Dear Friends,

Welcome to the most recent edition of my monthly e-newsletter.

Below you’ll find news out of our state capital and the 31st Senate District that I hope you find helpful and interesting.

As always, my staff and I are here for you. My priority is to listen and understand the issues facing the individuals and families across the state. Please continue to share your thoughts with me at [email protected] or at 517-373-1777.

Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the Michigan Senate. I am grateful each and every day to work for the people of the 31st Senate District.

Sincerely,

Kevin Daley
State Senator
31st District

I recently voted to suspend the state’s excise, sales and use taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels for three months to provide relief to Michigan drivers.

Senate Bill 1029 would suspend the state’s excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel from June 15 to Sept. 15. SBs 972, 973 and 974 would suspend the state’s 6% sales and use taxes on motor fuel for the same time period.

Recent gas and diesel prices have surpassed the previous record average prices in state history. Suspending the excise and sales taxes on gasoline is estimated to save Michigan drivers 51 cents per gallon at the pump and provide Michiganders with needed relief.

While the state sits on a $10 billion surplus, countless Michigan families are struggling to get by.

I recently joined my colleagues in voting in support of a plan to return taxpayer dollars to those they rightfully belong to.

Our plan returns $2.5 billion to the people who need it most — Michigan families, seniors and veterans. I support lowering taxes for Michiganders permanently, instead of writing them a one-time check like the governor proposed. The MI Family Inflation Relief Plan lowers taxes for every Michigander by lowering the state’s income tax to 4% and increasing the personal income tax deduction by $1,800. Our plan helps Michigan families by creating a permanent $500 tax credit for each child under the age of 19, saving a family of four $1000 annually.

To help every Michigan senior — not just those with government pensions — we’ve also voted to increase the tax exemption for those over 67 to $21,800 for individuals and $43,600 for couples, and tying it to the rate of inflation. We must protect those who have protected us. The MI Family Inflation Relief Plan includes a 100% property tax exemption for fully disabled veterans, as well as the spouses of those lost in combat.

Three months have passed since Gov. Whitmer vetoed our first bipartisan plan to cut taxes, and in that time, inflation and gas prices have only gotten worse. Unfortunately, the governor has once again shown she cares nothing about the struggles facing Michiganders and has signaled that she plans to veto this measure.

I genuinely hope she reconsiders her position and is willing to step up and show she cares more about the people of this state than growing the size of state government.

I was glad to see my legislation to remove the burdensome audit and financial review requirements that the state has placed on commodity groups, such as onion and asparagus growers, being voted out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

Currently, these producers are forced to spend much of their collected assessments performing yearly financial reviews and regular audits. My legislation will reduce this unnecessary regulation but still maintain transparency by only requiring one audit for every five-year period. This much-needed fix would allow our farm groups to keep more of their hard-earned money.

Coming up on June 11-12, Michigan residents, along with out-of-state visitors, will have an opportunity to enjoy our state’s exciting natural resources at no cost!

On Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, people will be able to fish, ride and enjoy state parks for free.

Fishing license, ORV sticker and trail permit, and recreation passport fees will all be waived, though all other regulations and safety requirements apply.

For more information, click here.

June is National Dairy Month! This month we show our appreciation to one of Michigan’s largest agricultural industries. Check out these great Michigan Dairy facts!

I recently joined Potato Growers of Michigan on a tour of Better Made Snack Foods facility in Detroit! Phil, one of the facility managers, guided our tour and showed us how they make their chips, popcorn and other snacks.

It was great to see how this local company tries to source locally grown Michigan potatoes and ingredients for its products!

Whether you enjoy warm weather fun on the water, in the woods or at the golf course, Michigan has it all!

The 2022 Pure Michigan Spring/Summer Travel Guide features lighthouses, tiny towns, national forests and Great Lakes shore experiences as well as craft beer, casino and urban destinations. The publication also includes a seasonal calendar of festival events. Please call or email my office for a print copy or find the digital version at www.michigan.org!

I was honored to welcome Vietnam veteran Frank Franzel and his wife Cindy Coxe to the Capitol for the Michigan Senate’s 27th Annual Memorial Day Service on May 26.

Franzel is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He volunteered for the draft in 1969, serving 11 months in Vietnam before being honorably discharged on June 22, 1971. It was a pleasure to host Frank as we remembered the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could continue to live with the freedoms we have today.

My office is happy to offer legislative tributes in honor of noteworthy events such as retirement, anniversaries of businesses in our community, awards and public recognitions.

Michigan Senate website: www.senate.michigan.gov
Michigan House of Representatives website: www.house.michigan.gov
Michigan Legislature website: www.legislature.mi.gov
Michigan Citizen’s Guide: Citizen’s Guide to State Government, 101st Legislature