MICHIGAN HOUSE 19TH DISTRICT

Part of Birmingham and Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Beverly Hills, part of Farmington Hills and Southfield.

DEMOCRAT

SAMANTHA STECKLOFF

Samantha Steckloff of Farmington Hills is completing her second term as a state Representative. A former city council member in Farmington Hills, she earned a political science degree from Purdue University.

Economic incentive policy

Right now I am in support of the SOAR program as it would bring more money to our community for housing, transportation and place making. This plan would have a more holistic approach and community based outlook. Many citizens in our state and community need more affordable housing available to them and I am excited for this to be a step in the right direction towards equitable housing. This package would not only attract business but also people and to revitalize our community.

New education initiatives

As the chair of the higher education appropriations subcommittee I took inspiration from the governor’s proposal and created a tuition free community college program through our transformational, flagship Michigan Achievement Scholarship. The mentioned $670 million has gone back to the classroom to per pupil funding. This has been one of the largest investments in education that we have seen in decades. We have also made significant investments in preschool. I am in support of programs that create tuition-free preschool and community college without using these dedicated retirement funds, and I am very proud of what our budgets were able to accomplish for the 2025 fiscal year.

Financial disclosure

As this was the first year of this being put in place, there is much work to be done in the future towards financial disclosure. As with any first go at something, it was messy, and I am optimistic that many of the issues encountered this year will find natural solutions in the future. That being said, I believe that we are in a historic time for financial disclosure. I am in support of the proposed BRITE Act and what is to come with that, and I am thankful to the voters for putting this policy into place in our state.

Citizens right of redress

I believe that everyday citizens ought to have the right to call referendums, and this right should be protected. I do not believe this trick used by lawmakers to undermine the voice of the people and the legislative process is an acceptable practice. Since Democrats have been in majority, we have not done this, and I hope that it continues to be this way.

Public museum tax

There are a few pieces to this: only the first (the state granting such an authority the right to exist) is probably going to happen before the end of this year. However, it is ultimately up to the county governments in metro Detroit whether and when the question is put on a ballot. Generally yes, I think asking voters directly if they favor additional taxes is better than a government simply imposing taxes on the public without their buy-in. Now, when this idea was originated, legislators including myself spoke with these other mentioned organizations asking them if they wanted to be included in this, and they were admittedly hesitant due to an overarching authority that they would now hypothetically be operating under. As the statute is written, there is still a chance for museums like these to receive grant funding through the process regardless.

Validity of voting returns

I believe in free and fair elections, and I trust our hard-working election officials. I believe that what we have here in Michigan are free and fair elections, and therefore I accepted the results of the 2020 election. I will accept the results of the 2024 election as well.

Top three-five issues

Healthcare: I believe in equitable and attainable healthcare for all Michiganders and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure this is true. I have passed the oral chemo parity bill that ensures insurance covers oral chemo at the same rate as intravenous chemo. I am currently working on passing bills that ensure cancer screenings are covered by insurance and attainable. Education: I will continue to increase investment in higher education and in the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. I am working towards making sure that access to higher education is equitable for all Michiganders. I am working with fellow legislators to achieve the 60 by 30 goal. Transportation: I am a member of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and we have been working on increasing road funding. I have been working on creating new revenues for road and bridge funding since I was a Farmington Hills City Council member and will continue to do so. Currently we have about a $2 billion shortfall each year in funding roads and bridges that needs to be made up for. We have had a few pilot programs in the budget and are working on a more permanent solution.

REPUBLICAN

KEVIN HAMMER

Kevin Hammer did not respond.