State Representative Henry Yanez (D-Sterling Heights) held a press conference at Warren City Library to announce Michigan’s Middle Class Agenda, the House Democrat’s plan for helping families, seniors and kids. The plan is based on the response Democrats received during their recent statewide, Real State of Our State Listening Tour. Rep. Yanez held a Listening Tour stop in Sterling Heights on Feb. 18.

“I heard from Andrew at my Listening Tour stop and he was concerned about the continued attacks on our public schools, while Warren and Rose from Sterling Heights were upset about the new taxes on their retirement and elimination of other credits that help seniors and the middle class,” said Yanez. “But what I heard at my stop was not unique at all. These concerns and struggles were echoed at every stop on our tour, from every corner of the state.”

The House Democrats’ Middle-Class Plan includes real solutions to problems facing Michigan’s families, seniors, kids and women. The plan calls for middle-class tax relief, restoring and protecting funds to public education, eliminating barriers to health care for women, and provides solutions for fixing our roads and bridges. Michigan’s Middle Class Plan, will:

  • Repeal the tax on seniors’ retirement income, restore the per-child tax deductions, restore the Earned Income Tax Credit to 11 percent, restore the Homestead Property Tax Credit and;

  • Level the playing field for overweight and out-of-state trucks, ensure existing transportation funds are used for road construction and refinance existing infrastructure bonds;

  • Make the School Aid Fund only available for use in funding K-12 education and increase per-pupil funding by $320; and

  • Improve access to health care for women by removing barriers and make sure woman have the right to make their own health care decisions.

“I promised the people that attended my Listening Tour stop and everyone that helped me get in this office, that I would take what they said back to the Capitol and this Middle Class Plan fulfills that promise,” continued Yanez. “The people of my district and the people of Michigan cannot handle two more years under this Republican regime and I am going to fight hard for our agenda to be taken up and passed.”

For more details, or to view the plan in its entirety, visit www.realstateofourstate.com