Dear Neighbors,

I can hardly believe it is already September! It feels like summer just flew by between visits in our community to wonderful festivals, farms, USA 250 celebrations and (my favorite) Food Truck Fridays in Pinckney. In between, however, there were trips to Lansing for oversight committee meetings and legislative session days keeping the work of bettering the lives of Michiganders front and center for me, as always. The good news is that I love autumn and that back-to-school feeling, so I am happy to see the leaves start to turn and feel a chill in the air at night. I hope your fall has gotten off to a good start despite the many storms we have experienced recently. 

RECENT EVENTS:

To see all the events I have attended, take a look at my Facebook.

But here are some particularly special highlights:

Howell Melon Festival

On Aug. 16, I spent the afternoon at the Howell Melon Festival. This is always a great family outing for all ages, and I especially enjoyed checking out the craft fair in the Howell Opera House, buying some melons and, of course, eating melon ice cream! Between the kids activities (street hockey!), the food trucks and the many vendors, it’s a great annual event!

14th Annual Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival

On Aug. 15, I stopped by for the last day of the 14th annual Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival, a public art show with live music and family activities in Monument Park. I truly admired the work of the 80 artists who spent the week painting scenes throughout the Dexter area. The free weekend also included live music, a Quick Draw competition, an awards ceremony and family activities.

Voting Rights Town Hall

Thank you to everyone who attended my Voting Rights Town Hall at the Hamburg Library! It was a great opportunity to discuss our electoral process here in Michigan, and particularly the safeguards that are in place to protect the sanctity of the vote. 

A special shout out to Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, who emphasized throughout the event that although no election system is perfect, elections in Michigan are extremely secure and, in cases of attempted illegal voting, safeguards are in place to prosecute those individuals. Thanks, as well, to Mika McAskill, the Michigan Department of State Director of Public Engagement who lives in Hamburg, for encouraging everyone to ask lots of questions. I also truly appreciated them taking the time to explain how the Michigan SOS handled the federal DOJ monitors, who were here to observe several of our primary elections.

Baseline Farm Tour

Back in July, I visited the Baseline Farm in Dexter for a morning tour organized by the Huron River Chain of Lakes Association (HRCOLA). It’s a 260-acre amazing eco-friendly cattle farm. What’s more, the owners — Kathy Sample and Bill Brinkerhoff — are not only members of HRCOLA like me, but also friends of mine that I have come to know and appreciate these last four years in office for all they do for local farmers. Kathy and Bill also own the Argus Farm Stop, giving local farmers an equitable way to sell their products. 

I couldn’t wait to try the grass-fed beef products from the Baseline Farm, operated under the supervision of farmer John Cox, who practices regenerative farming with his herd of 170 cattle! He sells at the Howell Farmers’ Market when he has beef in stock! 

Hamburg Township USA 250 Commemoration 

I absolutely loved the opportunity to celebrate our country at Hamburg Township’s USA 250 Commemoration earlier this summer! It was a beautiful ceremony with the highlight being the sealing of a time capsule that will be reopened in 25 years. Although I wasn’t able to stay to see who won the Apple Pie Competition, they all looked delicious. Thank you to Supervisor Jason Negri for organizing the event!

POLICY SECTION:

Reintroduction of Stalled Bills: 

As many of you know, last term the House and Senate passed nine bills that were not sent to the governor’s desk by Dec. 31, 2024. After a year and a half legal battle that began when the Republican House Speaker refused to deliver the bills this term, the Michigan Supreme Court declined to take up the case, leaving in place a lower court decision saying the House has a duty to present the bills to the governor’s desk. The governor ultimately vetoed all nine of these stalled bills on July 10, meaning that they did not become law. 

Make no mistake: these critical pieces of legislation were more than just headlines — they are real solutions to deliver economic security and access to healthcare for working families. It is for this reason that I look forward to supporting identical bills — which were recently reintroduced this term — should they ultimately come before me on the House floor. Specifically, House Bills 6226-6230 and 6233-6235 would collectively do the following: 

  • Exempt public assistance from garnishment.
  • Allow for millage questions on ballots for history museum authorities.
  • Allow for Michigan Department of Corrections officers to opt into the Michigan State Police pension plan.
  • Expand health insurance for public employees.

Please know that going forward, I will continue to support reintroducing these bills until they are signed into law, and am doing everything in my power to see that this most recent package continues to advance through the legislative process. 

Insulin Price Cap

Earlier this summer, I introduced House Bill 6101, which would cap the copay on a 30-day supply of insulin to $35 in Michigan. Last term, I introduced similar legislation — House Bill 4015 of 2023 — to make this critical medication more affordable for Michiganders, and I am so proud to continue those efforts again this year. 

