Dear Neighbor,

I hope you had a relaxing weekend. I enjoyed meeting with some of you at my latest in-person coffee hour this past Saturday! It was so nice to connect with those that were able to join me and discuss what’s going on at the Capitol and the issues we are facing in our community.

The supercell that hit Farmington hard last Wednesday caused extreme damage. I want to personally thank every resident for pitching in to help their neighbors. Everywhere I turned, you were there helping. I’m truly honored to serve you!

If you need help or would like to share a comment with me, please out to my office at SamanthaSteckloff@house.mi.gov or (517) 373-1793. We are here to help you!

Legislative Update

 

Michigan Pollinator Week

Just recently, I introduced a resolution to make June 23 through 28 Pollinator Protection Week in Michigan. Fourteen years ago, the United States Senate passed a similar resolution to bring attention to the crisis facing shrinking pollinator populations. Our state’s economy relies on pollinators for food production and biodiversity. We’ve got to do something about pollinators, and with this resolution, our state will take a step in the right direction.

Auto No-Fault

Thursday, July 1, was the deadline to reform auto no-fault. The House Democratic Caucus is doing all we can to push reforms. Before we began our in-district work period, the House passed Senate Bill 28, which provides the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) with $25 million to reimburse providers who demonstrate a real need for support. It also requires DIFS to issue quarterly reports on how much money is being claimed and submit a final report to the Legislature and the public on the effect of the 2019 law. This is a temporary fix that will allow providers to stay in business and keep supporting their patients. However, the funding in this bill won’t last forever, and there is more work to be done. Democrats were able to secure key amendments to this bill, including accelerating the timeline for DIFS to start awarding reimbursements and increasing the scope of providers that can qualify for payments.

 

Ending Qualified Immunity

I’ve said it before, and I’ll proudly say it again: We need to end qualified immunity. We can’t hold bad actors within law enforcement accountable unless we act on this crucial issue. It’s not just an issue of creating more fair and equitable outcomes; it’s also about justice. It’s why I introduced a resolution as part of a criminal justice reform along with my colleagues in the Michigan House.

Protecting Marriage Equality

I’m committed to protecting and advancing marriage equality in Michigan. I’ve partnered with Rep. Yousef Rabhi to modernize the language in our state’s marriage statutes and every other law that pertains to marriage. Currently, marriage references are written out in gendered terms like “husband” and “wife.” These bills will change that reference to the more gender-neutral “spouses,” making our laws more inclusive.

 

Building a Better Budget

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’m working around the clock to build a budget that secures our state’s future. On Wednesday, June 30, the House and Senate were able to pass historic funding for K-12 education, which included adjusting the per-pupil funding to $8,700 across the state. For the past 30 years, different school districts received different levels of per-pupil funding—a glaring inequity. This agreement was bipartisan and amounted to $16.7 billion. This is an incredible victory for all school districts. I’m looking forward to seeing what this can do for Farmington and Farmington Hills school districts. However, the House and Senate were unable to agree on budgets for all other areas of the budget. Like my page on Facebook to stay up to date on any upcoming votes before the next E-newsletter in August.

District 37 Youth Government Council

Last month, we had our second Youth Government Council meeting led by our office’s own Legislative Director, Emily Collins! She taught our great Youth Council how Michigan’s government works, how a bill becomes a law and staffers’ roles in the legislative process. Our next meetings will be entirely policy-focused on young people’s issues, and I’m so excited to hear what they have to say.

 

Learn More About How I Represent You

As Michigan opens back up, our office will be hosting more in-person events. Stay updated and be the first one to sign up for our upcoming constituent events in the works by following us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSteckloff. You can also check out my website and see the issues I’m tackling in the Legislature https://housedems.com/samantha-steckloff/.

 

Assisting You and District 37

My staff and I are here to help you. If you need help, want a question answered or would like to make your voice heard, please contact my office at SamanthaSteckloff@house.mi.gov or (517) 373-1793. It’d be my pleasure to serve you.