Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to the latest edition of my e-newsletter.

Below you’ll find an update on what is going on in your state Capitol.

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 17th Senate District.

In Liberty,

Jonathan Lindsey
State Senator
17th District

Nearly 700,000 Michiganders face medical debt. Medical debt cuts across income levels and affects those with and without medical coverage. Insured patients can face high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs that can turn a medical emergency into a long-term financial burden, while those without coverage avoid medical care out of concern for the price tag.

I am working on legislation to reduce the impact of medical debt on Michigan families. My bipartisan plan to modernize hospital assistance programs and help address medical debt was voted out of the Senate with overwhelming support and is now moving through the House.

Last month, I testified in support of this key legislation before the House Health Policy Committee.

My legislation would:

By working on this policy in a bipartisan manner, I have been able to ensure it isn’t just a “big government” magic wand pretending we can simply eliminate all debt. Rather, the focus is on transparency and meaningful guardrails that give people the best chance to make sure one medical emergency doesn’t become a crushing, impossible obstacle.

These policies will work hand in hand with another key policy priority of mine: medical price transparency. Patients deserve upfront pricing when they receive care and should be able to shop for the best deal.

These medical debt bills are pending a vote in the House Health Policy Committee, while my broader medical price transparency legislation has passed both the Senate and the House, but awaits one more vote before it can move to the governor to be signed into law.

After wasting a $9 billion surplus, Lansing Democrats now want to raid the state’s emergency savings to keep growing the size of government.

Just three short years ago, when Democrats had total control of state government, they inherited a $9 billion surplus. Having blown through that surplus, their latest budget plan would raid the state’s emergency savings fund to balance the budget.

Their “emergency” spending spree includes:

My Republican colleagues and I offered dozens of amendments to improve the budget. Our efforts were disregarded by Senate Democrats, despite earnest attempts to address concerns in their funding plan.

We offered solutions to issues affecting all Michiganders equally, like eliminating taxes on necessities for babies and removing the sales tax on household goods at the grocery store. These solutions were nearly all rejected along party lines, including my proposal to reduce property tax burdens.

I put forward an amendment to provide real relief from local property taxes. When a millage is approved at the ballot box, we borrow against future projects that we can’t pay for today. Every year, the Legislature approves a budget for our schools, but this funding mechanism leaves major gaps, which is why districts constantly come to residents asking for more money through property taxes.

I want to take more of our state dollars and push them down to locals to directly reduce the property tax burden on our residents. This would not only lower the tax burden on Michiganders, but it would also equalize funding across our communities. I will be sharing more information soon about additional property tax reform proposals!

Government budgets should prioritize relief for families, cuts to wasteful spending, and careful investments in the services that support children and seniors. We can do all that without growing government, increasing taxes, and spending down funds meant for an emergency.

Memorial Day is a time to pause and remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. While we can never fully repay their sacrifice and dedication, we can honor their memory and the freedoms they helped protect.

The 17th Senate District covers seven counties and countless communities in southern and Southwest Michigan.

Michigan summers are a time for the whole family to travel the state, enjoy the warm weather, and visit the vibrant festivals that make our communities unique.

Here are some upcoming events in our neck of the woods that are worth checking out!

The 17th state Senate District includes Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties, along with parts of Berrien, Calhoun, Jackson and Hillsdale counties.