Macomb County Democrats discuss their plans for the next legislative session
The earned income tax credit, auto insurance reform and repealing the pension tax are all possible issues Macomb Democrats are focused on tackling.
Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, MI in January, 2018.
Macomb County is the home of Reagan Democrats, which means county residents are not terribly loyal to either party. The county went for Donald Trump both in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections after having voted for Barack Obama twice previously.
Democrats will have a majority in the state House and Senate in the new legislative session, and they got that majority in part by winning legislative seats in Macomb.
“They were looking at individuals that had a record of getting things done, and had a plan to fix the issues that are facing our communities, and were sick of the divisive rhetoric, the culture wars that have attempted to pit all of us against each other.” — Kevin Hertel, state Senator-elect
Listen: What two state Senate Macomb Democrats hope to accomplish in the next legislative session.
Guests
Veronica Klinefelt is a Macomb County Commissioner and state Senator-elect for District 11, which covers parts of Macomb County and Detroit. She says the pension tax and help with early childhood learning are hers and the party’s priorities. She says she also wants to fight inequality.
“We’ve had a lot of record-breaking profits over the years and we’ve seen stagnant wages in middle income areas, and I just think, if we want to be successful, everybody — from the top guy all the way down — everybody’s job has to be valued and rewarded,” says Klinefelt.
Kevin Hertel is currently a state representative for the 18th House District and state Senator-elect for District 12. He says voters wanted to support candidates that were serious about solving issues.
“They were looking at individuals that had a record of getting things done, and had a plan to fix the issues that are facing our communities, and were sick of the divisive rhetoric, the culture wars that have attempted to pit all of us against each other,” says Hertel.
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