Dear Neighbor,
It’s an honor to serve as your state Senator. I am committed to the well-being and success of the kids and parents in our community and have been working hard to provide support and opportunities for you and your family.
An investment in our kids is an investment in our future, and regardless of what their interests and aspirations are, these game- changing resources for our kids and classrooms will set them up for success.
As always, if you have any feedback on legislation, ideas you want to share, or need any assistance navigating state departments, please feel free to contact my office.
Sincerely,
Winnie Brinks
State Senator
District 29
Investing in Michigan Students, Teachers, & 2026 Education Budget
The 2026 budget proposed by Senate Democrats continues to advance the same priorities and values I have championed as Senate Majority Leader for the past two years.
It maintains universal access to free breakfast and lunch for all public school students and includes robust investments in education: increasing per-pupil funding, providing more direct support to classrooms, and helping school districts address local needs. Our Senate budget calls for smaller class sizes, higher teacher pay, and more money for upgrading school buildings and infrastructure. The budget also commits significant funding toward improving student mental health and school safety, recognizing the growing importance of emotional and behavioral support in schools.
At the time of this newsletter, the House and Senate were still negotiating the final state budget. For the latest updates please go to senatedems.com/budget.
Safe Storage Saves Lives
How You Can Help Build Safer Communities
While my legislative colleagues and I work to advance gun safety policies — we all have a part to play in building safer communities. Under our state’s new Secure Storage Law, Michigan gun owners are legally responsible for ensuring their firearms are stored in a safe manner.
Safe storage can reduce the risk of both intentional and unintentional injuries and deaths, as well as lower the rates of firearm theft. Next time you store your firearm, ensure it’s unloaded, locked, and kept separate from ammunition. If you don’t have a gun lock but need one, free locks can be obtained through Project ChildSafe police partners across the state. Find one near you at ProjectChildSafe.org.