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 reintroduced my legislation to allow state legislators to confidentially review and oversee Child Protective Services cases brought to them by constituents.

This is a necessary check and balance on one of our state’s most important government programs. The fact that CPS administrators have no way to be held accountable is a disaster. If a government cannot reliably protect children who need help, then it is by no means capable of serving the public. My bill would provide needed transparency and accountability to the CPS system.

Senate Bill 605 would create necessary accountability for CPS workers, allowing constituents to bring their case files to Michigan legislators for review. If a CPS administrator knows their case is subject to external review, they are more likely to follow proper protocols and safety measures, and do their job to the best of their ability.

Michigan’s foster care system is arguably the worst in the nation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If lawmakers pass sensible policies directed toward accountability, transparency and oversight, Michigan’s most vulnerable children will be protected.

Last month, I introduced legislation to strengthen legislative oversight of the administrative state and ensure Michigan’s rulemaking process is both rigorous and democratic.

Currently, if the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) does not act on a proposed ruleset within a certain number of legislative session days, it automatically goes into effect — a loophole that I will not overlook.

No law should take effect in Michigan without legislative oversight. By giving every member of JCAR the power to demand a hearing, we are restoring accountability, transparency and balance to the rulemaking process. Too many rules have quietly become law without proper review. That would end with this bill.

Senate Bill 606 is one step in this broader effort to strengthen legislative oversight. Read more about this issue in The Midwesterner: “Sen. Jim Runestad pushes JCAR overhaul as critics warn Benson’s election rules evade local control,” or click on the image below to hear me speak about it on The Steve Gruber Show.

As we witness the stifling effects of parliamentary systems throughout most of the world, The Detroit News last month published my guest commentary emphasizing the necessity of America’s First Amendment: “The greatest danger to freedom across the globe is not noisy elections or bitter debates — it is the steady erosion of free speech, the very foundation of liberty … We must guard this freedom with our lives. It is the last bastion preventing bureaucrats from becoming our overlords.”

Read more in The Detroit News or on my website.

I recently made headlines along with nine of my GOP Senate colleagues when we held a press conference to publicly discuss a letter sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, demanding the immediate resignations or firings of Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady and Deputy Director Lt. Col. Aimee Brimacombe.

The press conference came after repeated scandals, corruption and the recently exposed union survey showing that 98.5% of Michigan troopers had no confidence in their leadership.

When nearly every trooper in Michigan has lost faith in this leadership, the message has become clear. Yet, Whitmer has done absolutely nothing. She sits on her hands while the state’s top law enforcement agency burns from the inside. She’s choosing to remain silent. Well, we won’t.

Read more about this in the Detroit Free Press: “Michigan GOP senators call on Gov. Whitmer to fire top two officers at MSP.”

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