The Election has Passed and Lame Duck Session has Begun

I would like to thank the residents of the 51st district for their support and confidence in re-electing me as their state representative on November 6. It is truly humbling and I look forward to continuing to represent this area for the next two years in the State House.

On January 1st, 2013 the district boundaries for the 51st district will be changing due to the redistricting process which occurs every 10 years. The 51st district will now include the townships of: Flushing, Clayton, Gaines, Argentine, Fenton, Atlas, Holly, Rose and Groveland. It will also include the cities of Linden and Fenton. (Residents of Grand Blanc and Grand Blanc Township will now be represented by the 50th State House district.)

I want everyone to know that my office door is always open and I look forward to hearing from you. There may be times that we disagree on issues but I value the input that I receive on a daily basis. My contact information will stay the same: 1-866-989-5151 or e-mail josephgraves@house.mi.gov.

If you have any problems or issues with state agencies, such as unemployment, the Department of Human Services or the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs you are always welcome to give my office a call and we will be happy to look into your situation on your behalf.

Over the next couple weeks the legislature will continue the so-called 'lame duck' period of the legislature. I have been working hard on several pieces of legislation and I and optimistic that they will be passed and signed by Governor Snyder before the end of 2012.

The Organized Retail Crime act creates stiffer penalties for criminals who steal goods with the intention of reselling the stolen merchandise to other retailers at discount prices. House bills 5843 and 5902 address this problem and provide law enforcement another tool to protect our legitimate retailers while going after criminals who steal goods and retailers who knowingly purchase these stolen products. These bills were passed by the full House last week and I urge quick passage by the Senate.

I also introduced House Bill 5590 which gives our state's veterans the ability to cut through red tape when getting licensed as a private security firm. Our veterans have put their lives on the line and received the best training in the world. This piece of legislation allows veterans who have been trained as military police or received the equivalent training to what Michigan currently requires for private security officers to become licensed without having to go through duplicative training. This bill has been passed by the House and is currently awaiting action by the full Senate.

There are many other issues that the legislature has been looking at during this period. I look forward to continuing to research and examine every bill carefully to determine if it is right for Michigan.