Dear Neighbor,
I hope you’re soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the warm weather as kids wrap up their school year and we all welcome the new season. It’s a tumultuous time in our state and country, and like many of you, I’m finding as many ways as I can to speak out, stand with those who are under attack, and help provide resources.
As we celebrate Pride Month this June, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the importance of celebrating the LGBTQ community. I was proud to support the Pride Month resolution passed by the Senate this week.
As always, please feel free to reach out to share your thoughts or seek assistance with any challenges you may be facing with state departments. You can email me at senschang@senate.michigan.gov or call 517-373-7346.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Chang
State Senator
District 3
- Join me for my upcoming coffee hour on Friday, June 20 in Hazel Park or my Community Baby Shower on Saturday, June 28 in Detroit! Learn more below.
- In honor of Gun Violence Awareness Month, read on to learn how Senate Democrats are continuing to advance commonsense gun safety legislation to ensure Michigan’s classrooms, communities, and everywhere in between are safe from the threat of gun violence.
- I recently co-authored a statement in response to ICE’s detainment of Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an 18-year-old Detroit student who is facing deportation to Colombia.
- Michiganders are urged to be aware of the newest scam facing drivers, which includes an imposter government website that mimics the Michigan Dept. of Transportation’s official site but carries a different URL address. To stay safe, please remember that Michigan does not have toll roads and will never solicit payment via text or include threatening verbiage to avoid late fees or harsher penalties.
Community Conversation with State Rep. Mike McFall & Equality Michigan
WHEN: Friday, June 20, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hazel Perk Café, 21403 John R. Rd., Hazel Park, MI 48030
Community Baby Shower
I’m excited to host a Community Baby Shower again this summer! Please spread the word to neighbors, friends, and family who have children under the age of 18 months or those who are pregnant. We’ll have educational resources, giveaways, and refreshments.
WHEN: Saturday, June 28, from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Horatio Williams Foundation, 1010 Antietam Ave., Detroit, MI 48207
To stay up to date on all of my upcoming events, check out my website.
Holding Polluters Accountable — A large-scale legislative package introduced this week would protect public health and our environment by strengthening Michigan’s pollution clean-up laws. Sponsored by Sens. Irwin, Moss, McMorrow, Shink, McCann, and myself, this legislation would hold polluters accountable by requiring more thorough cleanups as well as empowering those harmed by pollution to seek justice. I testified in the Senate Committee on Energy and the Environment this week about how important this polluter accountability bill package is for our district and the state and discussed the 2019 Revere Copper site collapse. Watch my testimony in the video below.
Supporting Michigan Renters — This week, Senate Democrats introduced a comprehensive bill package to strengthen protections and break barriers for Michiganders trying to access rental housing. I was proud to cosponsor these bills championed by Sens. Bayer, Geiss, Irwin, and Cavanagh. This legislation works to lower costs for renters, hold landlords accountable, and allow for the expungement of eviction records.
Protecting Michigan Consumers — Long overdue legislation to restore power to the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by equipping the Attorney General to hold bad actors and businesses accountable passed the Senate floor this week. Sponsored by Sen. Singh, Senate Bill 134 would also enhance education efforts to reduce scams as well as strengthen penalties for violations against elderly and vulnerable adults. And, to protect Michigan consumers from disruptive, deceptive telephone solicitation tactics, the Telephone Solicitation Act was introduced last week. Sponsored by Sens. Cavanagh, Anthony, Moss, Victory, and McBroom, this bipartisan bill package would prohibit telephone solicitors from engaging in misleading, exploitative business practices and grant the Attorney General the authority to act against violators.
Gun Violence Prevention
Every June, we recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Month to honor communities shattered by gun violence and raise awareness of this growing issue. During this month, people across the country also wear orange to commemorate the life of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed on a playground in 2013 just one week after she performed with her high school marching band at former President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.
In response to ongoing public calls to address gun violence and mass shootings in Michigan, the Senate is continuing to prioritize the safety of Michiganders by advancing commonsense gun reform. Several pieces of legislation focused on reducing gun violence in our state recently passed out of the committee I have the honor of chairing, including bills to:
- Prohibit the manufacture, sale, or possession of bump stocks — Senate Bill 224, (Sen. Polehanki)
- Prohibit an individual from possessing a firearm in the Capitol, the Binsfeld Building, and the Anderson Building — Senate Bills 225 & 226 (Sens. Polehanki & Bayer)
- Ban ghost guns, or guns without serial numbers, and updates state law to make it illegal to make, assemble, import, sell, possess, etc. a ghost gun — Senate Bill 331 & 332 (Sen. McMorrow)
This legislation builds on previous efforts the Senate has already taken to reduce gun violence in Michigan, including:
- Requiring universal background checks to close the private sale loophole;
- Creating child access protection laws to keep legal firearms safely and securely stored and out of the hands of children and teens;
- Allowing a court to issue an “Extreme Risk Protection Order” (ERPO) to temporarily intervene to suspend a person’s access to firearms if they show clear warning signs of violence and pose an immediate threat to themselves or others; and
- Protect domestic violence survivors from further violence by temporarily prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from possessing, selling or purchasing a firearm.
This month and going forward, my colleagues and I remain fully committed to advancing meaningful, life-saving policies that protect our communities and ensure a safer community for all Michiganders.
Senate Hearing Highlights Risks of Proposed Medicaid Cuts
Last week, the Senate Health Policy Committee held an important hearing to discuss the serious risks posed by proposed Medicaid cuts pushed by Republicans in Washington. Medical professionals, hospital leaders, and community advocates shared their concerns about how these cutbacks would harm the health and economic stability of Michigan communities.
