I voted NO on HBs 4990-5000 & 5003-5007, a package of bills that increases various state fees and blocked others from rolling back to lower levels.

The cost of living in Michigan is already too high. Some of the increases include in this bill are the commercial look-up fee for Secretary of State records to $15 and cancelling the scheduled decrease in application fees for occupational licenses. Additionally, the laws significantly increase groundwater discharge fees for Michigan businesses, more than doubling the previous maximum annual rate from $3,650 to $7,500.

Folks in Northern Michigan should not have to pay increased fees just because the Legislature voted to spend all of Michigan’s budget surplus in one year.

---

I voted NO on HB 4210, which would allow the spouses of military members serving overseas to be able to vote electronically if they are overseas as well.

Currently, military members serving overseas can already return absentee ballots online using their Common Access Card (CAC), which is a very secure means of transmitting highly sensitive military documents. However, the U.S. government only issues these cards to military members, not their spouses. Without the CAC card, returning an absentee ballot online poses significant security risks and opens the door for further electronic voting, greatly undermining the security of our elections.

---

I voted YES on HB 4183, which would allow historic vehicles to drive on roads Memorial Day through Labor Day instead of a limited time during the summer.

Currently, if an individual with an historic vehicle wishes to operate their vehicle outside of these limited times, they have to pay higher registration fees and cannot register their vehicle as an historic vehicle. By lengthening the time during which historic vehicles can operate, car enthusiasts will be able to enjoy using their vehicles for parades, shows, exhibitions and other activities for the whole summer.

---

I voted NO on HB 4567, which would remove necessary election integrity measures by removing the current requirement that verifies the legitimacy of the ballots of individuals who registered to vote on Election Day without showing identification.

We have this common-sense provision in place to protect the integrity of our elections without preventing eligible voters from voting. Ballots are still counted on Election Day but are marked for the clerk to verify the voter’s eligibility to vote in the precinct within 6 days following the election. If Democrats succeed and this provision is removed, there would be no way to recover a ballot if it is later found to be fraudulent.