Dear Neighbor,
Welcome to my first e-newsletter of the 102nd Legislature. I am honored and thankful to be your state representative for Michigan’s 11th House District.
Only months into the new year, my colleagues and I are introducing and passing important legislation in record time. We are doing the work you elected us to do, and there is lots more to be done. (Read more about that legislation below.)
So far this year, I’ve sponsored bills to reimburse cities for the costs of state-mandated special elections (so taxpayer dollars will stay in your community); veterinary care for retired police K-9 officers; and requiring research animals to be offered for adoption (both reintroductions of bills by former state Rep. and now state Sen. Kevin Hertel). I’m also working to address our energy companies’ performance and hold them accountable in the long term; professional job licensing; hate crimes; granting more rights for people with disabilities; and a small business law proposed by a constituent.
I serve on four House Committees: Agriculture (vice chair); Higher Education; Local Government and Municipal Finance; and Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. I’m a member of multiple caucuses: Poverty and Homelessness Caucus, Detroit Caucus, Progressive Women’s Caucus, Firearm Safety and Gun Violence Prevention Caucus, and Latino Caucus.
I look forward to meeting you in person. In the meantime, if you are in need of support or resources, have any questions in regards to legislation or state government in general, please feel free to reach out to me at my office via email at VeronicaPaiz@house.mi.gov or phone at (517) 373-0849. As the spring nears and we continue into 2023, please know that my staff and I are here for you.
Sincerely,
Veronica Paiz
State Representative
11th District
Upcoming Coffee Hours
Please join me for one of my upcoming coffee hours, as I want to hear from you on important issues affecting our community.
First Monday of Every Month: 6-6:45 p.m. at the St. Clair Shores Library, 22500 E. Eleven Mile Road, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081.
Third Monday of Every Month: 6-6:45 p.m. at the Harper Woods Library, 19601 Harper, Harper Woods, MI 48225.
First Friday of Every Month: 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Activity Center in St. Clair Shores, 20100 Stephens Road, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080.
Detroit coffee hours are still to be determined.
Recent Legislation in Lansing
Lowering MI Costs Plan
This month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined members of the Michigan Legislature to sign into law the Lowering MI Costs plan.
The plan repeals the unfair retirement tax, equalizing the exemption on both public and private pensions beginning next year with a four-year implementation period, putting $1,000 annually back in the wallets of 500,000 households. It also quintuples the Working Families Tax Credit — up from 6% to 30% and delivers an average combined tax refund of $3,150 to 700,000 families — directly benefiting nearly half the kids in Michigan!
Gun Violence Prevention Bills
The Michigan House of Representatives took action this month to make communities around the state safer by passing the first of several bills aimed at addressing and preventing the public health crisis of gun violence. While no single change in law or regulation will end all gun violence, I am committed to taking thoughtful, reasonable steps to keep firearms out of the hands of children and people who pose a threat to themselves or others.
Workers’ Rights Restored
This month, worker freedoms were restored and the same workers’ rights that were in effect prior to 2012 have been re-established. The so-called “right-to-work” laws of the past 10+ years impaired the ability of unions to bargain effectively for wages and work safety on behalf of both its members and all employees in the workplace. (Workers in states with expanded workers’ rights make almost $9,000 more annually, a 15% difference according to 2020 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.) Restoring good wages and safe work environments is a win for workers and safety in the workplace.
With the reinstatement of the statewide prevailing wage law for workers on public construction projects, skilled workers will now be paid what they’re worth — a living wage.
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act Expanded
Last week, the governor signed a law expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to LGBTQ+ equal rights and protections, safeguarding sexual orientation and gender identity under Michigan law. Michiganders should love whom they want, work where they want and live like they want without fear of discrimination. Expanding ELCRA ensures LGBTQ+ individuals have comprehensive, statewide protection against discrimination and focuses on cultivating greater equity.
1931 Abortion Law Repealed
The outdated 1931 criminal abortion penal code has been repealed, and a reference from the state’s Code of Criminal Procedure has been eliminated.