Dear Neighbors,

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 the issues facing Michigan or the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights, Utica and Shelby Township 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

As we approach the Oct. 1 constitutional budget deadline, the Republican-led Michigan House and Democratic-led Senate have reached a budget agreement with the governor that includes a road funding plan that would generate at least an additional $1.5 billion annually toward fixing our roads and bridges. This agreement now paves the way to complete work on the whole state budget.

Now that the Legislature and governor have come together on a budget agreement, work continues to iron out details on implementing the agreement into a full state budget that must be passed by Tuesday, Sept. 30.

I have been working closely with my colleagues on making sure we pass a bipartisan budget that includes a long-term road funding plan. I am glad Senate Democrats finally worked with House Republicans to reach an agreement on a roads plan. The governor has repeatedly told lawmakers she will not sign a state budget without a road funding component.

I will continue to provide updates on the budget as we work to get a final product to the governor for her signature.

I led the charge to get bipartisan Senate Bills 414 and 415 added to the agenda of the Senate Committee on Health Policy and strongly urged the current Democratic majority to take up the bills, which ultimately led to their unanimous passage by the full Senate. These bills would require commercial insurance and Medicaid to cover group prenatal care, which brings together pregnant women to learn from each other and their health care provider in a supportive and educational setting.

I am glad the majority took up the legislation and the Senate came together to do something that will make a real difference for families across the state. Expanding access to prenatal care is one of the most meaningful ways we can build stronger families. By expanding Medicaid coverage to include group prenatal care, we are removing barriers to a proven resource that improves health outcomes for moms and babies.

Both bills are reintroductions of legislation from the previous legislative term that never reached the governor’s desk to be signed into law. They had bipartisan support but failed to pass under the previous House Democratic leadership. They should have been signed into law long ago.

Human trafficking is among the vilest criminal enterprises of our time, and it continues to plague our communities at a horrific rate. I am proud to have introduced Senate Bill 524 as part of a bipartisan effort between lawmakers and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to increase penalties for human trafficking and better protect victims.

My bill would increase penalties for solicitation and update state law to account for modern trafficking practices that utilize rental spaces, such as hotels and other businesses. Other bills in the package would provide for the termination of parental rights and increase penalties for human trafficking, including life sentences for the trafficking of minors.

The bipartisan bills would work to close loopholes in our current laws, provide better support for victims, put these criminals behind bars and keep Michigan communities safe. As legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure our laws work to protect vulnerable victims — especially children — and hold criminal traffickers accountable to the full weight of our state’s justice system. I look forward to getting these bills passed and signed into law.

I recently introduced legislation to protect students changing schools from falling through the cracks, improve interactions between those with disabilities and our law enforcement officers and honor Michigan State basketball great Magic Johnson.

Senate Bill 506 is part of a bipartisan effort to better protect Michigan students and strengthen school enrollment accountability following the discovery of three Pontiac children living in squalor after their mother allegedly abandoned them years earlier. This bill would work with SB 492, introduced by Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, to prohibit public and nonpublic schools from dropping a student based solely on a record request and instead require that written confirmation of a student’s enrollment in the new school be received before the pupil is removed from the previous institution’s rolls.

The tragic case was compounded because these children fell through an enormous gap in the enrollment system that should not be there. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told the Senate Committee on Education that the children “simply vanished from the system.” The Legislature has a duty to close this record-keeping loophole and equip our schools with a solution to safeguard vulnerable children across the state. The bills would ensure our schools have the means to keep track of the students who have been entrusted to their care. We build stronger, healthier and safer communities when we work to protect our students.

SB 554 would create the Blue Envelope Program to help law enforcement officers identify individuals with a disability and be more receptive to their needs in an effort to limit misunderstandings. Eligible drivers who register would be allowed to display their participation prominently on their windshields to notify law enforcement officers and first responders of their unique needs.

Blue Envelope initiatives in other states are proving to be an important tool in assisting individuals with autism and other special needs during routine traffic stops and emergency situations. It enhances understanding, promotes empathy and patience, helps reduce anxiety, streamlines communication and encourages preparedness.

Lastly, SB 534 would rename a portion of Grand River Avenue through East Lansing after Earvin “Magic” Johnson to honor the Spartan legend’s tenure at Michigan State University. The downtown stretch between North Harrison and Hagadorn roads would be renamed Magic Johnson Way.

As a proud Spartan, I know firsthand the long-lasting legacy that Magic Johnson established during his time at Michigan State. I was a student when the Spartans won their most recent national title and many would agree that the success of the men’s basketball program was largely influenced by what Johnson was able to do on the court.

On Sept. 13, I joined local community organizations and other officials in the Troy Family Daze Parade along Livernois Road. Once a great tradition, the parade returned for its second year after a long hiatus. I was glad to participate in celebrating the Troy Family Daze Festival and see so many residents out enjoying themselves.