Planet Detroit Candidate Survey
What are the three most pressing environmental issues facing the communities you seek to serve? Please rank them in order of priority and briefly explain why you chose each.
#1 - The combined wastewater and storm drain overflow system throughout metro Detroit. During extreme rain events, wastewater is discharged into the Rouge River. #2 - Canadian and out of state trash being imported to landfills in Wayne and Van Buren. While our communities participate in largescale recycling programs, our landfills continues to grow year after year. #3 - Poorly maintained waterways along the rouge, including log jams that collect trash and cause algae blooms. Litter & Fertilizer runoff into the storm drains. Most residents do not realize that the storm drains discharge directly into the middle and lower rouge rivers.
- All three of these concerns also impact the quality of our drinking water, and how much it costs to make the water from the Detroit River drinkable.
Michigan law requires utilities to reach 100% clean energy by 2040. If elected, would you support maintaining this law, or would you support revising or repealing it?
Revise or repeal portions of the law
Explanation for Question 2 (1-2 sentences)
This needs to be looked at again and thouroughly discussed. So far, it has only increased costs for ratepayers and has not succeeded in lowering our reliance on fossil fuels. I also have concerns with massive solar farms and how that impacts our environment.
More than two dozen Michigan communities are considering or have approved large-scale data center developments. What role should state government play in overseeing data center development, and what guardrails should the state legislature enact?
I believe the size and scale of potential data centers needs to be limited to prevent adverse effects on water and electric utilities. I also believe there needs to be local controls for approving or denying new data centers.
PFAS contamination has been detected across Michigan. What is the single most important step the officeholder in this position should take on PFAS in the next term?
Funding needs to be provided to speed up cleanup efforts as well as for research to find better and more efficient ways to test and cleanup PFAS.
Do you support requiring Michigan regulators to assess cumulative environmental and health impacts on overburdened communities before approving new permits for polluting facilities?
Yes
Should elected officials play a greater role in holding utility companies accountable for rate hikes and rising energy costs?
Yes. I also believe local communities need to enact ordinances when it comes to planting trees near power lines. Our local cities should start to play a role in maintaining the grid and send the bill to DTE.
What is your position on Line 5?
No position at this time. If the old line is posing environmental issues, something needs to be done. I am not familiar with the details of how safe or unsafe a new line would be under the lakebed.
Would you support legislation to cap water bills for low-income Michiganders and add certain shut-off protections?
Yes. However I believe current proposed legislation is flawed when it comes to the funding mechanism.
Do you support or oppose legislation to hold polluters accountable for cleanup costs?
Support
Please explain your position on polluter accountability.
They should clean up their own mess.
Key Environmental Votes
Selected by Planet Detroit from the Michigan Legislature’s 2025–26 session. Each title links to the official bill page.
Creates new state safety rules for dams on inland lakes, a response to the 2020 Edenville and Sanford dam failures that flooded Midland. A Yes vote supported the rules.
SB 947 · Sep 22, 2026 · Passed 96–7 · Official title: Natural resources: inland lakes; dam safety regulations; provide for.
Limits how many times the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy can ask an applicant to revise a permit application, part of a package to speed up permitting. A Yes vote supported the limit.
HB 5938 · Jun 25, 2026 · Passed 62–45 · Official title: Environmental protection: permits; revisions of permit applications; limit.
Requires the state to use the longest time period the federal Clean Air Act allows when it calculates a facility's emission rates for the state emissions inventory. Averaging over a longer period smooths out short-term spikes, so reported rates can come out lower. The state environmental agency and environmental groups opposed the bill; business and conservative groups supported it. A Yes vote was to require the longer averaging period.
HB 5557 · Jun 4, 2026 · Passed 58–50 · Official title: Environmental protection: air pollution; calculation of emission profile data; modify.
Rewrites the legal definition of a wetland so that fewer wetlands fall under state protection. A Yes vote was to narrow the definition.
HB 5536 · Jun 4, 2026 · Passed 57–51 · Official title: Natural resources: wetlands; definition of wetland; update.
Requires electric utilities to lower residential rates in line with the savings they got from the 2023 cut in business personal property taxes. A Yes vote supported the requirement.
HB 5879 · May 20, 2026 · Passed 57–44 · Official title: Public utilities: rates; reduction of residential rates in correlation to personal property tax savings; require.
The 2023 clean energy law requires utilities to reach 100% clean electricity by 2040 and 60% renewable by 2035. This bill eliminates those standards. A Yes vote was to eliminate them.
HB 5711 · May 12, 2026 · Passed 57–48 · Official title: Energy: alternative sources; clean and renewable energy standards; eliminate.
Prohibits cities, townships and counties from banning natural gas service or gas appliances in new buildings. A Yes vote was to block local gas bans.
HB 4486 · Dec 17, 2025 · Passed 61–42 · Official title: Public utilities: natural gas utilities; local units of government imposing a ban on the use of natural gas or installation of natural gas infrastructure; prohibit.
Requires counties to issue a 'brown alert' when sewage or E. coli reaches dangerous levels in local waters. A Yes vote supported the alerts.
HB 4427 · Oct 30, 2025 · Passed 94–10 · Official title: Counties: employees and officers; brown alert for dangerous levels of sewage or E. coli; require.
Defines advanced nuclear reactors in state law, part of a package to promote nuclear and hydrogen energy and training in Michigan. A Yes vote supported it.
HB 4127 · Oct 28, 2025 · Passed 85–19 · Official title: Energy: nuclear; definition of advanced nuclear reactors; provide for.
Raises the fees the state charges for environmental permits and programs under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, to fund the agency's work. A Yes vote was to raise the fees.
SB 579 · Oct 2, 2025 · Passed 104–5 · Official title: Natural resources: other; certain fees in the natural resources and environmental protection act; modify.
Loosens state permit requirements for discharging wastewater into the ground. A Yes vote was to loosen them.
HB 4192 · Jun 12, 2025 · Passed 65–32 · Official title: Environmental protection: permits; groundwater discharge permit requirements; modify.
The bill defines a natural gas fueled reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) placed in service before the bill’s effective date to facilitate the retirement of coal-fired generation in the Upper Peninsula as a clean energy system for purposes of the act. A Yes vote supported the broader definition.
HB 4007 · May 7, 2025 · Passed 82–27 · Official title: Energy: alternative sources; clean energy system; expand definition of.
Michigan's 2023 clean energy law lets the state approve large solar, wind and battery projects that local governments reject. This bill repeals that power and leaves the decision to local zoning. A Yes vote was to repeal the state's authority.
HB 4028 · Apr 30, 2025 · Passed 58–48 · Official title: Energy: alternative sources; zoning exemptions for large-scale solar, wind, and energy storage facilities; eliminate.
Vote tallies are the Michigan Legislature’s roll calls as published by MichiganVotes.org. Votes chosen and summarized by Planet Detroit.
Campaign Money
- Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Assn.$4,000
- MIchigan Optometric Assn$2,500
- REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OF MICHIGAN$1,500
- Consumers Energy$1,000
- Michigan Truck PAC$1,000
Transactions reported to the Michigan Secretary of State through Aug 17, 2026 (Post-election 2026 campaign statement), summed for the 2025–26 cycle. Search the state database →