Dear neighbor,

Below you will find legislative updates from the state Capitol that are important to the residents of Oakland County. Thank you for taking the time to read my latest newsletter!

Senator Jim Runestad
Serving the 15th State Senate District

A letter I sent to parents across the 15th Senate District affirming their involvement in the education of their children and my commitment to a renewed focus on core curriculum in public schools was met with push back from local educators.: “Letter from state senator draws response from HVS supervisor.” I will not tire of standing up for parents’ rights in education and will continue to fight against revisionist ideologies like critical race theory from infiltrating our school systems.

Click here or on the image below to see my remarks on the Senate Floor after Democrats refused to vote on a bill to keep critical race theory out of Michigan schools — I want to stop racism and gender hatred from being taught in schools and they want to expand it.

We’ve all seen video after video showing perpetrators bursting into businesses with hammers, bags, and other accessories to commit robberies in a highly organized manner — shoplifting has blown up into a multibillion-dollar industry across America, and Michigan is not immune from this alarming trend.

My legislation to penalize organized retail crime under the state’s racketeering statute was recently signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Senate Bill 691, now Public Act 174 of 2022, adds organized retail crime to the state’s racketeering statutes — which include other crimes, such as drug trafficking, extortion and prostitution — and will now allow law enforcement to pursue enhanced criminal penalties against individuals who solicit or conspire to commit these offenses regardless of the value of the stolen property.

Criminals at the top of these organized mobs and rings will now be held accountable, not only for retail theft but also for coercing youth and other vulnerable individuals to commit organized retail crimes on their behalf.

PA 174 gained wide bipartisan support in the Legislature and had the backing of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa A. Hammoud, Michigan State Police, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

The state Senate recently passed my legislation to crack down on the upward trend of automobile theft in Michigan.

I have learned from law enforcement that the concerning increase of car thefts in Southeast Michigan and across the state can be directly linked to handheld computer devices used for automotive key programming and diagnostics. These tools are helpful in the hands of locksmiths and auto mechanics, but criminals are taking advantage of this technology at a disturbing rate.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s office reports that automobile thefts have increased 66.7% and possession of a motor vehicle as stolen property increased 138% from 2020 to 2021.

Senate Bill 870 would add computers or other technology that allow an individual to program a key code for a motor vehicle to the state’s burglary equipment statute, which prescribes a felony offense for individuals found to be in possession of the equipment with the intention to commit theft.

My bill will give our law enforcement agencies and prosecutors a new tool to bring these thieves to justice and deter a growing and alarming trend. It has moved to the House of Representatives for consideration.

I spoke on WJR’s “The Gordon Show” when this bill passed the Senate. Click here to listen to that interview.

My legislation to allow self-dispensing beer, wine or mixed spirits taps to be installed at tables or mounted onto walls at bars and restaurants across the state was recently signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Michigan has one of the country’s largest craft beer industries and now joins 45 other states that allow self-dispensing technology as an option for busy bars and restaurants — while also improving safety for consumers. This technology can help our local establishments improve their monitoring of the alcohol consumption of their customers and reduce the amount of touches on individual glasses.

Senate Bill 656 amends the Michigan Liquor Control Code of 1998 to allow for tabletop and wall-mounted taps to be installed in Michigan bars and restaurants. Patrons would be able to access these self-serve taps through prepaid key cards that could be worn as a necklace or bracelet and track their consumption.

Self-serve tap machines would be limited to serving a total of 96 ounces in a single prepaid order — no more than 16 ounces of beer, 12 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of a mixed spirit per serving — and would not be permitted to dispense straight spirits.

I recently introduced legislation to add the Holodomor to the state’s social studies curriculum requirements for grades 8 to 12.

The Holodomor genocide is one of the great tragedies of the 20th Century — it is important not only to remember this brutal atrocity, but to teach it to future generations in the hope that it will never again be repeated. We must be mindful of these important lessons in order to preserve the freedoms we have as U.S. citizens and never forget the Ukrainians and many others who have suffered under the violent rule of communism.

The Holodomor, also referred to as the Terror-Famine, was imposed in Soviet-controlled Ukraine by Joseph Stalin from 1932 to 1933; it resulted in the deaths of millions of Ukrainians and crushed the nation’s independence movement. The term Holodomor, which can be translated as “extermination by means of starvation,” emphasizes the famine’s intentional and man-made aspects, such as the rejection of outside aid, confiscation of food from households and restrictions on population movement.

