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

House Republicans in March passed legislation to reduce the personal income tax for all hardworking Michiganders. House Bill 4170 would lower the income tax from 4.25% to 4.05% and would take effect for the 2025 fiscal year.

HB 4170 passed with bipartisan support, with seven House Democrats voting for the bill. It has since been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection, where it awaits consideration.

I have called upon the Democrat majority in charge of the Senate’s agenda to follow the lead of their House colleagues, put aside partisan politics and vote for a must-needed cut in the taxes of everyday Michiganders.

Click here to read more.

Senate Democrats have sneakily passed a dangerous anti-Second Amendment bill under the guise of protecting the elderly. The bill would allow certain elderly adults above the age of 60 to petition a circuit court to obtain a personal protection order (PPO) and give the state power to place restrictions on individuals accused of crimes but without conviction or adjudication of guilt. While well-intentioned, the bill fails to be written in a way that would properly protect against its possible misapplications.

Click here or on the image below to hear more about this dangerous legislation to chip away at Second Amendment rights.

I recently partnered with state Rep. James DeSana to introduce legislation to protect Michigan residents who act in justifiable self-defense from unfair civil lawsuits.

This legislation is long overdue in Michigan. Law-abiding citizens who are forced to defend themselves against brazen criminals should not be at risk of further victimization from these bad actors or their family members who look to weaponize the court system for financial gain.

Senate Bill 270 and House Bill 4404 would protect people who use or threaten force to defend themselves or others from civil lawsuits if criminal charges brought against them are dropped or they are found not guilty of a crime.

These bills would protect Michiganders from unjust lawsuits by reinforcing their right to defend themselves without the fear of financial ruin from lengthy and expensive court battles.

Click here to read more.

I recently introduced legislation to require state boards overseeing financial decisions for the Michigan pension fund to consider only pecuniary interests when making investment decisions.

My legislation, Senate Bill 300, would ban pension investment strategies based on noneconomic, nonfinancial, social, political or ideological objectives. Politically motivated investing is often cloaked in ubiquitous and politically correct terms such as ESG investing, an acronym that stands for environmental, social and governance. SB 300 is supported by financial public policy leaders and mirrors my previously introduced SB 1192 of 2022, which had gained approval from the Senate Finance Committee.

Thousands of Michiganders rely on their public pension for security in retirement. They’ve entrusted the state to manage those investments, and it ought to be criminal for liberal pension boards to prioritize woke politics over fiscal prudence and investment returns. These bad actors are putting hardworking people’s comfortable retirement beneath their own desire to advance liberal ideologies.

Click here to read more or click on the image below to hear me discuss this important bill to protect public retirees.

I recently delivered a fiery speech on the Senate floor to call out Lansing Democrats’ deceptive resolution to continue the false narrative that President Trump is “cutting Medicaid.”

I condemned Senate Democrats for lying about the president’s intentions with Medicaid and pointed out how he aims to improve and protect Medicaid by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Democrats are responsible for $1.1 trillion in payments to ineligible recipients and want this kind of silly spending to continue.

Click here or on the image below to hear me blast Senate Democrats for their disingenuous resolution and misleading political messaging.

Members of the Michigan House and Senate Republicans have made public their individual district project spending requests for this year’s budget-making cycle, yet Senate Democrats have yet to agree to the same transparent process.

I recently spoke on the Senate floor, challenging them to be more accountable to taxpayers, saying, “Democrats! Let the people of the state of Michigan know exactly what pork barrel projects and lard you are requesting before we vote! Give the media the time to do a deep dive into every request and expose to the voters of Michigan what are the goodies in the garbage that the media unearths!”

Click here or on the image below to hear me challenge Senate Democrats to be more transparent when it comes to spending your money.

On May 22, the Michigan Senate held its 30th annual Memorial Day Service to honor Michigan’s veterans, active service members, and those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

I was honored to have the opportunity to bring Lt. Col. Quentin McCart (right) and Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan Lawson (left) from the U.S. Army Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion to join me on the Senate floor as distinguished guests for the event.

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