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 (toll-free at 855-347-8018).

Sincerely,

Thomas Albert
State Senator

Over the next several months, the Michigan Legislature will be working to adopt a new budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer formally began this process earlier this month with her executive budget recommendation. She proposes a massive $88 billion plan that continues her trend of unsustainable state government spending.

Just a few years ago, Democrats approved a budget that wiped out a projected $9 billion surplus — and we’re still paying the price for this fiscal mismanagement. Now the governor wants to raise taxes again and tap into the state’s rainy day fund to make ends meet in the new budget.

This is not a good idea. The rainy day fund should only be used in cases of emergency — and we are not facing an emergency. Raising taxes would only make inflation, which is fueled by government spending, even worse than it already is. We instead should make government more efficient and eliminate more unnecessary spending.

The governor has proposed a few tax cuts, but nothing that would provide real relief for most Michiganders. I support helping seniors, but I also recognize many others need tax relief. A better plan would be to lower taxes for everyone, so all Michigan residents have more money on hand to buy groceries and pay their bills.

It is early in the process, but I am committed to working for a balanced and responsible budget that is approved by the statutory deadline of July 1.

Gov. Whitmer gave her eighth and final State of the State address at the Michigan Capitol this week. I was honored to have Calhoun County Commissioner Dominic Oo as my special guest for the event. He represents the city of Springfield and several Battle Creek precincts on the county board.

Michigan residents have reported an increase in robocall scams, which often target seniors and vulnerable consumers.

The Senate recently unanimously passed bipartisan legislation that would strengthen consumer protections and empower the attorney general to crack down on harmful spammers who violate the law.

Senate Bills 351-355 would:

The bills now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The Department of Natural Resources is now livestreaming all Natural Resources Commission meetings to improve public access and transparency about the decisions being made at each meeting.

The Natural Resources Commission typically meets monthly in Lansing or other locations around the state. The next meeting is scheduled for March 11. Follow this link for more information about the meeting and updates on how to livestream.

The NRC is an unelected, seven-member public body whose members are appointed by the governor. The commission has extensive powers related to hunting and fishing rules in Michigan.

It’s that time of year again. We switch to daylight saving time on March 8, springing forward an hour. That means an adjustment period for tired children and cranky adults as our body clocks adjust to the new time.

I have proposed Senate Bill 126 to give Michigan voters a say in whether we continue this process. If the Legislature were to approve this measure, it would advance to voters for consideration on the November ballot.

Personally, I would say the annual time changes associated with daylight saving time are not worth the hassle — particularly the disruption and lost sleep that comes with moving clocks ahead by an hour each March. But I realize opinions differ, which is why I suggest allowing voters to decide.

Michigan voters rejected daylight saving time in 1968 and then permitted its establishment in 1972. Both votes were close.

It’s worth noting that our options are limited. Federal law allows states to opt out of daylight saving time, as Hawaii and Arizona have done, but states are not allowed to remain on DST year-round. The current choice is between continuing to change the clocks twice a year or remaining on standard time year-round.