Dear Friends:

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and provide updates about what is going on at Michigan’s Capitol.

I am the state senator for the 18th District – covering all of Barry County and parts of Allegan, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Kent and Ionia counties. Please feel free to contact me with any issues related to state government at SenTAlbert@senate.michigan.gov, or by calling 517-373-1734 or toll-free at 855-347-8018.

Sincerely,

Thomas Albert
State Senator

Michigan’s new state budget was approved shortly after the new fiscal year began Oct. 1. I am thankful the budget was resolved in a way that prevented the disruption of state services. But overall, I could not support the budget plan because it is unsustainable moving forward.

My main concerns are the budget includes a tax increase ($420 million overall on marijuana) and a policy change that will prevent Michigan job providers from benefiting from tax changes made at the federal level. The money will go to much-needed road repairs, but I believe we could have invested more in roads without the tax changes that will put our state at a competitive disadvantage. Also, research from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan shows that the overall budget remains larger than what many have suggested.

In the schools budget, more investments are made without accompanying changes designed to improve results. We can’t keep doing the same things and expect better results. I support investing in our schools, but we must also make real changes to improve student performance.

There are some good items in the new budget that I support — such as steps to rein in corporate welfare and eliminate unfilled positions or “ghost employees” within state government. A more detailed explanation of my budget vote is available here.

The State Board of Education is considering new health standards that could end up merging sex education topics into required health classes. Instead of focusing on improving student performance, the board is spending its time blurring the line between health and sex education.

Michigan law gives parents control over elective sex education courses. Schools can choose whether to teach sex education, parents must be notified and can opt out, and local communities control their own curriculum. The new proposal weakens those protections by adding recommended topics such as gender identity, gender expression and same-sex attraction to required health classes for students as young as sixth grade.

I oppose this proposal. Parents, not state bureaucrats, should decide what’s right for their kids. Health classes should focus on fitness, nutrition and healthy choices.

The Michigan Department of Treasury is continuing information technology upgrades with a goal of improving online service for individual income tax filers in the filing cycle that begins in January. As these upgrades are implemented, the system may have limited functionality until mid-November.

Treasury will still be able to receive information from individual taxpayers while these updates are going on, but officials will have a limited ability to respond until roughly Nov. 12, which may delay processing of some information.

Treasury says the payoff should be a better online system when individual taxpayers start to file their 2025 returns in January.

More information on the Department of Treasury is available at Michigan.gov/treasury.

The Medicare Open Enrollment period runs through Dec. 7. During this time, Michigan seniors make important decisions about their health insurance and prescription drug coverage. As a result, they may be the target of scams and high-pressure sales tactics.

To avoid Medicare scams, keep these safety measures in mind:

The new MI Options call center offers free counseling to help people navigate Medicare plan options or enrollment. Call 800-803-7174 for assistance.

Fall is a great time to explore Michigan’s more than 13,700 miles of designated state-managed trails and thousands of miles of local, county and federally managed trails.

The DNR website features interactive maps covering about 6,500 miles of trails. Maps can be searched by location, activity, accessibility, motorized or nonmotorized use, and even pet-friendliness. The site also includes updates on closures and detours.

I plan to host local office hours on Friday, Oct. 31, in two locations:

Office hours are open to district residents to talk about issues related to state government or to request assistance with a state issue. No appointment is necessary, but space may be limited at some locations. Priority will be given to constituents seeking to discuss issues requiring privacy or individual attention.

Office hours in other 18th District locations will be scheduled at a later date.