Dear Neighbor,

Here is some information that I hope you will find helpful, including updates and news from your state government.

Marching to Stop Gun Violence in Lansing

On Saturday, Sept. 7, I joined the Mikey 23 Foundation’s Stop the Violence March in Lansing. The event honors individuals our community has lost to gun violence, and it raises awareness of the need to unite against this crisis.

I have advocated for reforms to reduce gun violence since first being elected to the House. So far this term, I have proudly supported legislation to:

  • Require criminal background checks before all firearm purchases (also known as universal background checks).
  • Require gun owners to safely store their firearms so that minors cannot access them.
  • Establish extreme risk protection orders (also known as “red flag” orders), which allow the courts to temporarily remove firearms from those who pose a threat to themselves or others.
  • Prevent individuals with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions from possessing firearms for a period of time after their sentence.

This Legislature has invested in community-based gun violence prevention programs including the Mikey 23 Foundation and Advance Peace, and we have created the first state Office of Community Violence Intervention Services to treat gun violence like the public health crisis that it is. While there is still a lot more that needs to be done to stop gun violence in our communities, I look forward to continuing the work to make Michigan a safer place to live.

Servers and Restaurant Owners Share Concerns at Roundtable Discussion

I recently attended a roundtable discussion hosted by the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association at the Nuthouse last week. This event gave restaurant owners and servers the opportunity to speak with legislators about the upcoming changes to minimum wage, tipped minimum wage and paid sick time laws. I appreciate everyone who came out to share their experience working in the restaurant industry.

In 2018, the Republican-led legislature adopted citizen-initiated proposals to increase the state minimum wage and to allow employees to accumulate paid sick leave, ensuring that the proposals could not go before voters on the Election Day ballot. Later that year, the Legislature amended the initiatives, significantly weakening the proposed laws. The Michigan Supreme Court recently decided that the 2018 Legislature violated the Michigan Constitution. Under the court’s order, changes to the state’s minimum wage and paid sick time laws will go into effect in February 2025.

Take Advantage of Voter Pre-registration Week

The week of Sept. 8 is Voter Preregistration Week. Sixteen- and 17-year-old Michiganders can pre-register to ensure they are enrolled to vote as soon as they turn 18. Over 126,000 young people in Michigan are eligible to take advantage of this service. Find out more information and pre-register online here.

Michigan Teacher of the Year Accepting Nominations

The Michigan Department of Education is accepting nominations for the 2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year. Teachers can be nominated by students, parents, coworkers, administrators and community members here. Applications are due on Sept. 25. More information about the Michigan Teacher of the Year can be found here.

Sincerely,

 Kara Hope

State Representative