Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to this summer’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.

As always, I welcome your feedback on current issues facing Michigan or the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights 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.

Sincerely,

Michael Webber
State Senator
9th District

I was proud to vote for a balanced, bipartisan budget that lives within our means while making critical investments that strengthen Michigan families and communities. As many Michigan families and small businesses are taking a tough look at their budgets, state leaders should do the same. By finding efficiencies and cutting wasteful spending, we were able to prioritize stronger schools, safer roads and the services our communities rely on — all without raising taxes or relying on the state’s rainy day fund.

I was able to secure important budget wins for our local communities, including:

The budget also makes critical investments in our public schools, including a record-high foundation allowance and an additional $123 million for special education programs. The Legislature took steps to adopt a weighted funding formula that will better allocate the state’s funds for students who need additional support. This year, at-risk students and English-language learners will receive 20% more funding. Finally, career and technical education is prioritized, as the Legislature provided a 10% increase in funding for CTE programs.

Michigan’s mental healthcare system is broken. Healthcare facilities must be places of healing, hope and recovery. Our public and private providers must ensure that patient rights are protected when receiving care. I sponsored an eight-bill package to strengthen protections for mental healthcare patients by requiring the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Office of Recipient Rights (ORR) to implement reforms recommended after a 2025 investigation by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG).

The legislation responds to findings released last September in an independent audit of the ORR, the agency within MDHHS responsible for protecting the rights of people receiving public mental health services. I requested the audit after hearing tragic accounts from former patients and families with loved ones who received care at the former Hawthorn Center.

This legislation would:

Senate Bills 1115-1122 would help fix Michigan’s broken mental healthcare system by implementing reforms to address the auditor general’s findings. Please click here or on the picture below to watch my interview with Local 4.

On July 15, I helped out the employees at a Tim Hortons in our community as part of Tim Hortons Camp Day. This is an annual event where 100% of the proceeds from all hot and iced coffee purchases are donated to Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.

Tim Hortons Foundation Camps support children from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds from the ages of 12-16. The multiyear camp-based program helps kids build skills such as leadership and responsibility as they are becoming young adults.

I recently joined numerous state, federal and foreign officials to observe the 2026 Northern Strike training exercise across the Michigan National Guard’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center based at Camp Grayling. The Michigan National Guard has hosted the event since 2012, and this year’s readiness exercise took place Aug. 3-14.

Northern Strike is one of the Department of Defense’s largest reserve component readiness exercises, bringing 9,000 participants from 36 states and territories alongside five international allies to Michigan.

During the exercise, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll announced that Camp Grayling had been named as one of four national testing ranges. This is part of an effort to streamline private industry’s ability to test new technology, particularly for non-traditional defense firms that do not already have government contracts.

Growing Michigan’s diverse aerospace and defense industry remains a national and state priority with strong bipartisan support across all levels of government. As co-chair of the Aerospace and Defense Caucus, I will continue to advocate for the future success of our state in this field.

I was glad to join the Indian American community in celebrating the 79th anniversary of Indian Independence Day. These celebrations recognize the rich cultural diversity Indian Americans bring to Michigan and include parades, traditional music and dance performances, business and community exhibitions, and customary food. Michigan is home to more than 130,000 Indian Americans.

Cultural celebrations such as these help foster a better understanding between the U.S. and India and bring communities here in Michigan together. ILA Michigan’s India Day event at Suburban Collection Showplace is the largest such event in the Midwest.

I will be holding office hours on Sept. 14 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Planning Department Conference Room at Rochester Hills City Hall (1000 Rochester Hills Drive). No registration is required to attend.