Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives - District 6 in 2018 Michigan 2018 Primary Election.
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Get StartedTom will vehemently defend the right of women to control their own bodies and healthcare, and will fight tooth-and-nail to protect the Right to Choose and to ensure medical procedures like abortion are covered by insurance. Learn more
Tom will fight to ensure that reproductive healthcare services for women are included in Michigan health insurance policies, and that contraception care is also provided for all. Learn more
Tom will continue to stand up to defend all in our community from the racist assaults that Republicans are waging on Muslims, the Latino community, immigrants, and more. He will support legislation to make all of Michigan a ‘welcoming community’ and will vociferously oppose all forms of immigration bans. Learn more
Tom, a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, will continue his fight to ensure that protections for the entire community are enshrined in the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act. Learn more
Tom will continue the fight he and then-State Senator Hansen Clarke led to outlaw the unfair practice of insurance “redlining” to give all people fair treatment in selecting their policies. Learn more
Tom will further his work to ensure that all people are treated fairly by law enforcement, building on his work in Congress to fight against illegal ICE raids in Southwest Detroit and the inhumane practice of immigration detention at schools. Learn more
Tom will fight to provide full State reciprocity for MDOC IDs so returning citizens can immediately get a State ID upon release with no hassle. Learn more
Tom will continue the work he did as a House and Senate staffer to support Returning Citizens. He will work to move the Offender Success program back towards the model of the Michigan Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative (MPRI), increase funding by 76% to 2010 levels, and to provide grants to employers who hire returning citizens. Learn more
Tom will fight to Raise The Age, so that 17 year olds cannot be convicted automatically as adults. Learn more
Tom will work with law enforcement to create a pilot program forming a ‘mental health’ unit in the Detroit Police Department, modeled on the successes in San Antonio and other cities, featuring officers with advanced training in how to handle incidents with mentally ill patients. Learn more
Tom will further build on the work he did as a State Senate and US House staffer to implement statewide “Ban The Box” legislation, giving returning citizens a better chance to gain employment and reduce recidivism. Learn more
Tom will work to reform controlled substances laws, supporting the growth of drug treatment courts statewide and working to reform how drug testing is done so that addicts can get the treatment they need rather than risk prosecution or dismissal. Learn more
Tom supports the controlled legalization and taxation of recreational marijuana in the State of Michigan, as the current laws lead to the arrest of almost 3 people for every 1,000 in Wayne County Learn more
Tom will advocate for an electronic “Right To Repair” bill that will protect people who get their electronic devices repaired at local shops. Learn more
Tom will fight to bring more jobs to our community while improving our environment through making Michigan a leader in recycling technologies. He will work to make curbside recycling universal while bringing advanced single-stream recycling facilities to the area. Learn more
Tom will join with others in the legislature to spur investment by helping to support investment in new and early stage businesses by restarting the 21st Century Jobs Fund, which generated $7 in investment for every $1 spent, and will continue to fight for tax credits for Angel Investors. Learn more
The state shouldn’t seek to balance its budget on the backs of retirees – Tom will continue to oppose all efforts to break union contracts and pension obligations for our retirees. Learn more
Tom will stand in solidarity with organized labor against all attacks on collective bargaining and will never give up the fight to repeal Right To Work. Learn more
Tom will work to ensure that Michigan becomes a livable wage state, with a $15-per-hour minimum wage for all workers that is indexed to the Consumer Price Index. Learn more
Tom will work to prevent employers from asking job applicants for wage history, shattering a method that holds people back from being paid what they’re worth. Learn more
Tom believes that coordinating medical reimbursement rates between auto insurers and health care providers can reduce waste in the system that will save all Michigan residents money while maintaining quality of care for accident victims. Learn more
Tom will continue the fight he and then-State Senator Hansen Clarke led to outlaw the unfair practice of insurance “redlining” to give all people fair treatment in selecting their policies. Learn more
Tom will push to ensure that Nestle pays its fair share to extract Michigan drinking water and sell it to out-of-state customers. Learn more
Tom will work collaboratively to strengthen consumer protection laws so that users have more control over their digital data. Learn more
Tom will continue the fight to implement universal paid sick time for all workers as well as paid maternity leave for all women. Learn more
Tom will continue the fight for mandatory testing of school and daycare water for contaminants such as lead. Learn more
Tom will work to raise teacher pay and ensure that high-performing educators get recognition for their hard-work. Learn more
Tom will coordinate with innovative groups throughout the state, such as the Reading Now Network, to scale improvements in process for literacy education to help improve reading and writing scores for all Michigan students. Learn more
Tom will work with businesses and the Department of Education to expand opportunities for job skills training for both school children and adults, ensuring that they can gain the soft-skills and technical know-how to compete for the jobs of the future. He will advocate for funding to continue the IT skills training program he helped pilot in 2011 with Congressman Hansen Clarke. Learn more
Tom will oppose all expansions of charters, and will work to implement a ‘cap-and-close’ law, limiting the number of charters and closing the underperforming ones . Learn more