Medicaid is an essential program that provides health insurance to 2.6 million Michiganders. It also supports thousands of jobs and ensures that hospitals can continue to care for everyone who needs it. Despite the clear benefits Medicaid provides, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are moving forward with plans to make significant cuts to the program in order to hand over trillions of dollars in tax cuts to the nation’s wealthiest individuals and corporations. If these cuts go through, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders could lose their health insurance. This would not only hurt individuals and families but also drain billions from Michigan’s economy and risk forcing hospitals to downsize or shut down entirely — harming those on private health insurance as well.
This hearing is part of larger efforts by Michigan Senate Democrats to protect access to health care for our residents, including the recent adoption of Senate Resolution 50. The resolution called on President Trump and the U.S. Congress to change course and reject any proposal that would strip health care access to those in need.
You can watch a recording of the committee hearing here.
School Closing Plan Bill
This week, I testified in support of Senate Bill 204, my bill to ensure that all school districts and public school academies adopt a plan for school building closures that ensures timely notification to parents, students, and staff. The bill also requires plans to ensure the securing of the closed building, disposition of assets, and smooth transition of student records. We have unfortunately seen several instances in my district and around the state of schools abruptly closing without enough notice, causing parents and staff to scramble and disrupting student learning. Thank you to Arlyssa Heard and Dawn Wilson-Clark for testifying before the Senate Committee on Education with me.
Creating a Welcoming, Inclusive State for All During Pride Month
Michigan Senate Democrats are committed to cultivating true inclusion and belonging in Michigan — not only during the month of June, but every day year-round. Since taking office, our Majority for the People has worked to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), reaffirming and expanding legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community. This effort has been 50 years in the making and will protect our LGBTQ+ family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors against discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and public services. It also will provide protection in educational facilities, housing, and real estate.
In addition to passing a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month, the Michigan Senate passed bills to ban the harmful practice of conversion therapy by mental health professionals.
These legislative efforts are a big step forward for Michigan, but certainly not the last. With all the uncertainty stemming from the federal level, the Senate recognizes the continued need for education and awareness to end discrimination and prejudice and remains committed to putting forth legislation that will continue to support the rights of every Michigander to live freely and authentically.
Learn about Pride events across the state and how you can celebrate this month here.
Statement on ICE Detainment of Detroit Student, Maykol Bogoya-Duarte
Earlier this week, following the detainment of Detroit high schooler Maykol Bogoya-Duarte by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month, Sens. Mary Cavanagh, Sylvia Santana, Rosemary Bayer, and I released the following statement:
“Last month, 18-year-old Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, a student at Western International High School, was stopped by local police and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while driving Downriver, trying to join his class on a field trip. Maykol came with his family to the U.S. from Colombia two and a half years ago and is described by one of his teachers as gentle and mild-mannered. According to friends and family, he was working as a doorman at a hotel and had planned to work this summer so that he could buy a car. He told his teacher often how much he loves his mom. His teacher states that he sat next to them in English Language Development class to stay on task and to be able to ask a lot of questions. According to news reports, Maykol’s fellow students at Western International High School are upset, scared, and saddened by his detention.
“We join over a thousand teachers, students, and parents calling on ICE to release Maykol from detention so that he can return to his family, even temporarily, and finish his schooling. Maykol has only 3 credits left to complete his diploma. The courts should consider a stay of deportation for Maykol. Amidst the chaos and fear of the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort, we must remember that behind every number, there are real human beings impacted — not just the individuals detained or deported, but also their families and their community members. While awaiting his court hearings, Maykol should be able to live his 18-year-old life in the community.”
Make MI Home Launches in Michigan
The Michigan Growth Office recently announced the launch of Make MI Home, a first-in-the-nation statewide talent retention and attraction program. As part of the program, the office is awarding $769,000 in grant funding to five new consortiums across the state to support locally tailored strategies and help kick-start population growth. I’m thrilled that the City of Detroit has been chosen as one of those grant recipients!
City of Detroit ($210,000): The City of Detroit will launch the Detroit Tech Fellowship Program to elevate startup talent in Detroit and help drive the Michigan innovation ecosystem forward. The program will target recent graduates from Michigan universities to scale their startups in Michigan, strengthening Detroit as a hub for AI, biotech, clean energy, smart manufacturing, mobility, and other emerging industries. Participants will benefit from:
- Access to coworking space;
- Housing support ; and
- Community and cohort events to network and collaborate with peers and local entrepreneurs
Partners include the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Bamboo, Newlab, and Techtown.
As part of Make MI Home’s statewide launch, the Growth Office also announced a Welcome Program, designed to help recent graduates already located in Michigan and new residents settle into their communities faster. The program includes access to Michigan state parks, connections to Michigan programs that enhance the state’s quality of life — including free pre-K for every 4-year-old and free community college — as well as discounts to participating Michigan destinations and small businesses.
Learn more about Make MI Home and the award recipients here.
Heads Up Michigan Drivers — Be Aware of Toll Road Scams
The Michigan Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) wants Michigan drivers to be aware of the newest toll road scam, which includes an imposter government website that mimics MDOT’s official site but carries a different URL address. MDOT reminds all drivers that Michigan does not have toll roads and will never solicit payment via text or include threatening verbiage to avoid late fees or harsher penalties.
To stay safe, please remember that government agencies:
- Will not request personal information through email, over the phone or text.
- Will never demand money through email, over the phone or text. They will mail you a notice and offer payment options.
- Do not ask for or take payment by prepaid gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.