I’m happy to report that the standoff with the governor over the automatic income tax cut set to kick in this year seems to be over.

A 2015 law requires a rollback of the state income tax when state general fund revenues significantly outpace inflation. Earlier this year, we received word from state budget experts that the rollback would be triggered in the coming months, and the income tax would automatically roll back from the current 4.25% to as low as 4.05%.

The governor wanted to stop the permanent income tax cut, so she proposed issuing one-time $180 checks to taxpayers in an attempt to shift money around and prevent the income tax reduction, which has the potential to save residents and small businesses billions of dollars over time.

I held true to my principles and voted against the legislation, but House Bill 4001 passed the House and moved on to the Michigan Senate.

On Tuesday night, the Senate advanced House Bill 4001 without immediate effect, which was necessary to implement the provision to shift money around as the governor requested.

The procedural victory means that the bad part of the legislation – the part that would have prevented the income tax cut – will never take effect. The good parts of the legislation – tax cuts for retirees and an increased Earned Income Tax Credit for working families who are struggling to make ends meet due to inflation – will begin taking effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns this year.

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I was proud to offer my support this week for a grant that Spectrum is seeking from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to expand broadband service in Livingston County. The company is seeking funds from the Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks (ROBIN) Grant Program to build out its infrastructure in Handy, Putnam, Unadilla and Iosco townships.

Several areas in these communities lack access to reliable and affordable internet service. Expanding broadband service to these neighborhoods will improve life for residents and make the area more desirable to families, workers, and small businesses.

Broadband makes it possible for kids to complete school assignments at home, instead of spending long hours at the library. It will allow people to work remotely from their homes, access online higher education classes, and meet with their doctors virtually as tele-health services increase in demand. In the modern world, any community without access to broadband internet is at a distinct disadvantage for attracting new businesses, which depend upon access to high-speed internet to connect with customers, run critical software and meet other needs.

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If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by calling (517) 373-3906 or emailing [email protected]. I am always happy to hear from people in our community.

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