Tom will push to end the over-testing of our students and allow teachers to focus on expanding students’ horizons rather than being constrained to teach to a test. Learn more
Tom will fight to return all public schools back to the people, where they belong, and to abolish the undemocratic, unconstitutional Emergency Manager law and School Reform Office. Learn more
Tom has been a passionate fighter to make sure public school employees are treated fairly, and he will continue to work to increase teacher pay, protect benefits, and defend teacher tenure. Learn more
Tom will lead the fight in Lansing to return adequate funding to our public schools through working to reform the Foundation Allowance funding formula and ‘hold harmless’ provisions so that urban districts can receive the same funding as wealthy suburban districts. Learn more
Tom will work to make community college universally available to all in the state, free of charge. Learn more
Tom will defend Renewable Portfolio Standards, ensuring there is a strong market to support the development of new, green power generation and transmission technologies. Learn more
Tom will work to help improve energy efficiency to drive down energy costs and reduce pollution through funding weatherization tax credits for businesses & individuals, while partnering with organizations like Young Detroit Builders to ensure that our neighbors and children are the ones hired for these jobs. Learn more
Tom believes that Enbridge Line 5, an aging oil pipeline under the Mackinac Straits, is a clear and present danger to all Michigan citizens and must be immediately and safely shut down. Tom will be proud to bring together a coalition to close the pipeline and hold Enbridge accountable for its environmental damage. Learn more
Tom will fight to bring more jobs to our community while improving our environment through making Michigan a leader in recycling technologies. He will work to make curbside recycling universal while bringing advanced single-stream recycling facilities to the area. He will also work to promote recycling of plastic bottles and bags through expanding deposit programs and enabling localities to levy fees on bags at stores. Learn more
Tom will fight against hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, calling for an immediate ban on the practice and requiring all companies who have fracked to disclose exactly what chemical solutions were pumped into our ground. Learn more
Tom will work to find ways to prevent the expansion of US Ecology’s facility and to force them to clean up the damage they’ve already caused in our neighborhoods. Learn more
Tom will support common-sense measure to protect residents from industrial pollutants by requiring corporations to install natural barriers or offer above-market payments to nearby homeowners to buy them out of their properties. Learn more
Tom will join with fellow Democrats to ensure that a citizens oversight commission is created over the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), so that a tragedy like the Flint Water Crisis can never be swept under the rug again. Learn more
Tom will continue to fight against polluters like Marathon and AK Steel, who seek corporate welfare at the expense of our community. He will build on his track-record of holding polluters accountable to the community and helping those impacted by pollution seek damages, as he did working in the State Senate and with Congressman Hansen Clarke. Learn more
Tom will work with the Secretary of State to make registering to vote automatic and establish no-reason, permanent absentee voting to cut state bureaucracy and save money while helping to realize the dream of full enfranchisement. He will fight against onerous ‘Voter ID’ laws that seek to disenfranchise citizens. Learn more
Tom will work to limit the amount of money that millionaires and billionaires like the DeVos’ can give to candidates and spend in elections so they cannot buy our government from us. Learn more
To ensure that every voter is treated fairly and can trust that their vote will be counted, Tom will partner with local city clerks and Wayne County to bring money to the district for new, reliable voting machines. Learn more
Tom is a strong supporter of creating a citizen’s redistricting committee in Michigan, following the model successfully used in states such as California. He will work to implement such a system in Michigan, both through legislation and through the ballot box. Learn more
Tom will fight to return all public schools back to the people, where they belong, and to abolish the undemocratic, unconstitutional Emergency Manager law and School Reform Office. Learn more
Tom will continue to fight for stronger disclosure rules for elected officials, ensuring that members of the State Legislature are held to the same or tougher standards than elected officials in Washington, DC. Learn more
Tom will continue the fight to ensure the integrity of elections in Michigan by supporting legislation that will make all ballots able to be recounted, especially if there are discrepancies with polling books or other aspects of the election. Learn more
Tom will stand with Democrats to expand Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act to subject the Governor and the Legislature to the same scrutiny as other branches of government. Learn more
Tom will be a staunch advocate for reforming campaign finance disclosure laws, joining with groups such as the Michigan Campaign Finance Network to demand that all money spent on elections in the state, especially on judicial elections, is quickly reported and the information is made available to all citizens. Learn more
Tom will call for an investigation into the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association, demanding full transparency for how the funds are managed. Learn more
Tom believes that firearms should be regulated at least as much as automobiles are – he will fight to ensure all firearms, including long guns, are licensed and that firearm owners have to renew their licenses on an annual basis. Learn more
To stop the diseases associated with water shutoffs, Tom will work to increase funding for water bill assistance programs while pushing to make water shutoffs to residents illegal. Learn more
Tom will also fight to provide dental coverage as part of Medicaid, giving more residents access to quality healthcare that is essential for their health. Learn more
Tom will fight to keep Medicaid expansion in Michigan so that more citizens can have access to the care they need. Learn more
