Welcome to this month’s edition of my e-newsletter. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle the tough issues that will help lower the cost of living, help families get ahead, and build a brighter future for all who call Michigan home.

As always, I welcome your feedback on current issues facing Michigan or the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights and Utica communities. Constituent feedback is vital as I represent our communities in Lansing. If you are experiencing a problem with one of our state government agencies, my office is always available to assist with finding a solution. I respect your opinion and will always do my best to make myself available and accessible to you.

Please take a moment to visit my website, like my official Facebook page, send me an email or call my office at 517-373-0994. If you have any questions, concerns or opinions on what is happening, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Michael Webber
State Senator
9th District

I have continued to call for a fair and good-faith resolution to be reached among the Detroit Three automakers and United Auto Workers. It is promising that the UAW has recently reached tentative agreements with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — the agreements still must be voted on by union membership.

As the weeks rolled by and the wave of the UAW’s targeted strike swelled, the need for a fair and good-faith compromise to be achieved between all parties grew more and more urgent. Families and local businesses across Macomb and Oakland counties and the entire state — whether directly or indirectly dependent on the auto industry — have felt the real impact of these long negotiations.

Stellantis’ Sterling Heights Assembly Plant and Sterling Stamping Plant are located within the 9th Senate District. The district also includes Ford’s Van Dyke Powertrain Center, Transmission Plant Fields and Sterling Axle Plant, where layoffs were announced earlier this month due to strikes in other parts of the country.

The UAW began its historic strike against all three major Detroit automakers for the first time since it was organized 88 years ago on Sept. 15. The first four weeks of the strike cost the U.S. economy $7.7 billion, according to Anderson Economic Group.

The well-being of the automotive industry workforce is a vital component of our shared economy and cannot be understated.

The 9th Senate District, which includes the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights and Utica, is home to the largest concentration of auto dealerships in the state.

All 18 members of the Senate Republican caucus sent a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, urging them to expedite the state and federal permitting processes required for the construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel Project for Line 5.

The Great Lakes Tunnel Project, originally scheduled to begin in 2021 and be operational in 2024, is critical to ensuring energy affordability and stability in Michigan. Now, a decision on permitting is not expected until at least 2026.

Michigan uses more propane for residential purposes than any other state, and more than half of that propane comes through Line 5.

Line 5 also provides jobs to over 6,000 Michigan residents and over $464 million in labor income. Tens of thousands of jobs are dependent upon Line 5 in downstream industries such as refineries, manufacturers, airports, and businesses that rely upon all the energy products coming from the line.

With winter around the corner, the millions of Michigan residents who rely on the propane from Line 5 to keep their families warm deserve better than continued delays from state and federal agencies. The Great Lakes Tunnel Project must be completed to protect this critical energy source.

I support Israel and its right to defend Israeli sovereignty after the terrorist attacks conducted by Hamas. Hamas, a United States-designated foreign terrorist organization, launched a heinous series of coordinated violent attacks by air, land, and sea in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

These heinous attacks by Hamas on the Jewish people and the state of Israel are beyond words. I pray for the victims and their families and will continue to stand up for Jewish-Americans who feel under attack with the rise of antisemitism across our state and country.

The Michigan Senate passed Senate Resolution 78 unanimously to condemn the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7.

The Michigan Senate passed Senate Bills 471, 472 and 528 to strengthen domestic violence protections in Michigan and help prevent firearm injury and death. The legislative package mirrors federal law and would modify the state’s penal code to better protect domestic violence survivors by prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from possessing, using, purchasing or carrying a firearm in Michigan for eight years.

These bills would bring Michigan into alignment with federal law, allowing state and local prosecutors to protect victims of domestic abuse. Currently in Michigan, local law enforcement lacks the authority to enforce misdemeanor domestic crime prohibitions — and there are not enough federal officers in the state to adequately protect survivors. These bills would ensure that those found guilty of domestic abuse would not have access to guns. Red states and blue states have adopted state laws to prohibit convicted domestic abusers from possessing, using, purchasing or carrying a firearm for a period of time following conviction.

Despite regular power outages across our state, Senate Democrats voted to impose a California-style Green New Deal that will make energy even less reliable and much more expensive. The Democratic-controlled Senate passed, on a party line vote, Senate Bills 271, 273 and 502 that set an unachievable target for a green energy future by mandating a 100% clean energy standard by 2040.

Even though Michigan’s power outage rate is double the national average, Senate Democrats want to mandate the use of less reliable energy sources. A strong energy grid needs a diverse array of sources. To rely simply on weather-dependent solar or wind will be incredibly expensive and make our energy grid even less reliable.

In 2016, the Legislature passed energy legislation in a bipartisan way that established goals to increase the use of renewables as part of our energy production. Clean energy has and will continue to have bipartisan support when done in an appropriate, responsible way. This legislation failed to do that which is why I couldn’t support it.

Inflation, gas prices, groceries, and housing costs all remain too high. Our energy rates are among the highest in the nation — the last thing Michiganders can afford right now is for their electric bills to nearly double.

State Rep. Mark Tisdel and I presented a state tribute to representatives from the Bellbrook independent and assisted living community to celebrate the organization’s 35th anniversary.

It’s important that our seniors have resources like Bellbrook to connect them with the community and offer important support when it’s needed. We are grateful that Bellbrook has been there for seniors living in the Greater Rochester Area for the last 35 years.

Affiliated with St. Joseph Mercy and part of Trinity Health Senior Communities, Bellbrook is the only faith-based, nonprofit senior living community in Rochester Hills. It offers independent and assisted living opportunities in addition to specialized care for individuals in need of memory support or short-term rehabilitation.

Here are a few tips for a safe and fun Halloween. Drivers, even if you don’t celebrate the holiday, please stay alert and watch for trick-or-treaters.

No appointment is necessary to attend. The 9th Senate District includes the cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Utica along with parts of Oakland Township, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.