Dear neighbor,

Below, you will find legislative updates from the state Capitol that are important to the residents of western Oakland County. You also will find important updates and communications on my website: SenatorJimRunestad.com.

Serving you,

Senator Jim Runestad
23rd State Senate District

I recently introduced Senate Bill 500 to protect Michigan residents from civil lawsuits for using self-defense to protect themselves and their families from violent extremists during riots and mob violence.

This new anti-riot act is necessary in the face of continued lawlessness on the streets of cities in Michigan and across the country. If violent agitators are going to continue to threaten the safety and sanctity of public life, ordinary citizens must have the right and ability to protect themselves without worrying about their lives being upended even further by frivolous lawsuits that could be brought about by mobs of criminals.

It is time rioters are made aware that their destructive actions have real consequences. By ensuring regular, peaceful people are guaranteed their rights by law to defend themselves when terrorized, violent extremists will think twice before endangering innocent individuals.

Read more about the need for this important legislation from Global Ordnance News at “Michigan Measure Would Protect Those Acting In Self-Defense During Violent Riots.”

Multiple city council members in Hamtramck were caught stuffing ballots into drop boxes in the middle of the night, potentially affecting the results of the election. I called out Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, pointing out the danger of election fraud brought about by ballot drop boxes.

These blatant instances of election fraud damage the integrity of Michigan’s elections, deprive voters of their voice, and encourage continued deception in government practice. It is shameful that the secretary of state could allow this to happen because protecting our elections is the most important part of her job.

The instance of this case emphasizes the need for Michigan election reform and the necessity of voter ID, in-person voter registration verification and paper ballots.

I recently spoke to Bridge Michigan about Attorney General Dana Nessel’s wasteful spending on more than 30 politically motivated lawsuits against President Donald Trump.

While the president is making good on his campaign promise to secure our borders and make our communities safer, the attorney general seems more concerned about wasting taxpayer dollars on her own far-left virtue signaling than actually cooperating with federal law enforcement.

House Republicans have passed a budget plan that cuts billions in waste, fraud and abuse, fully funds schools, and provides over $3 billion in road funding. I am urging Senate Democrats to adopt this plan quickly and avoid a looming government shutdown on Oct. 1. Learn more by watching the videos below:

On behalf of the 98% of Michigan State Police troopers who have lost confidence in the department’s leadership, I continue to call on the governor to hold the director and other top bureaucrats accountable for this scandal. I recently spoke again about this important issue on the Senate floor. Click here or on the image below to hear my remarks.

My Senate office is still accepting applications for internship positions. This is a great opportunity for college students to see the state government at work and do impactful work on legislation, constituent relations and more. Full and part-time positions are available at $15 an hour. Apply today by emailing your resume to SenJRunestad@senate.michigan.gov.

If you are not already subscribed, you can sign up to receive my email newsletter here. And please feel free to share this newsletter with your friends, neighbors and anyone else who would like to stay up to date on what is happening with state government.