Michigan Senate District 5 Choose 1
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
Biographical Information
Website
http://mattformichigan.org
Facebook
http://facebook.com/mattformichigan
Campaign Twitter Handle
@mattformichigan
Occupation / Current Position
State Representative, District 22
Education
Bachelor's of Arts in Secondary Education from SVSU. Masters in English Studies for Teachers from EMU
Qualifications and Experience
8 years serving as State Representative in Western Wayne County. 12 years as a public school teacher of U.S. History and Government.
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?
The majority of issues that we're facing in Michigan stem from Snyder-era cuts to our public schools. We are still reeling from a teacher shortage due to the degradation of the pension system, pay freezes, and a general lack of respect for educators.
As chair of the Education committee in 2023 & 2024, we made strides to right those wrongs, as well as tackle the literacy crisis. This year, I worked across the aisle to reduce unnecessary standardized testing.
We need to continue supporting teachers and we need to see these literacy programs through without flinching.
ECONOMY: What policy initiatives do you support for residents to earn a living wage and address the overall question of affordability across Michigan?
We need to continue to support free community college as well as supporting students who want to go into the trades. We need to also ensure that workers are properly classified and aren't being taken advantage of by large corporations.
While the legislature doesn't have a direct influence over utility rates, the Senate should absolutely be using their screening powers over anyone who would be appointed to the Michigan Public Service Commission.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY: How would you approach ensuring energy reliability, consumer affordability, and environmental protection in Michigan?
Michigan's energy policy should prioritize reliability, affordability, and environmental responsibility. We need a modern, resilient grid that can withstand extreme weather and reduce outages. At the same time, energy costs are already too high for many families, so any transition must be cost-effective and protect consumers from unreasonable rate increases.
Expanding renewable energy can create jobs and reduce pollution, but when taxpayers subsidize major energy projects, the public should receive a return on that investment through public ownership, revenue sharing, or a long-term public stake.
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?
Anyone who is on U.S. soil deserves due process. This is a fundamental tenant of our nation. In that same vein, the right to free speech and against unreasonable searches are rights that should be afforded to anyone within the country.
In the same way that Stop & Frisk was found to be unconstitutional in New York, I think the random ID checks that are being conducted mostly against non-white Americans will be found unconstitutional.
Any law enforcement agency that is receiving state funds should not be using their resources to support the federal government's efforts unless there is an immediate threat to public safety.
Biographical Information
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?
Candidate has not yet responded.
ECONOMY: What policy initiatives do you support for residents to earn a living wage and address the overall question of affordability across Michigan?
Candidate has not yet responded.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY: How would you approach ensuring energy reliability, consumer affordability, and environmental protection in Michigan?
Candidate has not yet responded.
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?
Candidate has not yet responded.