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 [email protected], or by calling 517-373-1734 (toll-free at 855-347-8018).

Sincerely,

Thomas Albert
State Senator

Daylight saving time begins this weekend. We “spring forward” – moving our clocks ahead one hour on the morning of Sunday, March 10.

I know there are plenty of differing opinions on the merits of this time change. That is why I introduced Senate Bill 770. If approved by the Legislature, this bill would put the question of whether to eliminate daylight saving time on the ballot for voters to decide in the November 2024 election.

I personally believe there is no need to change our clocks twice a year, and we should remain on standard time for the entire year. I don’t think daylight saving time does much of anything to reduce energy consumption or boost productivity, which was the original goal when it was first implemented in the United States more than a century ago. I also worry about the effects of the springtime change on health, including the consequences of sleep deprivation.

But voters should make the final decision, and that is my goal with Senate Bill 770. I talked more about this issue in the Senate this week. Click here to see a video of my Senate remarks.

Another “March is Reading Month” is here, and I began visiting schools to read to students in the early elementary grades this week.

This year, I am reading “Strangers’ Bread” by Nancy Willard. It’s the story of a young boy on a journey to deliver a loaf of bread. Along the way, he learns great life lessons about honesty, compassion and understanding. My mother read this book to me when I was a child, and it reinforces my belief that reading is important well beyond learning the essential skill itself. It is an opportunity to instill virtuous principles within our kids.

We traditionally set aside the month of March to encourage young people to read, but this should be a year-round focus. There are plenty of good books available to read, but I would recommend John Senior’s “The Thousand Good Books” as a starting point to find ideas.

I plan to host local office hours on Monday, March 18, 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.

Disastrous open border policies have led to a migrant crisis in the United States. Many communities are being overwhelmed beyond their capacities, and fentanyl continues to flood into our communities with tragic consequences.

My Republican colleagues and I have introduced the Strong Borders, Safer Communities plan. The plan includes increased penalties for the creation, manufacturing, delivery, or possession of fentanyl and requires every Michigan community to enforce state and federal immigration laws, ending the practice of so-called “sanctuary cities.”

In 2023, more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the border — an 860% increase compared to 2019 and enough to kill millions of Americans. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Drug overdose deaths reached a new high in 2023 and are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Approximately 3,000 Michiganders die each year due to overdoses.

Self-declared sanctuary cities are now being overwhelmed by illegal immigrants that they do not have the space or resources to accommodate. We must protect Michigan communities by enforcing our immigration laws and protecting our local communities.