Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) joined local, state and federal leaders in welcoming U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to Detroit as he announced $25 million in federal funding for the M1 Rail project. Federal support for the project, which already has $100 million in private investment, follows the passage of legislation in December that created the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority.

Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) criticized Governor Snyder’s third State of the State speech as being strong on praise for his divisive and destructive agenda, but weak on real solutions to improve the quality of life for Michigan’s citizens.

Lansing – Several members of the Michigan Senate Democrats expressed outrage over Republican legislation, House Bill 6060, that seeks to neuter the recall process in Michigan and further silence the voice of the people. Several Senators argued that the legislation is a blatant act of self-preservation by legislative Republicans seeking to defend themselves from the pending repercussions of their misguided policies and even legal investigations.

Lansing – Less than 24 hours after Governor Snyder signed his damaging “Right to Work” legislation into law, analysis shows that the flawed legislation may not even have the result the Governor claimed it would, raising serious questions about whether the Republican leadership even read the language of the bills before voting it through and signing it into law.

Lansing – Michigan Senate Democrats continued to voice their support of Michigan workers protesting at the Capitol today and decried the Michigan House of Representatives' passage of so-called Right to Work legislation. The Senate passed Senate Bill 116 and House Bill 4003 late last Thursday, and the bills were finalized and approved by the House today. These bills now go to Governor Snyder for his signature into law, a move that he has already publicly stated is a foregone conclusion.

LANSING- State Senators Tupac A. Hunter, Virgil Smith and Bert Johnson, all representing Detroit, supported the passage of Detroit Lighting Authority legislation today after successfully negotiating changes to the bills to better serve the city. The most significant of those changes is the make-up of the new Lighting Authority, all of whose members will now be appointed by the City of Detroit.

Senator Bert Johnson applauded action taken in the Senate today to pass a package of legislation, of which he is a principal sponsor, that would create a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in southeastern Michigan. The RTA will coordinate regional transit efforts as well as operate its own rapid transit system.

LANSING- Senator Virgil Smith (D-Detroit) praised passage of a package of bills that would give cities more power to fight blight occurring in their neighborhoods. The five-bill package had the bipartisan sponsorship from Senators Smith, Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton), Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit), and Bert Johnson (D-Highland Park).

Today, Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) introduced the Family Education Leave Act which would provide unpaid leave for employees to attend academic activities of their children and to prohibit discrimination against employees who request or use the leave.

I applaud the United States Supreme Court decision that has upheld the entire health care reform law, including the individual mandate. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor have ruled in the interests of the people of the United States of America.