I hear it from constituents every week: “Why can’t government just work together?” Frankly, I’m just as fed up as you are with the endless partisan bickering and political grandstanding that stand in the way of real solutions for Michigan families. People expect their elected leaders to act like adults, put politics aside, and deliver results. That’s exactly what the Michigan House has been working to do. We can’t negotiate with ourselves; it takes both parties to negotiate. 

Just two weeks ago, House Republicans brought forward two critical, bipartisan bills—both fully backed by Governor Whitmer, respected prosecutors like Kim Worthy (Wayne County), and key Democratic groups. The first would have required school districts to tackle the crisis of rampant cell phone use in our classrooms. The second would have extended the deadline for re-sentencing “juveniles” serving life sentences—an overdue fix supported across party lines. Yet House Democrats blocked both bills simply to hand Republicans a legislative defeat, putting political games ahead of good policy.

Take the cell phone bill example. Even Democrat Rep. Noah Arbit called it “good legislation” in April, urging passage in both chambers and a signature from the Governor. Nothing about the bill changed—but when it mattered, he and every Democrat voted no. This, despite 75% of Michigan parents supporting action. Both bills failed by just one vote, purely because of partisan obstruction. Governor Whitmer made it a key piece she hoped to accomplish in this legislative year. 

Why bring this to you now? Because I promised total transparency about what’s holding up Lansing, and the answer is political gamesmanship—plain and simple. I want a budget done. House Republicans have already put a serious education funding plan on the table: record funding for schools—$12,000 per student, more than ever before—and flexibility of local control of spending where it is needed, not dictated by Lansing. The required use of funds (categorical) leads to unspent/unusable funds for many school districts across Michigan.  We want local districts to use funds where they need it and we want your children to have pathways that prepare them for life instead of passing them through the system.

The House also passed a roads plan that delivers $3.1 billion to fix Michigan’s roads and bridges, from driveways to highways, without raising taxes or fees.

In contrast, the Senate’s budget offers less for schools and ignores real infrastructure needs. Worse, their numbers don’t add up—using outdated revenue projections and ignoring new realities like shrinking tax revenues due to poor government policies and less federal revenue.  The Senate plan is at least a billion dollars short of balanced, violating the state constitution and putting our future at risk. If you add the $3.1 billion everyone agrees is needed per year for roads and bridges, they’re over $4 billion overspent, meaning the only way the Senate can pay for their budget is by raising taxes and auto fees. 

I want to save the safety net programs for those who qualify and are dependent upon those services. We can’t do that without deep dive reviews of all these programs due to complete lack of oversight over the last two years as to where taxpayer money is going. Just yesterday Attorney General Dana Nessel stated we should defund the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) due to lack of transparency regarding a $20 million dollar grant and out of control inappropriate spending. Government transparency shouldn’t be a partisan issue, so why are we receiving pushback on these measures?

You deserve the truth: Lansing is gridlocked because Democrats in the House and Senate would rather play politics and posture for a 2026 campaign than do their jobs for you in 2025. It’s time for the Senate to return to work and for their leadership to begin serious negotiations with the House. I will continue fighting to demand real results that matter for Michigan families.