Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I remain committed to leading my colleagues in opposing the radical liberal agenda that is moving our state and our nation in the wrong direction. Despite our position in the minority, Senate Republicans have been working tirelessly to stop bad policies and offer solutions that will help our families, communities, and state.

Instead of crippling our economy with overregulation, we must fight to make Michigan more competitive and help businesses grow and thrive. Instead of wastefully growing government bureaucracy, we must fight to help hardworking Michiganders keep more of their money in their pockets. Instead of lawless policies that favor the rights of criminals, we must fight to support law enforcement and keep law-abiding citizens safe. Instead of reducing accountability and lowering standards, we must fight to ensure our students are not falling behind. Instead of restricting the constitutional rights of American citizens, we must fight to protect individual liberty and self-government.

There is a long road ahead, but Senate Republicans will remain steadfast in our dedication to Michigan. We will never stop fighting to make Michigan the best place to start a career, raise a family, and enjoy retirement.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the Legislature or state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office by calling 517-373-0793 or by going to SenatorAricNesbitt.com. You can also stay up to date with what I am doing in Lansing by following me on Facebook, or on Twitter. I look forward to listening and learning about your priorities and concerns for our state.

Blessings,

Aric Nesbitt
State Senator
District 20

This month, Senate Republicans introduced a plan to protect Michigan communities against Joe Biden’s disastrous open border policies. The failures at the southern border have led to a crisis of proportions never experienced before in our nation’s history — small communities and major U.S. cities are being overrun beyond their capacities, while fentanyl continues to flood into our communities with tragic consequences. The Strong Borders, Safe Communities plan includes increased penalties for the creation, manufacturing, delivery, or possession of fentanyl and requires every Michigan community to enforce state and federal immigration laws, ending the practice of so-called “sanctuary cities.” Additionally, the plan calls on the president and Congress to immediately and fully resolve the border crisis.

These issues are not limited to our nation’s southern border. Our border with Canada also experienced a massive 550% increase in apprehensions during the 2023 fiscal year, surpassing all numbers seen in the past decade combined. These growing concerns call for urgent attention, and the Legislature has a duty to the people of Michigan to act in order to protect our communities.

In 2023, more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the border — an 860% increase compared to 2019 and enough to kill millions of Americans. Drug overdose deaths reached a new high in 2023 and are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. Approximately 3,000 Michiganders die each year due to overdoses.

We now have clear evidence that self-declared sanctuary cities — local communities that have chosen not to enforce immigration laws — are a failed experiment. These communities are now being overwhelmed by illegal immigrants that they do not have the space or resources to accommodate. We must protect Michigan communities against becoming sanctuaries for chaos and harm against the public good.

The mayor of Denver, a self-declared “sanctuary city,” has recently said an additional $100 million is needed for the housing, schooling, and health care of more than 40,000 migrants, both legal and illegal, that have been added to its population of just over 700,000.

The city of Chicago has also been overwhelmed by an influx of migrants as parks and community centers have been turned into shelters. The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago have appropriated nearly $800 million to provide services to address this issue — money that could otherwise fight crime and help Chicago’s failing schools and housing shortage.

While energy and grocery bills continue to increase, and students are falling further and further behind, Democrats have been forcing Michigan residents to pay for their partisan agenda. Instead of addressing serious problems facing Michigan, the governor and Lansing Democrats have passed an extreme agenda over the last year that:

Harms the economy

Fails our students

Undermines individual liberties

Senate Republicans recently announced a plan to improve childhood learning and support teachers in the state’s K-12 schools. The MI Brighter Future plan includes measures to help students gain access to additional resources and learning opportunities, requires proven training methods for educators, gives parents more control over their child’s progress, reinstates accountability in teacher evaluations, and provides for performance-based bonuses.

As the Legislature continues to provide record funding for our schools, Michigan’s students continue to fall behind their peers in other states — ranking poorly in reading and math proficiency and near the bottom in high school graduation rates.

Despite these troubling trends, Lansing Democrats have spent the past year sweeping these problems under the rug — lowering learning and accountability standards for students and their teachers. Senate Republicans will not stand idly on the sideline as Michigan’s children are left behind.

The four pillars of the MI Brighter Future Plan are:

The Van Buren Tech Fire Science Academy hosted Sen. Nesbitt for a tour.

Sen. Nesbitt spoke with small business owners from across Michigan about the current state of our economy and the need to return to commonsense policies that promote job growth instead of state government picking winners and losers.

Sen. Nesbitt slammed the governor’s radically irresponsible budget proposal on WJR radio.