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) Water quality. District 10 has 7 miles of shoreline on one of the busiest waterways in the Midwest for recreation & fishing; there are serious flooding & contamination issues that affect drinking water. 2) Air quality. I-94 runs through the middle of the District, and there is a lot of trucking that runs through; and the Stellantis plant is nearby. 3) Soil quality; urban farming is becoming more popular and there are at the least 3 community food gardens in the District.
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? Please explain your position.
Maintain the current law and timeline
As an incumbent, I voted for this legislation my first term. Clean energy helps the environment, is affordable, and it's a reasonable timeline.
More than two dozen Michigan communities are considering or have approved large-scale data center developments. These facilities can consume as much electricity as a small city and place significant demands on local water and energy infrastructure. What role should state government play in overseeing data center development, and what guardrails should the state legislature enact to protect communities where data centers are proposed?
I have voted "No" on data center developments. I believe the state could mandate inspections, utility regulations, and no tax incentives or at the least clawback clauses of tax incentives, infrastructure and municipal responsibilities (which should be covered by the data center), and paying the same water rates as everyone else.
PFAS contamination has been detected in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water across Michigan. Cleanup efforts are underway, but many affected communities are still waiting for action. What is the single most important step the officeholder in this position should take on PFAS in the next term?
Actually two. Health screening individuals for PFAS in their blood, and prohibiting PFAS in household items.
Michigan residents in some communities face disproportionate exposure to air pollution, contaminated water, and industrial waste. Do you support requiring Michigan regulators to assess cumulative environmental and health impacts on overburdened communities before approving new permits for polluting facilities?
Yes
As an incumbent, I have voted accordingly.
Utility rate cases directly affect what Michigan residents pay for electricity and gas. DTE and Consumers Energy have requested frequent significant rate increases in recent years. Should elected officials play a greater role in holding utility companies accountable for rate hikes and rising energy costs?
Yes
Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac and carries crude oil and natural gas liquids between Wisconsin and Ontario. A proposed tunnel beneath the lakebed to house a replacement pipeline has faced legal and regulatory challenges for years. What is your position on the future of Line 5?
I am opposed. Should there be better oversight, assurances, "polluter pay", union workers, etc., then I will reconsider.
Drinking water is becoming increasingly unaffordable for Michiganders in both rural and urban areas, leading to water shutoffs. Would you support legislation that caps water bills for low-income Michiganders and adds shutoff protections?
Yes. I have co-sponsored water affordability legislation, and prohibits liens due to water bills.
Michigan is home to more than 18,000 contaminated sites. Do you support or oppose legislation to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up these sites?
Support
Because people and businesses should pay to clean up their own messes and not push it off on taxpayers.