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

Michigan’s Child Protective Services is an outright disaster, and tragedy after tragedy proves the agency’s inadequacy at doing the one thing it is tasked with: protecting children who need help.

For years, I have battled and fought CPS as I sought reform of the troubled agency. I have again introduced legislation to remove the cloak and open the public’s eyes to its miserable failures, but Democrats in the Senate refuse to move the bill.

The fact is: state government is failing families.

I hosted a rally on the Capitol steps to bring attention to these failures and let the agency know that Michigan residents aren’t going to stand for it.

It’s time that we take a stand, hold CPS accountable and once again make the safety and well-being of Michigan children a priority!

I recently introduced legislation to create a presumption of shared parenting in child custody disputes.

Under Senate Bills 940, 941 and 942, 50-50 custody would serve as the starting point. The bills would not restrict courts from acting on clear and convincing evidence that demonstrates one parent being unfit, whether that is due to evidence of abuse or otherwise.

My legislation does not impose a rigid formula, and it does not tie the hands of judges. What it does is simple — and powerful: It says that, absent evidence to the contrary, a child deserves a meaningful, continuing relationship with both parents.

The bills affirm a simple principle: When both parents are fit, the best place for a child is not with one or the other, but with both.

I sponsored legislation to strengthen accountability for individuals convicted of criminal sexual conduct (CSC) offenses in Michigan.

Criminal sexual conduct crimes are among the most serious offenses, and those who commit them should face meaningful consequences. My bill ensures that all individuals convicted of CSC crimes, regardless of degree, are held fully accountable.

Under current law, only individuals convicted of first- or third-degree CSC offenses are ineligible for probation. This leaves a significant gap in the justice system, allowing individuals convicted of other CSC offenses to potentially avoid incarceration.

This is a massive oversight.

My legislation, Senate Bill 902, would eliminate eligibility for probation across all degrees of CSC convictions, closing a dangerous and reprehensible loophole and ensuring consistency in sentencing.

Victims deserve justice, and our laws must reflect the severity of these crimes.

If passed, my bill will send a clear message: Michigan will not tolerate sexual violence, and those who commit these crimes will face the full extent of the law.

The Michigan Senate recently approved the chamber’s proposal for the upcoming fiscal year state budget.

Unfortunately, the patterns we’ve seen in recent years were very much present in this budget: wasteful spending, partisan projects and the negligent use of residents’ hard-earned tax dollars.

Just three short years ago, when Democrats had total control of state government, they inherited a $9 billion surplus. Having blown through that surplus, their latest budget plan raids the state’s emergency savings fund to balance the budget. Their “emergency” spending spree includes:

My Republican colleagues and I introduced countless amendments to try to rein in spending and produce a better product for Michigan taxpayers, including proposals to lower property taxes, eliminate taxes on necessities for babies and kids, and remove sales tax on grocery store household goods. Nearly all proposed amendments were rejected along party lines.

While most amendments were shot down by the Democratic majority, my amendment to restore elder abuse protections that were eliminated in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal earlier this year was approved and would save these essential services.

However, there is more bad news than good.

Beyond the numerous amendments to directly lower costs for Michigan families, Senate Democrats voted down my amendment to ensure taxpayer dollars go only to legal citizens; my amendment supporting the E-Verify system, which ensures people who are here illegally are not working for the state government; and my amendment to ensure no public funding gets funneled to organizations like the embattled Southern Poverty Law Center or secret efforts that support state-sponsored terrorism in Michigan.

I am proud to have been recognized by Turning Point Action as the Michigan Senate’s second most conservative senator!

I recently sat down for an interview with Charlie LeDuff to discuss some of the most critical scandals currently happening in the state of Michigan.

I hope this discussion makes people start looking at and taking the corruption within state government seriously.

To view the interview, click here or on the image below.

One of my key responsibilities as a lawmaker is listening to the people who chose me to be their voice in Lansing.

If there is something my office can help with, if you have a question about a state issue, or if you have policy questions or an idea on how to make Michigan stronger, please feel free to contact my office. My staff and I are available to help in any way we can.

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