Dear Neighbor,
With the official start of autumn right around the corner, we are not only quickly approaching a season full of fall foliage and cider mills, but we may also be unfortunately possibly speeding towards a government shutdown, which I truly hope we can avoid. Come Oct. 1, if the Legislature is unable to send a full budget to the governor for signature, many of the programs and services Michiganders rely on — and pay for with their hard-earned tax dollars — will come to a halt. Schools have already been forced to begin a new academic year without knowing what their budgets will look like, and soon, our local cities, our police and fire departments, and more will be faced with the same fate.
At the Capitol, my Senate colleagues and I have been working to negotiate a responsible state budget focused on the people of Michigan, as we have been ever since we passed our budget proposal back in May. With only days before the start of the new fiscal year, the contrast between our proposal and the House Republican budget could not be more stark. Senate Democrats are committed to delivering a balanced budget that uplifts Michiganders and delivers on your priorities. Meanwhile, House Speaker Matt Hall remains hellbent on intentionally sowing dysfunction, threatening to upend vital services, and destabilize the state — all in the name of scoring political points.
Read more about the status of negotiations below, as well hear more about the legislative work my colleagues and I are continuing to do on behalf of you, our community, and our state.
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 313-922-6949.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Chang
State Senator
District 3
- This week, Senate committees held hearings on two of my bills. On Tuesday, the Committee on Housing and Human Services heard my bill on requiring life-saving carbon monoxide detectors in rental housing, and on Thursday, the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety took up my bipartisan bill package tackling illicit opioids and fentanyl deaths and the rightsizing of drug sentencing in Michigan.
- Join me TODAY, Saturday, Sept. 20 for my Coffee and Conversation & Family Storytime event at the Detroit Public Library (Main) at 11:30 a.m.
- Sept. 15 was the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich culture and histories of Latino Americans across the United States and here in Michigan. Read more below.
Community Conversation & Family Storytime
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 20 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Detroit Public Library, Main Branch, 5201 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202
Storytime will take place in the children’s section of the library.
Carbon Monoxide Detector Legislation Hearing
This week, I had the opportunity to testify in front of the Senate Committee on Housing & Human Services on my bill (SB 515) to require landlords to install at least one operational carbon monoxide (CO) detector in every rental unit that has a fuel-fired appliance or is adjacent to an enclosed garage. Since the state has started tracking CO poisonings, from 2009 to 2013, data shows that every year, between 760 and 980 Michiganders were unintentionally poisoned by CO, and 22-34 perished each year. Stronger requirements need to be made to make effective progress. I will be working further with the committee to advance this bill into law. You can watch the committee hearing here.
Senate Hearing on Bipartisan Bills to Tackle Illicit Opioids, Fentanyl Deaths in Michigan
I am working to deliver bipartisan, balanced, fair, and serious solutions to the opioid public health crisis through a bill package I introduced earlier this summer with my colleagues Sens. Sarah Anthony and Roger Victory. We introduced Senate Bills 430–432 to address the opioid epidemic in Michigan through effective solutions and appropriate, proportional sentencing policies.
At a hearing held this week in the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety, members heard from the Mayor of Grand Rapids David LaGrand and a national drug policy expert about how our bills would reform and right-size how the state’s criminal justice system responds to the sale and manufacture of drugs. These bills create proportional penalties for drug crimes by increasing punishments involving the illegal manufacture, sale, delivery, or possession of fentanyl, heroin, carfentanil, and other opioids, while instituting more appropriate sentences for less dangerous substances. I am proud that this legislation aims to protect Michiganders from the irreparable harm and devastation that dangerous substances have caused in communities around the state, and at the same time updates our law based on current science and reality. You can watch the hearing here.
The Clock is Ticking: Senate Democrats Continue Fight for a Responsible State Budget
As the clock ticks and the start of the new fiscal year looms, the Senate is still missing a serious partner in the Michigan House to negotiate a state budget with. Since the start of this legislative term, Speaker Matt Hall has failed to step up, instead choosing to manufacture a crisis in attempts to push through an extreme agenda and score political points.
Months after the statutory July 1 deadline, House Republicans finally introduced a full 800-page proposal recently…and then passed it in less than half an hour later with no public input. The House Republicans’ proposal is a far cry from a fiscally responsible budget. Instead of investing in education, public safety, and economic development, it would:
- Exacerbate dangerous cuts to critical safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
- Undermine the health and safety of Michiganders’ food by slashing millions for food and milk safety programs.
