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This month I had a bill pass the House and Senate unanimously! This will be my first Public Act and is extra special because it came to me from retired-Waterford Fire Chief John Lyman. When the fire department had received a bill with no notice and Chief Lyman appealed it, he was told the department had no recourse because the Department of Health and Human Services had the power to promulgate rules governing the program. By enacting HB 4830 into law, our local fire departments, hospitals, and ambulance service providers will receive the necessary notice to keep their budgets balanced. This legislation provides transparency, protects our locals, and was completely supported by the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure our Medicaid funding maintains its integrity. I am very proud of this legislation and thankful to everyone that helped work on it!
 Fire Chief John Lyman testifying in House Appropriations Committee in support of HB 4830.
I was also extremely happy to have Patrick Bagley join me at the Capitol for State of the State where we heard Governor Whitmer’s plan for this upcoming year. Patrick is the owner of Downey's Potato Chips and understands the value of Michigan Made. Downey's uses Michigan grown potatoes for their handmade kettle chips (yum!) at their facility in Waterford Township.
 Patrick Bagley on the House Floor with Rep. Schroeder.
On Wednesday, January 29th, we heard Governor Whitmer deliver her second State of the State Address. She announced her new road funding plan to call on the State Transportation Commission to issue state road bonds. The next day the Commission granted her $3.5 billion in bonds over the next five years. This plan unfortunately eliminates the Legislature’s involvement, silencing the voices of taxpayers throughout Michigan.
Bonds are essentially loans that will have to be paid back by our children and grandchildren in the future. I don’t believe in paying for things on credit. I believe in working within our means and cutting unnecessary programs. That’s what the Legislature did when it launched its road funding plan in 2015 – a plan that’s still being rolled out today and responsible for every orange barrel you see on the roads.
Under her plan, these funds will be used to support 122 new road projects, comprised primarily of high traffic state roads, not the roads at the end of your driveway. These bonds will pile onto the $108 million the state pays annually to service existing bond debt.
I am disappointed by the governor’s decision, but unfortunately because she cut the Legislature out of the process, there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
I recently supported a plan to streamline efforts to expand access to high-speed broadband service in rural communities throughout our state.
The plan will help families, businesses, and schools across the state gain access to faster, more reliable internet connections, as internet access has become a necessity in our modern age. Businesses need technology to operate and ultimately create jobs, students need high-speed Internet to research, and families need online access to stay connected with loved ones.
Our plan allows Michigan electric cooperatives to use their electric easements to add broadband service to existing lines, while continuing to protect the property rights of surrounding landowners. Electric cooperatives know how to provide cost-effective services to their rural members, and they want to invest in broadband.
Rural areas have been advocating for better online access for years. I’m proud to play a role in delivering this solution.
Last year, state and local leaders created the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration to analyze jail populations across the state and develop legislative recommendations. The task force was made up of a diverse group of 21 individuals from across the state including judges, county sheriffs, attorneys, social workers, county commissioners, and members of the Legislature.
Data shows Michigan jail populations have nearly tripled in the last 35 years, growing regardless of high or low crime rates. With crime now at the lowest rate in 50 years, hundreds of thousands of people are still admitted to Michigan jails every year, and they’re staying longer than ever before.
The problem lies in that our jails are full of people with mental health and substance use issues, and it’s not the right place for them. For the most part, these people don’t pose a threat to public safety. We must do all we can to divert them from the criminal justice system while still holding them accountable.
In January, the task force delivered its report to the state Legislature with recommendations to make Michigan a national leader in criminal justice reform. The proposals will protect victims and the public while safeguarding the rights of all people. The report details what steps need to be taken to reduce jail populations without compromising public safety. Click here to access the report.
Michigan has become known as the “craft beer capital of the world.” The industry has become one of the fastest growing contributors to our state economy, supporting nearly 10,000 jobs throughout the state. But as the industry expands, more and more Michigan brewers are running into a production wall posed by government regulations.
Current state law requires brewers to contract with outside distributors when they have self-distributed up to 1,000 barrels of their product. Michigan’s 1,000-barrel self-distribution limit is the lowest in the country, hindering economic growth for brewers.
Signing contracts with outside distributors is costly and puts smaller breweries at a significant financial disadvantage.
To cultivate an economic climate that allows Michigan’s craft breweries to grow and provide even more employment opportunities, I support a recently introduced plan that would double the number of barrels brewers may self-distribute from 1,000 to 2,000.
I remain committed to slashing burdensome regulations on Michigan businesses.
If you would like a road map or any other booklet from my office, please email me with your name and address!
The booklets you can request are:
- Citizen’s Guide
- Michigan State Capitol
- 10 Questions to ask a tax preparer
- Michigan and the American Civil War
- Veteran’s Benefits
During March I will be going to different schools within Clarkston Community Schools and Waterford School District to read to students. If you would like to have me read to your student, please call my office at 517-373-0615.
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