Tom will work to support local programs that connect expecting and new mothers with other women to help improve pregnancy outcomes in our region, lowering the mortality rates for both infants and mothers. Learn more
Universal childcare for every child who is five years old and under will have access to childcare. Learn more
Tom will work to give Nurse Practitioners greater power and autonomy to help patients. Learn more
Tom supports a Healthcare Bill of Rights, which ensures citizens get the highest-quality care possible. Learn more
Tom will continue to be a strong supporter of nutrition assistance, building on the work he did with Rep. Hansen Clarke to save the WIC program for children and their mothers. Learn more
Tom will defend healthcare for all in the community, fighting against efforts to reduce Medicaid eligibility and working towards creating a single-payer system in Michigan. Learn more
Tom will work to help improve energy efficiency to drive down energy costs and reduce pollution through funding weatherization tax credits for businesses & individuals, while partnering with organizations like Young Detroit Builders to ensure that our neighbors and children are the ones hired for these jobs. Learn more
Tom will work to coordinate between MSHDA and local units of government to establish and expand registries of landlords, helping renters to make better-informed decisions and to provide better accountability for landlords to ensure their properties are up-to-code. Learn more
Tom will work to get the Detroit Land Bank Authority and Wayne County Treasurer’s office to help homeowners avoid foreclosure through reforming the property auction system and placing the burden on the government to prove it has successfully contacted residents. Learn more
Tom will fight to allow for rent-controlled apartments to be established so that greedy developers cannot price residents out of their neighborhoods. Learn more
Tom will leverage his experience and connections from serving on the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority CAC to create targeted tax incentives for ‘in-field’ development to bring new home construction back to our neighborhoods. Learn more
Tom will work to provide seniors, retirees, and those on fixed income more stability in their housing costs through capping property tax increases. Learn more
Tom will further his work to ensure that all people are treated fairly by law enforcement, building on his work in Congress to fight against illegal ICE raids in Southwest Detroit and the inhumane practice of immigration detention at schools. Learn more
Tom will continue the fight for mandatory testing of school and daycare water for contaminants such as lead. Learn more
Tom will work to find ways to help Michigan reach the $4 billion per year needed to upgrade our roads, water systems, and other infrastructure through: Identifying and eliminating wasteful corporate welfare subsidies to big business Identifying and eliminating wasteful government contracts, such as for IT systems that don’t work Push Michigan to have a progressive income tax so that the wealthy pay their fair share Aggressively pursuing roadwork contractors who have failed to meet quality standards for previous road projects, seeking damages Learn more
Tom will fight to implement the bipartisan recommendations of the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission, such as: Creating a ‘Michigan Infrastructure Council’ to centralize information from across the state on the status of our infrastructure and to provide recommendations for its upkeep Leveraging advanced database systems to improve Replacing aging water systems, from drinking water to sewers, while investing in environmentally sustainable ways to manage storm water. Building a new lock in Sault Ste. Marie within the Soo Locks system. Investing in cybersecurity and intelligent vehicle systems Learn more
Tom will defend Renewable Portfolio Standards, ensuring there is a strong market to support the development of new, green power generation and transmission technologies. Learn more
Tom will bring his experience in transit to bear, helping to improve coordination between the public transit providers in the RTA and supporting the growth of bus, light rail, and heavy rail systems throughout Michigan. Learn more
Tom will, should the federal government not re-implement Net Neutrality laws, push for legislation to mandate that all telecom providers with state contracts adhere to the principles of Net Neutrality in Michigan, building on the efforts in Montana and other states to ensure the Internet is kept open for Michigan’s small businesses. Learn more
Access to clean, safe, and affordable water is a right. Tom will fight to restore water quality throughout the state and to ensure water rates are affordable for all residents. No one should ever face a shut off and Tom will help to bring the number of homes without water to zero. Learn more
Tom will support the growth of affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet access throughout our community. He will support programs like the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII) that help all people claim their right to access the Internet. Learn more
Private investors shouldn’t be able to reap huge profits from public works. Tom will work to make utility rate increases, such as water rates, subject to state oversight to protect citizens. Learn more
Establish paid family leave for mothers as well as fathers. Learn more
Tom will fight to make Michigan a No Wait State for in-home care. Learn more
Establish paid time off for all workers. Learn more
Establish reimbursement rates to for injured workers high enough to give them a living wage, and ensure that caregivers are paid enough to take care of their own families. Learn more
Universal home care for seniors and people with disabilities Learn more
Families where a parent/caregiver stays at home to raise their children will receive a tax benefit equivalent to the cost of childcare ( $10,000 a year). Learn more
Tom will work with other members of the legislature and the state’s congressional delegation to restore funding to childcare subsidies for families near or below the poverty line, pushing for a doubling of funds to restore coverage to 2007 levels. Learn more
To pay for these investments, Tom will work with the Legislature to give strict scrutiny to all state-issued business tax breaks and end Lansing corporate welfare. He will also continue the fight to move toward a progressive state income tax. Learn more
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.