LANSING — Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) introduced Senate Bill 868 today which would provide much-needed relief to families still struggling with long-term unemployment. The bill would exempt unemployment insurance payments from being considered as taxable income under Michigan?s income tax.

LANSING ? Yesterday State Senator Bert Johnson (D ? Detroit) introduced Senate Bill 860, designed to provide homeowners with the relief they need to stay in their homes while allowing hard-working Michiganders to keep more of their earned income in their own pockets.

LANSING- The Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus, represented by Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit), Senator Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield) and Senator John J. Gleason (D-Flushing) will join local education leaders on December 5th, 2011 for a town hall meeting on the future of school funding in Michigan. The event will run from 7-8:30 p.m. and will be held in the cafeteria at Holland Woods Middle School. The matter of school funding remains one of the most important issues facing the Michigan Legislature in coming months and this event will provide an opportunity for citizens and local leaders to share their views and hear from each other.

LANSING - Senate Democrats stood in strong opposition today to the passage of Senate Bill 806, legislation pushed by Republicans that tinkers with the state’s Unemployment Insurance system to make it harder for Michigan’s unemployed to get and keep their benefits. This bill comes on the heels of earlier legislation passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Governor Snyder that reduces Michigan?s unemployment benefits by six weeks.

LANSING - Michigan Democrats today vowed to force a vote to repeal the job-killing pension tax on workers and seniors that was approved by the Republican-led Supreme Court last Friday. The Republican-controlled legislature is entering the final week of a two week vacation period, but Democrats signaled that when lawmakers return a vote on repealing the new tax will be their top priority.

DETROIT- Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) and his staff are using the legislative break to do community service and provide some holiday cheer. Over the course of four days, Sen. Johnson in his staff will deliver nearly 250 pre-packed Thanksgiving meals to various neighborhood and community organizations in Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Senator Bert Johnson responded to Republicans gutting an anti-bullying bill by inserting language that specifically allows bullying to occur based on religious or moral reasons. This legislation is a step...

LANSING— Senator Bert Johnson (D-Detroit) denounced Republicans for stripping a supposed “anti-bullying” bill that passed out of committee with bi-partisan support and turning it into legislation that gives students a license to bully. Under the Republican substitute to SB 137, a bully could continue to harass a student for any perceived bias and simply cite a “moral conviction” as a basis for doing so.

Senator Bert Johnson explains why he voted against the Republican plan to lift the cap on charter schools in Michigan. In 2009 the legislature worked on a bipartisan plan to...

Lansing - Senate Democrats united today in opposition to Republican tax bills that continue Michigan down the path of raising taxes on middle class families, seniors and those who can least afford it.