June Legislative and Community Updates

Dear Neighbor,

As summer gets underway, I want to share an update on the work we’re doing in Lansing and here in Kalamazoo. From advancing bipartisan legislation to protect children from lead exposure to introducing bills that expand access to affordable childcare, it remains an honor to represent you. Thank you for staying engaged, and as always, please reach out if my office can be of assistance.

In service,

In this issue:

• Upcoming Coffee Hour – June 26
• Lead Poisoning Prevention Package Passes Health Policy Committee
• Bills to Expand Childcare Introduced
• Bottle Return Access Bills Introduced
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo Grand Opening
• Successful Burdick Block Party Recap
• Happy Pride Month
• Juneteenth activities in Kalamazoo

I’m hosting my next legislative coffee hour on Friday, June 26, from 9-10 a.m. at the Milham Park Pavilion, located at 607 E. Kilgore Road, in Kalamazoo Township. These coffee hours are a great opportunity to connect informally, ask questions and share what’s on your mind. I look forward to seeing you there! While registration is not required, if you have a specific question in mind, you can email it to us in advance at [email protected]

Last week, the House Health Policy Committee advanced our three-bill Lead Poisoning Prevention Package with wide bipartisan support. This package seeks to better protect Michigan children from toxic metals.

The package includes House Bill 4864 (Rep. Rogers), which aligns Michigan’s definition of elevated blood lead level with the current CDC level; House Bill 4865 (Rep. Greene), which requires toxic-metals testing for baby food sold in Michigan and improves transparency for families; and House Bill 5975 (Rep. Fox), which directs automatic Early On referrals for children under age three with elevated blood lead levels so families can access timely developmental services alongside medical follow-up.

Lead exposure is preventable, but it can have lifelong impacts on a child’s development, learning and long-term health. Local public health departments play a critical role in preventing exposure, identifying risks early and connecting families with the services they need, and this package strengthens that work by improving early detection and ensuring families are supported quickly when elevated levels are identified.

Recently I joined state Rep. Mai Xiong to introduce House Bills 6034 and 6035, legislation to codify and invest $10 million to expand Michigan’s Tri-Share and Care-Share programs. These fast-growing workplace childcare benefit programs help lower costs for families by sharing the price of childcare between the employer, the employee and the State of Michigan, while giving more businesses the opportunity to participate and more families access to affordable care.

Childcare is one of the biggest barriers keeping parents out of the workforce and making it harder for employers to recruit and retain workers. In Kalamazoo and across Michigan, unaffordable childcare is also contributing to workforce shortages, including in health care. By expanding programs like Tri-Share and Care-Share, we can help working families stay in the jobs they were trained for and strengthen our economy.

I introduced a bipartisan three-bill package with state Rep. Doug Wozniak to strengthen Michigan’s bottle return system, improve consumer access to deposit refunds and provide clearer guidance to retailers.

A constituent raised this issue after being unable to return bottles and cans they already paid a deposit on, and for many families, that 10-cent refund adds up. Michigan’s bottle deposit law has long been a national model, but as more residents report being turned away or limited to narrow return windows, it’s clear we need straightforward protections to make the system work the way people expect it to work.

House Bill 6053 (Rep. Rogers) would establish designated hours for bottle return access so consumers have a convenient way to return eligible containers and receive their deposit refund, generally between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. (or during the dealer’s normal hours if they don’t operate that full period). House Bill 6054 (Rep. Wozniak) would require counter redemption when reverse vending machines are unavailable and create a Consumer Bottle Bill of Rights sign so customers understand when and how they can return eligible containers, with the Attorney General providing notice and a chance to fix problems before fines apply. House Bill 6055 (Rep. Wozniak) would require the Attorney General to send an annual written notice to every dealer outlining obligations under the Bottle Deposit Law and how to contact the Consumer Protection Division.

Together, these are common-sense reforms that protect consumers, provide clarity for retailers, and help boost return rates back toward the levels Michigan saw prior to 2020.

It was a joy and honor to share a few brief remarks at the ribbon cutting for the new Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo. This is the kind of investment that strengthens our community by giving kids a safe, welcoming place to learn, build confidence and thrive.

I was proud to help secure $1 million in state funding to support this project, and I’m especially grateful the new club will remain in one of our core neighborhoods. Thank you to the staff, partners and community leaders who made this possible, and to everyone who continues showing up for Kalamazoo’s young people every day.

Our annual North Burdick Street Block Party was a huge success! We had over 30 local community organizations join us to show residents what kind of resources and services they offer, and we saw several hundred residents. Thank you to everyone who joined us for live music, food, resources, and family fun!

Happy Pride Month, Kalamazoo! I had a wonderful time celebrating at Kalamazoo Pride alongside friends, neighbors, advocates and community organizations. Pride is a celebration of joy and authenticity, and it is also a reminder of the ongoing work to ensure every LGBTQ+ Michigander can live openly, safely and with dignity. I am proud to be an ally and will always stand with our LGBTQ+ community. Thank you to OutFront Kalamazoo and everyone who made this year’s celebration possible.

In observance of Juneteenth, our office will be closed on Friday, June 19. Juneteenth is a time to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and to reflect on the continued work of building a more just and equitable Michigan for every community. Below are a list of community events: