Michigan Senate District 11
Duties: The Michigan Senate shares responsibility with the Michigan House of Representatives to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws.Qualifications: Senators are elected at the same time as the governor and serve 4-year terms concurrent with the governor s term of office. They must be at least 21 years of age and a registered voter in their district. There are 38 State Senate districts which are re-apportioned after each census.Term: 4 years
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Veronica Klinefelt
(Dem)
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Johnnie S. Townsend
(Rep)
EDUCATION: How do you evaluate Michigan’s current education system in terms of quality, funding, the teacher workforce and standardized testing? What changes, if any, would you propose or support?
ECONOMY: What policy initiatives do you support for residents to earn a living wage and address the overall question of affordability across Michigan?
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY: How would you approach ensuring energy reliability, consumer affordability, and environmental protection in Michigan?
IMMIGRATION: What is your position on due process, First Amendment, and Fourth Amendment rights for all Michigan residents, including noncitizens, and what changes, if any, would you support?
Occupation / Current Position
State Senator
Education
Macomb Community College 2 years, Wayne State University BS Criminal Justice
Qualifications and Experience
East Detroit School Board 6 years; Eastpointe City Council 8 years (Mayor pro-tem); Macomb County Commissioner 10 years; State Senator 2023-present
The current system doesn’t address individualized student needs. That’s why, in the Senate, we are currently working on a weighted formula that will focus on providing the resources every child needs to give them the best possibility for success. The policies that were implemented over a period of a couple of decades saw Michigan drop dramatically in student achievement compared to other states. We are working to reverse that trend. Over the last few years, we have budgeted money to retain our qualified teachers and to attract new people into the profession. We have made great strides and hope to continue with this work.
I have supported prevailing wage policies and expansion of worker’s bargaining rights. Over the last few years, we have eliminated the pension tax, expanded access to preschool, provided free meals in K-12 schools, and increased tuition assistance in skilled trades and community colleges. In the Senate, we are currently working on affordability legislation including a bill I have sponsored to increase access to the housing stock for Michigan residents.
We passed a Clean Energy package meant to improve the environment, and create higher paying jobs at the same time, and I was part of a package of bills that expanded energy assistance eligibility to more Michigan residents. We need to be open a variety of energy sources in the future.
I believe everybody has a right to due process. I am opposed to unreasonable searches and believe that there needs to be probable cause, and the color of one’s skin is not probable cause. I am a staunch defender of the First Amendment and I frequently practice it myself. The changes I support are getting back to what the law actually is and not having people in military gear roaming our streets, accosting people, and demanding their identification.
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