Ensure that every Michigander has access to clean drinking water

Like many of you, I was petrified when Rochester Adams and Van Hoosen Middle School were closed back in May due to high Mercury levels in the water. Luckily both schools were able to reopen, but not after forcing our parents to imagine a world where their children were poisoned in the very place they sent them every day. For cities like Flint, this world is an all too painful reality. It is time that the State step up, and invest in defending our water systems from pollution. Flint Michigan is an all too real example of what happens when private interests are allowed to do whatever they want with our water. Michigan is truly blessed to have the overabundance of fresh water that it has and as your representative I will ensure that we are protecting that blessing.

Ensure workers are protected in the move toward green energy

It is our responsibility as a society to ensure that we are leaving a clean world for future generations. The move toward green energy is already underway, and it is exciting to see that people are starting to get excited about protecting the environment. In the wake of this transition, it is often easy to forget that potentially thousands of coal and oil workers may lose their job in the transition. As your representative, I intend to partner with the private sector, working to create jobs and training opportunities for workers displaced by the switch away from fossil fuels. By paying attention to the fine details, we will work to ensure that no working person is left behind.

Defend Michigan’s Great Lakes from private interests

It is time that the State of Michigan takes a stand to protect Michigan’s Great Lakes. Like many people, I was very upset when I heard that Nestle was granted a permit to pump nearly 400 gallons of water per minute from our Great Lakes. This decision was made despite nearly 80,000 public comments that stood against the decision. Unlike the current leadership in Lansing, I intend to listen to the people of our State. As State representative, I will fight every day to remind companies like Nestle that the Great Lakes belong to every Michigander.