Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to this month’s edition of my e-newsletter. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle the tough issues that will help lower the cost of living, help families get ahead, and build a brighter future for all who call Michigan home.

I welcome your feedback on current issues facing Michigan or the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, and Utica communities. Constituent feedback is vital as I represent our communities in Lansing. If you are experiencing a problem with one of our state government agencies, my office is always available to assist with finding a solution. I respect your opinion and will always do my best to make myself available and accessible to you.

Please take a moment to visit my website, like my official Facebook page, send me an email or call my office at 517-373-0994. If you have any questions, concerns or opinions on what is happening, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Happy New Year,

Michael Webber
State Senator
9th District

After a year of near inactivity, the Democrat-controlled Legislature rushed through numerous bills after the November election with no hearings, public testimony, or proper vetting during the lame duck session. Complex policy changes should be openly debated and not be hurriedly passed during the late-night hours. I was extremely disappointed that Lansing Democrats refused to work on saving an estimated 50,000 jobs with the pending elimination of the state’s tipped wage despite the fact that bipartisan legislation had been introduced.

We are blessed with hundreds of outstanding restaurants in the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights and Utica, along with Oakland and Shelby townships. Thanks to the tipped wage system, workers I talk to in those restaurants make much more than the hourly minimum wage. I stand with the majority of servers and hospitality workers who rely on Michigan’s tip credit system to make ends meet. I am hopeful that the new Michigan House Majority will take immediate action early next year to save these jobs.

There were extreme partisan bills passed, such as House Bills 4177, 5817, and 5818, which would authorize counties to increase property taxes for the funding of museum entities in Michigan. Residents are not asking to pay more in property taxes or for the creation of new quasi-government entities to tax them.

These bills would open property owners in all 83 counties to the possibility of paying additional property taxes to support more than 100 museums across our state, whether they live near these institutions or not. Owning a home is already expensive, and I voted no on this controversial proposal for property owners. Our cultural museums and zoos should be supported through philanthropy and donations, not by property taxes.

In addition, HB 6088 would take away the opt-out option for local communities for public transportation in Wayne and Oakland counties. For decades, communities could decide to opt out of the one-size-fits-all regional transportation systems and instead manage their own transit, which often included door-to-door service for our seniors to get to doctor’s appointments, etc. Now, Lansing has decided that communities cannot opt out and must be a party to these systems and pay more in property taxes.

Below are some of the extreme bills that Lansing Democrats attempted to pass during lame duck that would increase costs for working families:

The refusal by Lansing Democrats to work on a bipartisan, long-term road funding plan is a disappointment, as our local roads will continue to suffer without action. Republicans offered a road funding plan that didn’t increase taxes, but it was not taken up. I hope a bipartisan infrastructure plan is a priority come next term.

The Michigan Senate passed legislation that would improve numerous aspects of how public and nonpublic schools keep our kids safe. This was one of the few bipartisan bright spots in an otherwise dim lame duck season. I voted yes to support this bipartisan package, as protecting our kids and preventing violence in schools is a priority all lawmakers share.

HBs 4095-4096, 5549 and 5659-5560 would require public and nonpublic schools to create a behavior threat assessment and management team. This was prompted by the Oxford High School shooting, which could have been prevented if threat assessment and prevention protocols had been carried out, according to a report by independent investigators commissioned by the district.

The package also would establish a School Safety and Mental Health Commission to ensure conversations concerning school safety and student mental health are ongoing and receiving attention.

This legislation would streamline mental health support in place for students and more stringent protocols for responding to school emergencies. This package of bills was a direct result of the Bipartisan School Safety Task Force that was created after the Oxford High School shooting.

The bills are now before the governor for her expected signature.

Last month, I reaffirmed my calls for increased accountability and oversight into the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. This followed reports that the U.S. Department of Justice had opened a disability rights investigation into whether the state unnecessarily keeps adults with serious mental illness in state psychiatric hospitals in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The recent development that federal oversight is needed to protect patients seeking care at Michigan’s psychiatric hospitals is just the latest in an expanding series of troubling events that have raised serious red flags regarding MDHHS leadership and the agency’s ability to serve vulnerable residents seeking psychiatric care. I will continue to call on my fellow legislators to join me in fulfilling our duty to safeguard the rights of patients who rely on the state’s care and hold MDHHS accountable to all Michigan residents.

I recently introduced Senate Bill 1048 to prohibit any MDHHS executive office staff from being appointed to or serving on the state’s Recipient Rights Advisory Council and add representatives from Disability Rights Michigan, Mental Health Association in Michigan and Arc Michigan as permanent standing members. I also co-sponsored SB 1049, introduced by Sen. Rick Outman, R-Six Lakes, which would require hospitals to give voluntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients written notice of their rights. Hospitals are already required to give involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients written notice of their rights. However, the same is not true for patients who sign paperwork agreeing to formal, voluntary admission.

Despite the clear need for additional oversight and patient protection in Michigan’s mental health care centers, Senate majority Democrats did not advance either of these bills during the lame duck session. I am disappointed by this decision but will continue to advocate for patients.

Residents who would like to share their experiences or concerns over care received at state-run psychiatric hospitals may contact Disability Rights Michigan, the federally mandated protection and advocacy system for Michigan, toll-free at 1-800-288-5923 or visit drmich.org.

On Dec. 8, my family and I walked in the Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade. It is the largest holiday parade in Michigan and a tradition in the Greater Rochester Area. I have participated in the parade since my time on the Rochester Hills City Council, and it is a highlight of the year.

This year’s event included over 100 entries, including local dignitaries and floats created by local groups and organizations. Tens of thousands filled out Main Street in Downtown Rochester and thousands more watched on local television and online.

No appointment is necessary to attend. The 9th Senate District includes the cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Utica, along with parts of Oakland Township, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.