Dear neighbor,

Below you will find legislative updates from the state Capitol that are important to the residents of Oakland County. Thank you for taking the time to read my latest newsletter!

Senator Jim Runestad
Serving the 15th State Senate District

Last week, I voted to pass legislation to pause the state’s taxes on gas for three months to provide Michigan drivers with some relief from record-setting prices.

Senate Bill 1029 would suspend the state’s excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel from June 15 to Sept. 15. SBs 972, 973 and 974 would suspend the state’s 6% sales and use taxes on motor fuel for the same time period. The bills have been sent to the House for consideration.

Suspending the excise and sales taxes on gasoline will save Michigan drivers 51 cents per gallon at the pump, or $800 million over three months. According to AAA, on June 1, the state’s average per gallon cost for regular gasoline was $4.70 and the average diesel price was $5.30. Both prices are the highest recorded average prices in state history.

Earlier this year, the governor vetoed legislation to temporarily suspend the state’s excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, but she has signaled she may be willing to sign this more recent legislation into law. I hope she will do the right thing and provide this needed relief at the pump during the summer.

Last week, I voted to secure $9.8 million for mental health services and school safety measures at Oxford High School as part of a supplemental budget bill to address school safety across the state.

House Bill 6012 includes $9.8 million for the Oxford Community School District to be used for psychologists, family liaisons, mental health staff, school security, additional learning time, legal fees, and the physical restoration of the school building.
The bill also sets aside $15 million in School Security Assessment Grants to be used by Michigan schools for the completion of comprehensive safety and security assessments and $12.5 million in School Security Building Mapping Grants for the implementation of critical incidence mapping that best assists first responders in an emergency.

HB 6012 has been sent to the governor to be signed.

I recently supported legislation to provide Michigan families, seniors and veterans with $2.5 billion in tax relief — a second major legislative effort to return part of the state’s record budget surplus back to taxpayers.

The basic costs of living keep going up and the state’s budget surplus keeps bulging while the people of Michigan are finding their wallets thinner and budgets tighter as they struggle against record inflation and sky-high energy costs — and those who are on fixed incomes are impacted even more. It is imperative that the Legislature and governor approve a plan to provide real and meaningful tax relief and return a significant portion of the state’s excess dollars to the taxpayers it belongs to and need it most.

The MI Family Inflation Relief Plan would help every Michigander by lowering the state’s income tax to 4% and increasing the personal income tax deduction by $1,800. It would also support Michigan families by creating a $500 tax credit for each child under the age of 19.

House Bill 4568 and Senate Bill 784 would also increase the tax exemption for Michigan seniors over 67 to $21,800 for individuals and $43,600 for couples and ensure Michigan’s fully disabled veterans and the spouses of those lost in combat receive a 100% property tax exemption.

In March, the governor vetoed Senate Bill 768, which I helped negotiate, to reduce the state’s personal income tax, create a $500 per child tax credit, and increase the tax deduction for all seniors.

The MI Family Tax Inflation Plan is a broad-based approach to help all hardworking Michiganders, struggling families, and seniors on fixed incomes. I hope the governor will reconsider her past action and this time join the Legislature in providing vital tax relief to the people of Michigan

My legislation to penalize organized retail crime under the state’s racketeering statute continued to gain support last week as it was given a hearing the House Judiciary Committee. The bill was unanimously passed by the Senate earlier this month.

Organized retail crime has many victims. First, there is the retail store loss — shoplifting has blown up to a multi-billion industry across America and we’ve all seen video after video showing perpetrators bursting into businesses with hammers, bags, and other accessories to commit robberies in a highly organized manner. The second victim is the person who is being bullied into this work — often the very poor, drug addicted, and human trafficked individuals. The third victim is the consumer, who paying higher prices to make up those billions in loss.

My bill seeks to hold accountable those who benefit from coercing youth and vulnerable individuals to commit organized retail crimes on their behalf. Senate Bill 691 would add similar language to the state’s racketeering penal code in order to provide more legal leverage against criminals at the top of these efforts. Michigan’s Organized Retail Crime Act, which was passed in 2012, prescribed felony sentencing for organizing, supervising, financing or assisting another person in committing organized retail crime.

Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa A. Hammoud and Amy Drumm, Michigan Retailers Association senior vice president for government affairs, joined me to testify in support of SB 691. The legislation also is supported by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan State Police, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Target, and The Home Depot.

Last week, The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety heard testimony on my legislation to combat growing trends of automobile theft in Michigan.

I have learned from law enforcement that there has been a concerning increase of car thefts in Southeast Michigan and across the state — they point to handheld computer devices used for automotive key programming and diagnostics as a major contributor to this unfortunate and growing trend. These tools are helpful in the hands of locksmiths and auto mechanics, but criminals are taking advantage of this technology at an alarming rate.

My bill will give persecutors and law enforcement officers the tools they need to charge those who are taking advantage of this technology to commit crime. Senate Bill 870 would add computers or other technology that allow an individual to program a key code for a motor vehicle to the state’s burglary equipment statute, which prescribes a felony offense for individuals found to be in possession of the equipment with the intention to commit theft.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s office reports that automobile thefts have increased 66.7% and possession of a motor vehicle as stolen property increased 138% from 2020 to 2021.

I was honored to welcome U.S. Army veteran Joe Salvia to the state Capitol as my special guest for the 27th Annual Senate Memorial Day Ceremony on May 26.

Sgt. 1st Class Salvia served as chairman of Milford’s 2022 Memorial Day Parade this past weekend and is the past commander of the American Legion and commander of the Huron Valley AMVETS Post 2006.

Memorial Day is a solemn reminder of the debt we owe to those who have given their lives to defend the United States of America and preserve our democracy. These fallen heroes give us hundreds of thousands of reasons to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and honor all of those who fought for the freedoms we have today.

Beginning July 2020, the Michigan Department of Education implemented an online certification system for educators and school counselors to report their Professional Development and Continuing Education hours online.

The MDE website offers dozens of resources for educators at all levels of their careers. From students or professionals interested in exploring a career in education to seasoned educators looking to further their own knowledge and bring new experiences to their classroom, educators can explore dozens of exciting and enriching opportunities for new teacher certification or professional development, including:

For more information about these and many others, visit MDE’s Professional Leading Resources web page. Scholarships are available for most programs.

Last week marked National Safe Boating Week. Data shows that life jackets save lives! All boaters and passengers should wear a properly fitting life jacket for any boating activity, regardless of age or experience level.

Make sure you and your friends always wear properly fitting life jackets while enjoying a day on the water. For more information about boater safety, visit SafeBoatingCampaign.com.