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.

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

Divided government often brings gridlock, but in Lansing we have been able to find some compromise on policies needed to advance our state. One recent example is the road funding plan in the current budget.

The bipartisan roads funding plan will generate more than $1.8 billion per year for roads and will dedicate more state dollars toward fixing our local roads. Below is a breakdown of the increase in additional road funding going to our local communities:

Michigan townships do not receive direct funding from the state for roads. Townships rely on funding from their county to maintain and repair roads within a township under Michigan law. Both Oakland and Macomb counties received more funding to help repair township roads, such as in Oakland and Shelby townships.

In late October, due to the continued federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it would be unable to disburse funds to states for November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

More than 1.4 million Michiganders receive benefits through SNAP. I joined a bipartisan group of senators in working to determine if the state could provide stopgap funding to continue the program if federal funding lapsed. As a result, Senate Bill 182, which would appropriate $71 million to support food assistance programs in Michigan, was put up for a vote. I was proud to join this bipartisan effort and voted yes on this bill. SNAP benefits provide crucial nutrition and food assistance to low-income families, including nearly 500,000 children.

I was glad to see pragmatic Democrats work with Republicans in the U.S. Senate to reopen the federal government in mid-November. Congress has now fully funded SNAP benefits for the full fiscal year.

No one wins during government shutdowns, as they put programs and services at risk and require many essential federal workers to work without pay. As co-chair of the Michigan Aerospace and Defense Caucus, I’m happy that Michigan’s military members will receive full back pay for their hard work and sacrifice for our nation.

I testified before the House Committee on Oversight on a state audit that found that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has failed to protect the rights of mental health patients.

I asked for this audit after hearing too many heartbreaking stories from parents who could not get answers about their kids. They described abuse, poor living conditions and even a lack of food, yet got nowhere with MDHHS. Thanks to the auditor’s report, we now have the facts — and they are alarming. MDHHS is failing to protect basic patient rights.

The auditor general found that over 30% of serious complaints alleging abuse, neglect, injury and even death were not investigated on time. It also revealed that video and audio systems at the five state psychiatric hospitals were often missing or not working.

In March, I sent a letter to MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel raising concerns about the functionality of surveillance equipment in state hospitals. Hertel responded that, “The camera systems for each hospital are robust and in working order. They are checked daily.” It is now clear that the director was either misinformed or intentionally misleading because the audit tells a very different story.

In over 40% of the investigations reviewed, missing video evidence could have made a difference. Recipient rights officers need full access to those recordings to properly investigate complaints. When the state accepts responsibility for someone’s care, it accepts a sacred trust to defend their dignity, protect their rights, and act swiftly when those rights are threatened or violated.

I also raised concerns about MDHHS recently deleting two years of public records from its website regarding recipient rights complaints and data related to the Hawthorn Center, the state’s former inpatient psychiatric hospital for minors. The removal occurred just days after being contacted by news reporters.

On Oct. 13, I sent a letter to Hertel requesting a timeline for restoring the data and an explanation of the discrepancies that led to its removal. She responded on Oct. 30 that the information is back online, but ignored my direct questions. I told the House committee that, “Director Hertel and her leadership team have been less than cooperative in addressing critical issues surrounding patient rights and safety. Families must be confident that Michigan’s mental health system protects, not endangers, their loved ones.”

I also questioned whether Community Mental Health Services and private hospitals are adhering to the same recipient rights standards required under the mental health code. Ninety percent of complaints occur within these facilities, yet MDHHS could not verify if their systems are even working. Oversight isn’t about politics; it’s about doing what’s right — protecting kids and vulnerable adults who can’t protect themselves.

Click the image below to see my full committee testimony.

The Michigan Legislature has approved a bipartisan transparency package to make the state budget process more open and accessible to the public.

House Bill 4420 and Senate Bill 596 require that all proposed enhancement grants be posted online at least 45 days before any budget vote.

Each earmark request must include the name of the funding recipient, project location, a description of the public benefit and a conflict-of-interest disclosure before it can move forward.

These reforms aim to build trust in state government by helping taxpayers understand how decisions are being made and how their money is being used.

I supported this package as the new transparency requirements will ensure that your state tax dollars are being spent effectively and that the public has the ability to review the projects before the funding is voted on by the Legislature.

Veterans Day recognizes the service and sacrifice of our nation’s former military members. I was proud to participate in the city of Troy’s Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11. Our military defends American freedom and liberty across the world, and veterans deserve our gratitude.

Any veterans in the 9th Senate District who need assistance accessing resources can contact my office or call the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency hotline at 800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838).