Tuesday, May 13th, 2025:

I voted YES on HB 4118 (Rep. Schuette) would allow lands owned or controlled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to be subject to levies for drain assessments. EXPLANATION: The DNR currently has a free pass when it comes to paying for drain assessments. The DNR owns 4.6 million acres of land in the state, and if they ever need a drain, the local communities are on the hook to pay for it. Removing this special exemption is necessary for fairness in government, especially when the DNR has used its land management to push solar farm scams on the people of Michigan.

PASSED: 104-2

I voted YES on SBs 99&100 (Sens. Moss, McBroom) would modify certain requirements of the Public Officers Financial Disclosure Act. Would modify certain requirements of the Candidate for Office Financial Disclosure Act. EXPLANATION: The Secretary of State’s campaign finance reporting website has been a total disaster. Allowing lawmakers and candidates to submit their reports via email streamlines the reporting process, enabling every lawmaker and candidate to comply with this requirement more easily.

PASSED: 104-2, PASSED: 105-1

I voted NO on HB 4103&04 (Reps. Rogers, Wozniak) would enter Michigan into the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact to allow for the privilege to practice in member states under the compact and state requirements. EXPLANATION: Licensure compacts come with potential fees, increased data sharing, and an out of state commission in charge of the operations. Licensing should be streamlined here at home to cut red tape and decrease administrative burdens on these occupations. Out-of-state occupational therapists would be more inclined to move here and work if our regulatory environment was greatly reduced. Additionally, licensure reciprocity would be a good alternative to this compact.

PASSED: 104-2, PASSED: 104-2

I voted YES on HB 4076 (Rep. Neyer) would require labeling on food packages that products sold as artificial meat are labeled as such. EXPLANATION: Artificial meat is not meat. Labeling artificial, lab-grown meat as real meat is false advertising and a dishonest practice that shall not be tolerated.

PASSED: 99-7

I voted YES on HB 4276 (Rep. Snyder) would remove the minimum inventory requirement for gas stations that sell liquor. EXPLANATION: Previously, gas stations had to prove an inventory with a cumulative value of at least $250,000 in order to pursue a permit to sell liquor. This was an arbitrary requirement that impeded the ability of gas station owners to offer more products and gain additional revenue. Getting rid of ridiculous restrictions such as the inventory minimum requirement allows businesses to operate with more freedom.

PASSED: 106-0

I voted NO on HB 4309 (Rep. Prestin) would amend the Public Health Code to enter Michigan into the Physician Assistants Licensure Compact to allow physician assistants to practice in states other than Michigan with a compact privilege and conversely allows PAs in other states that are part of the compact to practice in Michigan. EXPLANATION: Licensure compacts come with potential fees, increased data sharing, and an out of state commission in charge of the operations. Licensing should be streamlined here at home to cut red tape and decrease administrative burdens on these occupations. Out-of-state physicians assistants would be more inclined to move here and work if our regulatory environment was greatly reduced. Additionally, licensure reciprocity would be a good alternative to this compact.

PASSED: 103-3

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025:

I voted NO on HB 4222 (Rep. Schmaltz) would require schools to review and update their emergency operations plans every three years and form school crisis teams. EXPLANATION: Forcing schools to develop crisis teams allows for the government to prescribe specific guidelines that schools would be compelled to follow. Setting up more government mandates on our schools is not the answer for school safety. If the schools wish to establish a crisis team, they should be and are free to do so by their own accord without needing this mandate.

PASSED: 80-26

I voted NO on HB 4226 (Rep. Linting) would add an additional school lockdown drill and requires at least one lockdown drill be conducted during lunch, recess, or school assembly and at least one lockdown drill while students are in between classes. EXPLANATION: Students already complete several lockdown and evacuation drills throughout the year. Additional lockdown drills take time and focus away from students when they should be learning reading, writing, and arithmetic. Furthermore, lockdowns drills instill fear within students.

PASSED: 81-25

I voted NO on HB 4225 (Rep. Steele) would require schools to include the contact information for OK2SAY on student identification cards. EXPLANATION: Schools should have discretion in how they present resources such as OK2SAY. Requiring inclusion of OK2SAY contact information on student ID cards forces schools into a one-size-fits-all solution, which draws school resources away from other matters.