Soviet authorities denied, concealed, or destroyed information about the Holodomor and hid the facts of this genocide for decades. Classroom instruction on this tragedy would help to improve all students’ comprehensive understanding of world history.

Senate Bill 1079 would include the Holodomor with the Holocaust and 1915 Armenian genocide as part of the state’s core academic curriculum content standards and learning objectives concerning genocide for history in grades 8 to 12. It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Career Readiness.

I am happy to have aided in securing $1.8 million to help the Haven Hill Natural Area restoration effort within the Highland Recreation Area as part of the recently approved fiscal year 2023 state budget.

Haven Hill is one of Oakland County’s most treasured sites, offering southeast Michigan families and visitors an excellent window into the Michigan of the 1920s. The unique area is designated not only as a state historical site and natural area but is a National Natural Landmark as well. It is also a wonderful tribute to the Ford family, helping honor the family’s many contributions to our state and nation.

Click here to learn more about Haven Hill, or visit FOHRAvolunteers.org. The 2023 general budget bill was signed into law as Public Act 166 of 2022 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on July 20. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The Michigan Senate recently adopted my resolution to urge Congress to permanently extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 with commensurate spending cuts to avoid increasing the federal tax burden.

Reckless Washington spending and heavy-handed unilateral shutdowns imposed by go-it-alone governors like our own during the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in historic inflation and economic hardships not seen in decades. It is imperative that lawmakers work to help taxpayers climb out of this government-created hole by reducing unnecessary spending and ensuring that hardworking Americans are able to keep their own money.

The 2017 tax cuts reduced federal tax rates for households across every income level, resulting in over $1,500 in tax relief for average middle-income earners, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Before the TCJA, the top corporate income tax rate in the U.S. was 35%, the highest among all nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The TCJA reduced the business tax rate to 21%, bringing the U.S. back into the average among member nations, and dramatically enhancing American competitiveness.

Most of the TCJA’s requirements are currently set to end by Dec. 31, 2025. Allowing these tax cuts to expire would result in a huge federal tax increase on the American people and further inhibit the recovery of our shared economy. History shows us that the people know how to spend their own money far better than the government and our whole nation prospers when they have the freedom to do so.

Click here or on the image below to watch my remark on the Senate Floor in support of these tax cuts.

The Michigan Unemployment Agency is warning of a new text message phishing scam targeting Michigan residents who may have filed for unemployment insurance during the pandemic.

If you have filed for unemployment benefits and receive a text message claiming to be from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, ignore it — it’s a scam. UIA does not use text messaging to correspond with claimants or to process payments.

The agency’s anti-fraud investigators have learned of a recent phishing scheme to try to steal money and personal information from Michigan workers. The text message comes from an out-of-state phone number and provides a link to claim back payments. Do not click on the link. Report it as junk or spam and delete the text.

UIA communicates with claimants through their Michigan Web Account Manager account, letters mailed to the current address on file or by phone.

The suspicious text message is from a phone number with a 210 Area Code, which is in Texas. The message reads in part: “MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: Your back payment deposit of $2,800 is now pending on your profile.” It then instructs the recipient to click on a strange link to receive payment. The link is to a fake, replica UIA website.

This is an example of a government imposter scam. More information on these types of scams can be found on the Attorney General's Consumer Alerts page.

Below you will find some additional tips from the UIA that can be helpful with protecting your personal information:

If you suspect fraud or identity theft, report it by clicking on the Report Fraud and Identity Theft link at Michigan.gov/UIA and fill out a referral form. Be sure to fill out all the information and make sure it is current. You can also view this video from the UIA that explains how to report identity theft.

After a two-year hiatus, the North American International Auto Show returns to Detroit this fall with its first-ever indoor-outdoor auto show.

The event will take place both indoors at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Hall), and outdoors with events throughout downtown Detroit. Throughout the show, visitors will experience cars, music, food, ride-and-drives, car enthusiast clubs, air demonstrations, and more.

The Detroit Auto show is open to the public from Sept. 17-25. Tickets are on sale now. Adult tickets purchased before Aug. 10, will receive a $5 discount. For more information, and to buy tickets, visit Naias.com.