Dear Neighbor,
It’s an honor to serve as your state Senator. I am committed to the well-being and success of the residents in our community and have been working hard to provide support and opportunities for you and your family.
From securing state funding to support access to higher education for local students, to championing commonsense legislation to ensure firearms are safely stored away from minors, I’m always fighting to put the needs of our kids and families first and foremost — the way it should be.
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 reach out.
Sincerely,
Dayna Polehanki
State Senator
District 5
Expanded Free Breakfast and Lunch to All Students
Ensured that all Michigan public school students, including the 13,000 students attending Livonia Public Schools for the ’24-’25 school year, could receive free breakfast and lunch so they could focus on their learning.
Prepared More Kids for Kindergarten
Increased eligibility for the free Great Start Readiness Pre-K Program, opening more opportunities for children to gain early exposure to math, reading, and thinking skills while learning how to get along with others.
Strengthened Higher Education Opportunities
Expanded access to free community college for all students in every part of the state with the Community College Guarantee, including right here at Livonia’s own Schoolcraft Community College.
Supported Youth to Meet Proficiency Standards
Equipped districts with the tools to ensure all students are proficient in English language arts and mathematics and are prepared to succeed in high school and beyond — sending $5.7 million specifically to Livonia schools to support at-risk youth.
In out Neighborhood
Supporting Dual Enrollment at Schoolcraft College
I was proud to help secure state funding to support a new pilot program that expands access to higher education for local high school students right here in our district. The first-of-its-kind program builds on Schoolcraft College’s Early Middle College Program to allow high schoolers to take college courses in career-technical areas, including health care, public safety, manufacturing, and engineering — while also covering tuition, books, and other education costs.
New Livonia Senior Wellness Center
Livonia enjoys over 80,000 visits to the current senior center and 800,000 visits to our recreation center every year, so it only makes sense to connect the two facilities together! That’s why I proudly delivered $5 million in state funding to renovate the new senior wellness center! The new facility will be a large two-story community space connected to the recreation center with an elevator, covered entrance, coffee shop, fireplace, and plenty of meeting spaces for local clubs and activities.
Architectual Renderings Courtesy of Livonia Parks and Recreation
Policy Wins to Support Families & Children
Eliminated burdensome hurdles for IVF and surrogacy.
Public Acts 24-32 of 2024
Secured greater resources to support Michigan students and teachers.
Public Act 127 of 2024
Provided support to improve literacy rates and help students with dyslexia.
Public Act 146-147 of 2024
Empowered home care workers to collectively bargain for better pay and safer working conditions.
Public Act 144-145 of 2024
Reformed Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency to better support residents when they are going through tough times, increasing from $362/week to $614/week by 2027.
Public Act 173 , 238-240 of 2024
Increased the state’s minimum wage sooner than the court-ordered timeline, putting more money into the pockets of Michigan workers.
Public Act 10 of 2024
Implemented the best earned sick time policy in the nation, giving Michigan workers more financial security so they don’t have to choose between their health or their paycheck.
Public Act 2 of 2025
Safe Storage Saves Lives
How you can help build Safer Communites
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 locked and inaccessible to children in a safe, secure location. 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.