PASSED: 99-7

I voted NO on HB 4258&59, 4229 (Reps. Rigas, Steckloff, Neeley) would amend the Student Safety Act to require the Department of State Police (MSP) to notify the schools within 24 hours after receiving a tip if MSP can identify the school in the tip. Would amend the Student Safety Act to define “tip” for the purposes of HB 4258. Would amend the Office of School Safety Act to require MSP to compile a quarterly report of the tips received from HB 4258 and provide a copy of each report to the School Safety and Mental Health Commission. EXPLANATION: If law enforcement is made aware of a potential threat affecting a local school, they should communicate with that school. However, there is no need for law enforcement to have broad authority in communicating with arbitrary governmental agencies regarding the tip. Oftentimes the more hysteria is created around a situation, the more likely people will be to seek attention, further inspiring the very threats of harm these bills seek to prevent.

PASSED: 101-5, PASSED: 100-6, PASSED: 101-5

I voted NO on HBs 4223, 4315 (Rep. Harris) would amend the Revised School Code to require schools to implement a school safety and security training plan that ensures that school resource officers, school safety or security personnel, members of the school crisis team created by HB 4222, and all school staff complete the training described in HB 4315. Would amend the Revised School Code to require the Michigan Department of State Police (MSP) and the Office of School Safety, in coordination with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and Department of Attorney General (DAG), to develop school safety and security training material and best practices and provide annual training resources. EXPLANATION: It shouldn’t take four government departments to ensure the safety of our schoolchildren. State provided training and mandates will not adequately equip schools to protect our children. Instead, staff will be burdened by additional training requirements from four different sources, when allowing staff access to self defense would deter threats from occuring in the first place.

PASSED: 85-21, PASSED: 82-24

I voted NO on HB 4392 (Rep. Borton) would fund the most recent list of approved projects providing $41.8 million for 17 land acquisition and 68 recreational development projects supported with revenues from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF).

EXPLANATION: Michigan has pronounced demand for recreational spaces, but government is the improper supplier of funding. With demand as high as it is for Michigan’s natural beauty, it would be wise to allow the private sector to meet this demand with innovative projects that require no interference from the government.

PASSED: 104-2

I voted YES on HB 4350 (Rep. Borton) would create an exception within the Natural Resources Commission’s (NRC) prohibition on deer and elk baiting for hunting, by allowing an individual to engage in feeding of wildlife and birds under certain conditions.

EXPLANATION: The NRC’s artificial ban on feeding wildlife served as a detriment to hunters and nature-lovers as a whole. People should be free to feed the birds and other wildlife without fear of harassment from the DNR, especially in close proximity to their homes.

PASSED: 82-24

I voted NO on HB 4090 (Rep. Farhat) would allow the state to convey the Detroit Detention Center to the City of Detroit.

EXPLANATION: If the state is interested in offloading this facility, it should be sold according to market principles. The City of Detroit would have a keen interest in acquiring the facility, so the two sides could easily come to an agreement. Offering first refusal and the privileges that come with it are antithetical to free market transactions. State sale of land is generally good, but it should be done in such a way that is mindful of market principles.

PASSED: 104-2

I voted NO on HB 4201 (Rep. Schmaltz) would allow state corrections officers to exempt their retirement and pension benefits from the state income tax.

EXPLANATION: Instead of offering hand-picked income tax exemptions to certain retirement plans, the income tax should be lowered, if not eliminated, for everyone. That way, no one would have to deal with the burdens of income tax while living in retirement. Focusing on alleviating income tax burdens for all also provides a fair solution that does not involve government in the business of picking winners and losers.

PASSED: 102-4

I voted YES on HR 91 (Rep. Prestin) would support President Trump’s policies to increase the nation’s energy infrastructure and security, which have facilitated emergency permitting for the Enbridge Line 5 project.

EXPLANATION: Green New Scam policies have taken direct aim at our energy infrastructure, driving up costs and creating a vulnerable power grid. Oil and gas pipeline projects are proven solutions to supplying reliable energy at reasonable prices. We should pursue policies that have proven to be effective and leave energy experimentation to the market.

PASSED: 58-48