Too many Michigan families are forced to choose between paying for insulin and paying for other necessities. For people living with diabetes, skipping or rationing insulin can have devastating consequences. No one should have to ration life-saving medication because of its cost, and this bill would help ensure that people can afford the care and meds they need. By capping copays, we can help ensure that Michiganders have the ability to manage their health without worrying that a trip to the pharmacy will break the bank. 

2026 Budget Update:

On July 3, the House and Senate ultimately came together to pass our state’s FY 2026-2027 General Omnibus and School Aid budgets — SB 878 and HB 5630, respectively. To be clear, this year’s budget is far from perfect, especially given that our state had much less funding to work with as a result of federal cuts and difficult economic conditions. With this being said, even in the face of these challenging circumstances, House and Senate Democrats fought hard to maintain funding for critical programs and services Michiganders rely on. 

For our students, this included a continuation of the free Michigan School Meals Program — for which I have been a strong advocate throughout my time in Lansing — as well as $193.5 million dedicated to student literacy, support for at-risk students, a $250 increase in per-pupil funding and a new weighted foundation allowance funding model that ensures students who need the most support will receive it. Further, Democrats successfully fought to include funding for Medicaid and SNAP coverage that was at risk due to federal cuts, and investments in affordable housing and childcare to support Michigan families throughout our state. 

At the end of the day, I am proud that the agreement that we ultimately reached reflects a determination by my Democratic colleagues and me to hold the line for the programs and funding that matter most to Michigan students, educators and local school districts.

DATA CENTER GUARDRAILS PACKAGE

As data centers continue to be proposed across Michigan communities, I have spoken with constituents, environmental groups and subject matter experts about how we navigate this issue here in Lansing. I have raised concerns about the unintended consequences of these projects and how we can protect our environment and natural resources, while also ensuring communities are not on the hook for rate increases caused by data centers. In recent days, we have seen more experts share their concerns about the fast advancements in AI and the threat it poses to our economy, the health and safety of Michiganders and humanity itself. With all of this top of mind for me and many residents of House District 48, we must handle these advancements properly and ensure that there is transparency, community engagement and proper guardrails and protections in place to ensure that we are moving forward responsibly on both issues.

At the end of June, I cosponsored House Bills 6135-6142, which would collectively create safeguards to protect ratepayers and local communities from bearing the costs and impacts of rapidly expanding data centers. Specifically, these bills would do the following:

  • Regulate noise pollution and require that a decommissioning plan be in place prior to approval of a data center.
  • Require that both a community benefits agreement and a project labor agreement be signed as a condition of Michigan Public Service Commission approval.
  • Prohibit elected officials and data center owners from entering into non-disclosure agreements.
  • Establish data centers as a distinct customer class, separate from industrial customers and ineligible for industrial rates, and require service under a specific commercial tariff.
  • Prohibit new data centers from drawing on Michigan’s groundwater or surface water for cooling, instead requiring them to use either a closed-loop cooling system or water sourced exclusively from the municipal water system.

Additionally, there is legislation being considered, House Bills 5594-5596, which would prohibit new data centers from receiving state or local permits or commencing operations until April 1, 2027. If passed, these bills would give the legislature time to pass the guardrail legislation before new data centers could be constructed, ensuring that we protect local autonomy and decision-making power. I support these bills as I now believe a year-long moratorium on new data centers is necessary in our state, given that A.I. executives themselves are issuing warnings and calling for a slowdown on the release of new models until they can be tested for vulnerabilities.

Currently, both legislative packages await further action in the House Government Operations Committee. If you would like, you can sign up for committee notices here; this way, you will be among the first to know if any of these bills are scheduled for a hearing.

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY ASSISTANCE

Since April, I have continued to hear from countless constituents who have unfortunately experienced extensive delays in receiving their 2025 tax returns. Please know that if you still have not received your return, my office can serve as an intermediary between you and the Treasury Department and request a status update and a resolution to your case. With this being said, before we can do so, we will need to know the following information when you contact us:

  • Your first and last name
  • Your address, as it is listed on your return
  • Adjusted gross income (AGI) or total household resources
  • Filing status
  • Tax year(s) of the return in question
  • A phone number where you can be reached
  • The last 4 digits of your Social Security number
  • Date you filed your return
  • Any current status provided by Michigan Treasury eServices or any information given to you by the Treasury Department on when you should receive your return

It is important to note that while my office can serve as an intermediary, I do not have the ability to directly process returns. Additionally, if you would prefer to get in touch with somebody from the Michigan Department of Treasury instead, I would encourage you to log into your account and select “Send a Web Message or Request a Callback.”

As always, please feel free to get in touch with my office via email at [email protected], or by phone at 517-373-7557.