Key Issues
These are some of the key issues that Senator Stabenow is fighting for:
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Affordable Health Coverage for Michigan Businesses
132,000 small businesses in Michigan may be eligible for the new small business tax credit that makes it easier for businesses to provide coverage to their workers and makes premiums more affordable. Small businesses pay, on average, 18 percent more than large businesses for the same coverage, and health insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages in the past 10 years. This tax credit is just the first step towards bringing those costs down and making coverage affordable for small businesses. -
Battery Innovation Act
Senator Debbie Stabenow believes Michigan and the rest of the United States needs to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. Already, Michigan is leading the nation in advanced battery manufacturing. To leverage that success, Senator Debbie Stabenow has authored the Battery Innovation Act. -
Biobased Manufacturing
Today's business leaders are combining the two largest sectors of our economy - manufacturing and agriculture. Across our state, entrepreneurs are using new technologies to make things in Michigan with Michigan-grown products. Senator Stabenow is committed to supporting these Michigan innovators to spur new job growth. "When we grow things and make things in Michigan, we create jobs in Michigan." -U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow -
Canadian Trash
Senators Stabenow and Levin entered into a groundbreaking agreement with Ontario officials to phase out and stop, by the end of 2010, the dumping of 1.5 million tons of Ontario's municipally-managed trash in Michigan. Ontario officials report that as of December 31, 2010, Toronto and three other Ontario municipalities ceased shipping their waste to Michigan. This equates to over 40,000 truckloads of trash that would have been dumped in Michigan each year without this agreement. -
Charging America Forward Act
Senator Debbie Stabenow believes Michigan and the rest of the United States needs to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. Already, Michigan is leading the nation in manufacturing plug-in electric vehicles, advanced batteries, and their component parts. -
Excellence in Mental Health Act
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow's Excellence in Mental Health Act is one of the most significant steps forward in mental health funding in decades, expanding access to community mental health services and strengthening the quality of care provided for those living with mental illness. -
New Skills for New Jobs Act
At a time when millions of Americans are unemployed and looking for work, we also have businesses struggling to find workers to fill new jobs in high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing, construction, finance, and health care. Senator Stabenow has written a bill to solve this problem by creating partnerships between businesses and community colleges to train our workers for these new high-tech jobs. -
Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act
Asian Carp pose a serious threat to our Great Lakes and our economy - threatening our $7 billion dollar recreational fishing industry and $16 billion recreational boating industry, both of which create thousands of jobs in Michigan. The discovery of Asian Carp very close to Lake Michigan should serve as a wake-up call to government agencies about the urgency of this situation. Senator Debbie Stabenow has been working with Senators from neighboring Great Lakes states on legislation to erect barriers to prevent the spread of Asian Carp into Lake Michigan. -
Protecting our Great Lakes
The Great Lakes and Michigan's water resources are a vital part of Michigan's identity and are critical to our economy including tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and commercial shipping. They contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water, and supply safe drinking water to thirty-three million people. Senator Stabenow is committed to protecting this critical economic asset. -
Renewable Energy Loan & Grant Resources
A list of helpful links with information on renewable energy and the application process for grants and loans -
Selling Michigan’s Agriculture: A guide to exporting our products
Michigan grows an incredible variety of crops, second only to California in crop diversity. Our products are in high demand all over the world, with Michigan farmers and producers shipping over $1 billion of goods to countries like Mexico, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Germany. -
Strengthening Mental Health Services
Across our country, one-third of all people living with mood disorders do not receive treatment and fewer than half of those with severe mental disorders receive treatment of any kind in a given year. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow has been a life-long advocate for quality mental health services.
