escalate conflicts before they result in violence.

When we invest in programs that stop violence before it happens, we make our neighborhoods safer for everyone and ensure that we don't give up on any young person.

I am honored to stand with the Coalition for Violence Intervention and my legislative colleagues in support of these important measures, and I look forward to continuing the work of building safer communities throughout West Michigan and across our state. ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

2 weeks ago

Everywhere I go, I hear the same thing: Michiganders want their families to be happy, healthy, safe AND close to home.

But too many of our college graduates are leaving in search of opportunity in Chicago, Ohio (🤮), out West, or down south.

Michigan should be a state where they can stay, succeed, and build their futures. Let’s keep our young people here – investing in their communities and strengthening our economy. Let’s help everyone Make It In Michigan.

Here’s My Plan to Keep Our Graduates Here and Stop the Brain Drain:

The Make It In Michigan tax credit offers a powerful “carrot” to support graduates who choose to live and work in Michigan by covering up to 50% of their student loan repayments. If students put in the effort, graduate, stay and work, we should pitch in and help with their student loan debt so we keep their talent here.

The Make It In Michigan student loan grants would:

🎓 Reduce student loan debt and help young people thrive
🥕 Incentivize graduates to stay and work in Michigan
🎓 Grow our economy by strengthening our workforce

Michigan is at a critical juncture. We are a net exporter of talent. That’s not good for our families or our state’s future. Too many of our brightest college graduates are leaving the state, driven in part by the burden of student loan debt and the search for higher wages elsewhere. At the same time, Michigan faces workforce shortages across key industries. If we want Michigan to thrive, it must be a place where young people can afford to live, work, and build their futures. The Make It In Michigan program is how we keep our children and grandchildren close to home. ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

3 weeks ago

Most of us are fed up with the influence of big money in our politics.

Most Americans don’t have enough power in how our society is run. We understand our political system is rigged against us by a tiny minority of big donors. Their money drowns out our voices. It’s clear -- our American Republic is in crisis!

But, I believe we can put power back in the hands of the people.

We can fix our democracy from the bottom up! We can empower regular Michiganders to be more involved in politics. That’s why I’m introducing a small-dollar campaign financing bill to encourage all of us to donate to candidates so our interests are followed when they are elected. We must amplify our voices!

My bill – Amplify MI Voice – gives an easy-to-claim state tax credit to every Michigander who contributes small-dollar amounts to state and local campaigns and causes, up to $250 total in refunds per year.

By empowering a small-dollar campaign financing system that competes with the big donors, candidates will be incentivized to spend more time listening to and courting working people, rather than focusing on big donors.

Our democracy belongs to all of us. We can reclaim it. We can fix it. We can break the stranglehold on our democracy perpetrated by wealthy and well-connected campaign donors by empowering everyday Americans.

When we Amplify our Voices and use our votes, we can make real change – big, structural, progressive change. Power to the People! ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

3 weeks ago

Yesterday, I joined State Representatives Betsy Coffia, Reggie Miller, and Penelope Tsernoglou to call for the passage of House Resolution 284, which would establish a bipartisan committee to investigate allegations of abuse connected to Jeffrey Epstein at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

At a time when transparency and accountability are desperately needed, House Leadership has chosen not to prioritize these deeply troubling allegations. I strongly disagree with that decision.

The Legislature has a responsibility to fully investigate claims of abuse involving an institution that has received state funding and serves thousands of young people each year. We owe it to survivors, families, and students to ensure that every allegation is taken seriously and that Interlochen is providing a safe environment for the children entrusted to its care. ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

1 month ago

This week, I sponsored the Michigan Voting Rights Act bills to fight back against the horrible decision by the United States Supreme Court to gut the federal Voting Rights Act.

Just days after the Supreme Court ruling, states across the south our openly gerrymandering to eliminate Black representation from their states in Washington.

As hard-won voting rights protections erode at the federal level, states must step up to protect the right to vote. That’s what we’re doing here in Michigan! ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Phil Skaggs

1 month ago

Last week, I introduced a resolution to remember the more than 1.5 million Armenians lost in the Armenian Genocide. We honor their lives, uplift their stories and stand for truth and justice.

By adopting this resolution, we affirm that truth matters.

We affirm that remembrance matters. And we affirm that the people of Michigan will not be silent in the face of injustice.

We honor the victims.

We stand with their descendants.

And we recommit ourselves to a future where history is not denied and where atrocities are not repeated. ... See MoreSee Less