STATE HOUSE / DISTRICT 54 / DEMOCRAT

SARAH POUNDS

Sarah Pounds of Lake Orion has worked for over 20 years as a paralegal specializing in construction litigation. She holds a bachelors degree and a paralegal certificate. She has served on the Oakland County Trust Fund and the Oakland County Neighborhood Housing Development Citizen Advisory Committee, both Oakland County Board of Commissioners’ appointments.

Government transparency

Yes. Michigan families deserve to know how decisions that affect their lives are made, and it says a lot that we are one of only two states where our own legislature can hide from records requests. I support extending the Freedom of Information Act to cover both the legislative and administrative branches of state government, and I would push to get these bills out of committee and onto the House floor instead of letting them stall for another session.

Data Center Farms

Data centers can bring real investment and jobs to Michigan, but they should not get a blank check. I support incentives only when they come with real conditions attached, including guaranteed local jobs, strong labor standards, strict water usage restrictions, and a requirement that the company, not Michigan families, pays for the energy and infrastructure its facility demands. Families should never see their utility bill go up because a data center moved in down the road. I support requiring data centers to cover the true cost of the power and water infrastructure they use, keeping that cost off residential ratepayers, and putting real limits and disclosure requirements in place for how much water these facilities can draw, especially in communities already concerned about water availability. Local communities know their infrastructure, their water systems, and their neighborhoods best, and they deserve a real seat at the table when a data center wants to move in. Giving local communities a genuine say in where and how data centers are built is a core part of my platform, and I do not support stripping that voice away by handing the state final say over local approval for these projects.

Economic incentive policy

Too often, Michigan has handed out large incentive packages without enough to show for it. I support economic development, but it has to come with accountability. That means requiring companies receiving public incentives to create good jobs with wages that can support our families, meet strong labor standards, and pay the state back if they do not deliver. Every dollar of public investment should be tied to a measurable outcome for Michigan workers, not just a groundbreaking photo op.

New taxes to offset Medicaid cuts

The federal cuts coming out of the 2025 Big Beautiful Bill put health coverage at risk for families across our state, and I am not willing to let Michiganders lose their care because Washington walked away. I would support raising the tobacco and vape tax, which discourages a habit that drives up health costs in the first place, and I am open to a digital advertising tax that asks large technology companies, not working families, to help fill the gap. I do not support closing this shortfall by cutting services or shifting the cost onto families who are already struggling to keep up.

Financial disclosure

Financial disclosure was an important step forward for Michigan, and I was glad voters demanded it. That said, I think the law lawmakers ultimately wrote is weaker than what voters actually asked for. I would like to see more specific dollar reporting instead of broad ranges, and I want to close the gaps that let real conflicts of interest go undisclosed. Transparency laws only work if they give the public real information, not just the appearance of it.

Validity of voting returns

Yes.

Top three-five issues

Lowering costs for Oakland County families, including capping the price of insulin, inhalers, and other lifesaving prescription drugs and cracking down on price gouging by insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Expanding attainable housing so families, young people, and seniors can afford to live in the communities they grew up in. I plan on building on the work I have already done as a Board Member of the Oakland County Housing Trust Fund and Oakland County Citizens Advisory Committee. Fully funding our public schools, protecting universal free school meals, and expanding mental health services and career and technical education for our kids. Holding monopoly utilities and data centers accountable so Michigan families are not the ones covering the bill for rising electric rates and new infrastructure demands.

Why vote for you

I bring two things to Lansing that I don’t think we have enough of: real-world experience and the professional qualifications to turn that experience into results. I bring the perspective of a working parent raising four kids, balancing a career, school schedules, childcare, groceries, healthcare, and all of the everyday decisions families are making right now. And I bring nearly 20 years of professional experience, along with years of community leadership, working through complex problems, building coalitions, and making real, measurable change. Through my work on the Oakland County Housing Trust Fund and Citizens Advisory Committee, I helped turn thirty million dollars in public funding into more than three hundred million dollars of investment and helped bring over eleven hundred mixed income homes to our community. That is not a talking point. It is a track record of getting practical results for families. I am running for the state House to bring that same results focused leadership to Lansing: lowering costs, strengthening our public schools, and fighting for the kind of practical, family-focused leadership Oakland County deserves.