Protecting Our Kids at School and Online
Gretchen has been a strong advocate for comprehensive and effective anti-bullying legislation in Michigan, and has been a leader in the Capitol on addressing the new and growing threat of cyberbullying.
Today's kids are just as vulnerable to harassment on Facebook as in the library, or in a chat room as the classroom. With the increased access to technology, kids are no longer safe from harassment even in their own home, and that's why Gretchen is working to develop public policy to protect our children from cyberbullying and provide law enforcement with the training they need to deal with these new situations.
Gretchen has also worked closely with her constituent Kevin Epling to pass Matt's Safe Schools Law, legislation that would establish a uniform statewide anti-bullying policy in Michigan schools that is named after Kevin's son Matt tragically took his own life after suffering severe harassment and ridicule at school.
As the Legislature has debated Matt's Safe Schools Law and other anti-bullying legislation, Gretchen has fought for the strongest and most stringent anti-bullying that explicitly outlines the specific motives for bullying—including a student's physical attributes and appearance, religion, gender and sexuality—to better assist schools with identifying the root of bias-based harassment and preparing the proper response to address it.
Though Gretchen fought to include these considerations, this enumeration was not included in the Senate Republicans' watered down version of Matt's Safe Schools Law as it was recently passed in the State Senate. In an appalling turn of events, Senate Republicans went even further backward and amended their own legislation intended to be "anti-bullying" to provide a loophole for bullying under the guise of religious beliefs or moral convictions. Gretchen opposed this "license to bully" bill and will continue to fight for the safety of ALL of our children against ANY type of bullying at school and online.
Education
"You can't build a strong future for Michigan while leaving our kids behind."
As a Mother of two school children, Gretchen sees first hand how important our schools are and the challenges they face with recent budget cuts. Like all parents, she knows the urgency we feel when it comes to preparing our kids to succeed in today's world.
Gretchen led the fight against Governor Snyder's plan to rob hundreds of millions of dollars from Michigan's School Aid Fund, money that was intended to be spent only on K-12 education, and give it away as a handout to big business without the promise of creating a single job. That Republican plan will result in larger class sizes, lower education standards, and is even leaving countless school districts across our state on the brink of bankruptcy.
Gretchen is now working with education leaders throughout Michigan to find opportunities to restore those cuts and pass a constitutional amendment that would protect Michigan's School Aid Fund so that Governor Snyder and his Republican legislators cannot raid it again.
Supporting Michigan's Middle Class Families & Senior Citizens
Governor Snyder promised Michigan there would be "shared sacrifice" when it came to his budget priorities but instead passed a budget that's balanced squarely on the backs of Michigan's middle class families and seniors citizens.
Gretchen stood with Michigan's workers as they rallied on the steps of Michigan's capitol to tell Governor Snyder that his agenda was wrong. She fought against the Republicans' plan to eliminate the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tool that many of our families rely upon to make ends meet during these difficult economic times, and is fighting to protect our workers' right to collectively bargain for their wages and benefits, a right many feel is under attack by the current administration.
Gretchen is also standing with Michigan's senior citizens. She led the Senate Democrats' opposition to the Governor's new tax on our Seniors' pension checks, a tax that helps him pay for his $1.8 billion handout to big business. Gretchen will be working with stakeholders to introduce legislation that repeals this misguided tax and restores fairness for Michigan's senior citizens.
"You can't build a strong future for Michigan while leaving our kids behind." Gretchen sees first hand how important our schools are and what they are up against with every state cut when she takes her girls to school. Like all parents, she knows the urgency we feel when it comes to preparing our kids to succeed in today's world. Gretchen fights to make education our top budget priority and for curriculums that train our kids to be critical thinkers--the workforce of tomorrow.
Paving the Way for Small Business
Gretchen is determined to make Michigan one of the most business-friendly places in the world and she is committed to begin right here in Ingham County. She believes state government should either help small businesses thrive or get out of their way. That's why Gretchen was eager to assist in the expansion of Arialink, Michigan's largest fiber optic internet service provider.
"Senator Whitmer stands up for small businesses. With her help, I grew my company and expanded our capabilities with greater access to the stakeholders in the region and to infrastructure investment." - Jason Schreiber, Arialink.
Recognizing our region's need for jobs and investment, especially in our urban core, Gretchen helped secure state incentives for the Accident Fund of Michigan in their $180 million renovation project in downtown Lansing. This project ensures their headquarters stays in Michigan and keeps 650 jobs here with the likely addition of up to 500 jobs in the next few years.
Protecting our Loved Ones
Gretchen has a proven record of standing up to big banks, big drug companies and special interests. She has been the toughest critic of Michigan's one-of-a-kind drug immunity law that protects pharmaceutical companies from accountability when their products harm or kill our loved ones. Gretchen will continue fighting to protect consumers from deceptive business practices like foreclosure relief scams and exorbitant banking fees.