Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As Lansing Democrats look to leave town and adjourn the Legislature historically early, it is truly troubling what has transpired inside the Capitol over the past 10 months. Nothing is more chilling than the devastating effects the majority’s radical partisan decisions will have on Michigan families, farmers, seniors, and small businesses in the coming months and years. I fear the ghost of the Granholm administration has returned to Michigan with another lost decade.

Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but Lansing Democrats have brought frightfully bad policies back from the dead to haunt Michiganders. Learn more about the bad policies they have pushed through the Legislature in 2023 at the “Night of the Living Dems” website.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the Legislature or state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office by calling 517-373-0793 or by going to SenatorAricNesbitt.com. You can also stay up to date with what I am doing in Lansing by following me on Facebook, or on Twitter. I look forward to listening and learning about your priorities and concerns for our state.

Blessings,

Aric Nesbitt
State Senator
District 20

In less than a day, Senate Democrats jammed a serious rewrite of Michigan’s energy policy through the Legislature along party lines. Policy shifts of this magnitude should not be so blatantly partisan. This extreme strategy thrown together by Gov. Whitmer and legislative Democrats will set Michigan on a disastrous economic course, stifling growth in our communities. Even one of the bill sponsors has admitted that implementing this Michigan Green New Deal will force families and job creators to pay much higher energy costs.

As if the cost of living wasn’t increasing enough, higher energy bills are now being added on top of the almost $2 billion in payroll and income tax increases getting pushed through the Legislature by Lansing Democrats. It appears that life in Michigan is becoming more unaffordable with each partisan bill they pass.

These unreasonable approaches to energy policy typically result in having to correct course and revert back to traditional fuels and nuclear power that will make sure peoples’ lights come on when they flip the switch. We have seen the evidence from states like California and Illinois that are now grudgingly bringing nuclear plants back online and countries like Germany that shuttered nuclear plants only to become reliant on Russian natural gas.

This is not the time to force the people of Michigan to pay more for less reliable energy. Michiganders deserve responsible energy policy — an all-of-the-above approach that utilizes existing and reliable sources, including natural gas and nuclear energy, while continuing to build up a renewable grid for the future. We can be both environmentally conscious and help lower costs for families, seniors, and small businesses.

Earlier this month, Democrats in the Legislature began passing bills to arbitrarily raise taxes on certain types of food at a time when grocery prices remain sky high and restaurants are struggling to keep their doors open. Thanks to record-high inflation and “Bidenomics,” Michiganders are experiencing sticker shock every time they go to the grocery store or out to eat. But Lansing Democrats think this is a good time to make food even more expensive.

Aside from raising taxes in a time of historic inflation, these convoluted and confusing tax changes lack any common sense and will be extremely difficult for small family businesses to follow. Under the Democratic legislation, items such as unsweetened iced tea would be taxed, but not sweet tea. Prepackaged candy would remain untaxed, but prepackaged chips and nuts would be taxed. Mom and pop stores shouldn’t have to hire accountants to figure out why Better Made chips from Detroit need to be taxed but M&Ms made in Tennessee don’t.

Sadly, this isn’t the only tax hike being rushed through the Legislature by Lansing Democrats. The governor and her legislative allies have also proposed $2 billion in higher payroll and income taxes on top of their extremely costly “green” energy mandates. Senate Republicans are focused on lowering the cost of living for all Michiganders and opposed this scheme to raise taxes on everyday necessities. It is imperative that we continue fighting to help hardworking taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.

Recently, the Senate passed legislation to drive up the cost of auto insurance by altering the state’s 2019 no-fault reforms. Sen. Nesbitt did not support this. Prior to 2019, Michigan had the highest auto insurance rates in the nation with our one-size-fits-all mandate approach to insurance. According to a report from the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS), Michigan drivers saved a cumulative $5 billion on their insurance rates from 2019 to 2022. Specifically, these savings were found in “personal injury protection” or PIP coverage—unlimited PIP coverage was previously mandated, and individuals were not allowed to use their own existing health insurance to help cover auto-related injuries.

After the passage of the 2019 auto insurance reforms, Michigan drivers finally found relief from some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation. People were given the ability to choose the best coverage for themselves and their family without price gouging or costly lawsuits driving up their rates. Now, some legislators are taking that historic step forward three steps in reverse. Even Gov. Whitmer’s DIFS director has pointed out that with these bills, drivers can count on seeing significant impacts to their auto insurance premiums, increased catastrophic claims assessments, and less coverage for lower PIP levels.

Increased rates and less competition in the marketplace are not solutions to the struggles Michiganders are facing under the weight of higher costs of living and historic inflation. More than 200,000 previously uninsured drivers purchased insurance since the 2019 reforms. However, rising insurance rates will harm hardworking people trying to make ends meet and lead to more uninsured drivers on our roads.

Sen. Nesbitt presented a special tribute to Andy Barbott, commemorating his 25 years of service to the Berrien County Farm Bureau Executive Board.

The Michigan Chapter of the National Coalition for Public School Options presented Sen. Nesbitt with their Golden Apple Award for fighting to protect the parents’ right to choose where and how to educate their children.

Senate Republicans held a press conference calling on the Whitmer administration to support the critical Line 5 tunnel project.