- Make our communities less safe by defunding 400 Michigan State Police positions.
- Threaten the futures of Michigan students by ripping resources away from schools.
- Harm Michigan workers and stall economic growth by slashing resources for job creation services.
- Roll back environmental protections by gutting funding for air and water quality programs and cutting key regulatory oversight programs.
- Force communities to slash vital, everyday services such as public safety, local road maintenance, and trash collection. More details about this can be found in the graphic below.
Our state budget should reflect our values — not betray them. As the deadline to secure a deal inches alarmingly closer, Senate Democrats will continue returning to the table, ready to negotiate a budget that truly puts people first. Learn more about the differences in our budget proposals here.
A Snapshot of Capitol Activity: Strengthening Michigan’s People & Places
In addition to our work to move budget negotiations forward ahead of the Oct. 1 fiscal year deadline, my Senate colleagues and I have continued to deliver solutions for Michiganders across the state, recently advancing legislation to:
- Address the state’s housing crisis by breaking barriers faced by renters. Recently passed out of committee, Senate Bills 372–375 would lower costs for Michigan renters, hold landlords accountable, and allow for the expungement of eviction records.
- Strengthen safeguards for Michigan consumers. Passed in bipartisan fashion, Senate Bills 360–364 would bring Michigan up to speed with 37 other states by empowering the Attorney General’s office to investigate security breaches and hold violators accountable.
- Safeguard public health and the environment from the impact of microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles found just about everywhere, from drinking water and foods to cosmetics and cleaning supplies. Heard in committee earlier this month, this legislation would create a statewide strategy to help assess and address the impact of microplastics on public health and the environment — including the Great Lakes, where they are more prevalent than in other large bodies of water throughout the world.
Free Mammogram Clinic
Henry Ford Health is offering a special mammogram event on Thursday Oct. 2, from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. to get women ages 40+ back on track for their annual breast cancer screening. Regular screenings mean early detection of cancer or other issues, resulting in easier treatment and a better chance of survival. This clinic will be held at the Henry Ford Cancer Pavillion at 2800 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202.
Free breast cancer screening is available to eligible patients. To register, call 313-874-3095. Registration is required and must be made at least one week prior to the event date. Transportation is available.
US Ecology Public Comment Period Extension
The Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is extending the public comment period on the proposed hazardous waste operating license for US Ecology Detroit South in Wayne County until Sept. 26, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. For more information about the proposal, click here.
You can still submit comments on the draft license renewal by email or mail until Friday, Sept. 26:
By email: EGLE-MMD-HWS@Michigan.gov
Or by U.S. mail:
EGLE, Materials Management Division
Attn: Tianna Kilgore
P.O. Box 30241
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7741
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
During Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the rich culture and histories of Latino Americans across the United States and here in Michigan. The month-long observance, from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, commemorates the independence days of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
In Michigan’s history, only 14 Hispanic individuals have been elected to serve in the state legislature, including my colleagues, Sens. Mary Cavanagh, Erika Geiss, and Darrin Camilleri and Rep. Veronica Paiz. Their backgrounds and lived experiences make our caucus and our state stronger. Learn more about them and Hispanic Heritage Month here.
Reminders for Michigan Motorists with School Buses Back on the Roads
Recently released data from the Michigan State Police shows that overall traffic crashes and fatalities on state roadways rose slightly in 2024 — distressing statistics that underscore how important it is to remain alert and vigilant on the roads. Especially now, with the new school season underway and school buses back on the roads, Michigan motorists must exercise caution and follow the below rules to ensure everyone is safe as they’re out and about.
When you see a school bus stopping for students to board, remember: yellow lights on school buses activate when the bus is preparing to stop. Red lights and the long stop arm are activated when the bus is completely stopped and accepting or discharging passengers.
Here’s a reminder on what to do when a school bus stops on different road types:
- Two-lane roadway
- When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.
- Multi-lane roadway with a center turning lane
- When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.
- Four-lane roadway without a median separation
- When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.
- Divided highway of four lanes or more with a median separation
- When a school bus stops for passengers, only traffic following the bus must stop.