Capitol and Community Updates

Greetings,

It’s budget season and there are some important items as mentioned in the recent State of the State address last month that we are working toward to help improve the lives of Michiganders.

As things move forward, I will continue to fight for affordability for working and retired people, better academic support and safety for all Michigan students, improved community safety and access to resources and services for all.

I appreciate your feedback and your presence at my community conversations and other community events, like the Black History program last month.

I continue to be honored to represent you in Lansing. I appreciate your involvement in my monthly conversations and special events like the Black History Month program and Child Care Roundtable. Stay tuned for more as the weather begins to warm up.

Blessings,

Rep. Steph

Stephanie A. Young

State Representative

House District 16

Love Is The Work!

Save the Date: April 13, Community Conversation

Next month’s community conversation will be a special edition as we welcome special guest members from tribal communities to the North American Indian Association of Detroit (NAIA). The organization, founded in 1940, has helped Native people maintain cultural ties while navigating life in an urban environment, especially during periods of large migration from reservations to cities. NAIA is widely recognized for revitalizing the Native cultural presence in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. All are welcome. Please plan to join us in person at the NAIA headquarters, 22720 Plymouth Road, Detroit, MI 48239, at 10 a.m. or join us on Facebook live.

Updates from Lansing: Policy Watch

Below is a recap of recent legislation moving in Lansing:

House Bill 5382 — My insurance bill passed the House on March 4. My bill is part of a larger, seven bill package. House Bills 5380–5386 amend the Insurance Code to make various changes to the regulation and requirements relating to captive insurance companies. It’s a technical bill package designed to make Michigan more competitive in the captive insurance space. This bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection.

House Bill 5591 — I sponsored legislation in a four-bill package to regulate hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities in Michigan. This is needed because hyperbaric chambers are increasingly used outside hospitals for wellness or off‑label treatments, creating patient safety risks without consistent oversight. News coverage notes that Michigan could become one of the first states to comprehensively license freestanding hyperbaric facilities if this package passes. Sadly this legislation came about due to the tragic death of a young child in one of these chambers. Patient safety is the number one priority; and closing gaps in safety measures for patients who seek treatment is important. This bill is in the House Committee on Regulatory Reform.

House Bill 5318 – As a member of the House Finance Committee, we have taken up this bill that amends Michigan’s General Sales Tax Act to include larger exemptions for non-profits on fundraising and certain sales and/or transfer of real property. The bill would increase the exemption cap for sales to all eligible organizations to $60,000 per item for tangible personal property and $75,000 for the sale of a vehicle. We voted it out of committee and it now awaits a vote on the House floor.

Surprise, Surprise! The Selfridge Vote

The development of a bipartisan set of policies to improve infrastructure at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base was interrupted when House Republicans bypassed this process and unexpectedly put up a surprise bill on the floor for a vote last week — rushing a bill for $152 million through the chamber on March 3 without going through the committee process and only allowing a few minutes for review. I feel we were being asked to sign a blank check for $152 million dollars!

Plans for this infrastructure improvement were supposed to be rolled out together as part of a united, bipartisan front, however, the governor, House Democrats and Senate Democrats remain at the negotiations table committed to support the improvements to Selfridge as a bipartisan effort.

Important: Michigan’s SAVE Act is on the Move

Michigan House Republican’s version of the SAVE Act, HB 4765, was taken up for testimony by the House Elections Integrity committee on March 3 and is now a step closer to being heard in the near future on the House floor for a vote.

The bill, introduced by Republicans, is meant to mirror the federal SAVE Act. If enacted, HB 4765 would require new and re-registered voters to provide photo ID AND proof of U.S. citizenship to both register to vote and to cast a ballot. Acceptable proof of citizenship would include: a U.S. passport, birth certificate or a naturalization certificate. If HB 4765 becomes law, Michigan driver’s licenses, state IDs and most REAL IDs would not be sufficient on their own to prove citizenship and grant access to voting under the proposed legislation.

The impact of the SAVE Act on women in Michigan could affect more than 2.2 million women who do not have birth certificates that match their driver’s licenses if they need to register to vote (Source: Pew Research Center, 2023). Nationally, 84% of American women who get married change their last name — as many as 69 million women do not have a birth certificate with their current legal name. They would need a passport to legally register to vote, a marriage license or other documentation that shows a name change (Source: Pew Research Center, 2023).

Not only is this legislation unnecessary, as it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote, but from research I’ve seen it would implement obstacles to voter registration that contradict two different constitutional amendments voters themselves implemented, overwhelmingly, in the last decade. Democrats will not take away your fundamental right to vote and freedom to exercise this right.

March is Reading Month

This is one of my favorite things to do in our community is read to excited little people!. Literacy is the key to success.

This month I’ll be reading at:

Vanderberg Elementary School
Cleveland Elementary School
Sensory Shenanigans at the Livonia library
Cooke Stem Academy
Detroit Public Library Champions of Hope program

Michigan ranks 44th nationally in fourth‑grade reading and, unfortunately, the literacy gap persists in Detroit. March is Reading Month is a GREAT way to get on board with reading better and reading more! If you have a school or other place you would like me to read to students, please contact my office!

State of the Mama: Spending Time with Mothering Justice

I had the pleasure to join my colleagues in Detroit for the Mothering Justice “State of the Mama” address on March 6. I was quoted in an article for Michigan Public Radio following the address as stating how proud I am of the assistance programs that have received funding and my hope and belief that bills to lower the cost of housing will get through this year. I also uplifted other policies like the creation of a water affordability program, that may have to wait until after the upcoming general election.

At the time of the State of the Mama address, a package to address racial disparities in maternal health care is stalled in the Michigan House after passing the Senate last April.

My quote from the article: “Things that we can get done, we get done and we don’t stop. But there’s no reason to not be ready. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. We’re going to be ready come 2027 to do even more.”

Photo Gallery: My Life in Pictures in the District and in Lansing

Our first in-person community conversation of the month, uplifted the amazing working mothers from our District for Women’s Month. Special thanks to our guest speakers:

LaTrice McClendon, Knight Foundation Detroit Director and Detroit Public Schools Community District President

Brittany Harris, Executive Director at Heroes’ Alliance, Redford Township constituent

Madeline Acosta, Program Manager for 26 & Beyond and Livonia Public Schools Board of Education Trustee.

We had an empowering and uplifting discussion among dynamic Moms who are leading in education, philanthropy and student enrichment programs through STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. They shared advice on how they navigate motherhood and the demands of employment, board memberships and so much more.

I encourage you to check out the discussion on my Facebook. I’m sure it will bless men and women alike, just as it blessed us.