State Rep. Mark Tisdel Updates: $4.8 Billion Infrastructure Plan, Online Shopping Protection, March is Reading Month
March 24, 2022: Rep. Tisdel votes to provide critical investments in roads, infrastructure
State Rep. Mark Tisdel today voted for a historic plan to fix roads, protect drinking water, upgrade parks and make other important improvements to state and local infrastructure.
The $4.8 billion plan will tend to aging facilities and infrastructure, spur community and economic development, provide access to safe drinking water, ramp up technology to meet today’s needs, and more. “Communities across Michigan have glaring infrastructure needs that must be addressed,” Tisdel said. “With this investment, we’re making critical repairs to roads, bridges and public works systems and other improvements that will benefit Michiganders for many years to come.”
Highlights of the plan include:
Safe, Clean Drinking Water: A nearly $2 billion investment will help provide safe drinking water and “clean water” grants in Michigan communities – combatting PFAS, replacing lead pipes in Benton Harbor and other communities, establishing “healthy hydration” centers in schools, and improving sewer systems.
Energy and Technology: A $25 million investment will make low-carbon, lower-cost energy options more widely available. The grants will be available to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local units of government for the purposes of developing or constructing facilities with natural gas, combined heat and power, and other renewable energy. A $250 million investment will boost access to the broadband internet needed for work, school and everyday life.
Road and Bridge Repairs: More than $380 million will assist state and local projects across the state without increasing taxes or tacking on debt.
Parks and Recreation: A $250 million investment will improve state parks and an additional $200 million will benefit new local park and trail projects. Projects already in line for this funding include the Joe Louis Greenway in Detroit, a new state park in Flint and the Grand River Greenway in west Michigan.
Dam Safety: More than $300 million will provide disaster relief and upgrade aging and obsolete facilities.
Community Support and Development: Local communities would receive $322 million in COVID relief and $46 million to protect against falling revenue that impacts critical local services. More support would be provided for affordable housing, along with mortgage and rent assistance.
The measure, Senate Bill 565, will soon advance to the governor for her expected signature.
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Rep. Tisdel seeks additional protections for Michiganders who shop online
State Rep. Mark Tisdel is leading an effort in the Michigan House to protect residents from dishonest third-party sellers who prey on consumers through online marketplaces.
Tisdel, of Rochester Hills, today testified in support of bipartisan legislation he is sponsoring to protect Michigan families by requiring online marketplaces to provide information about high-volume third-party sellers.
“When a local family makes a purchase from a major online marketplace, they should be able to buy with confidence, without having to worry about receiving stolen or counterfeit items,” Tisdel said. “Unfortunately, we’re seeing a growing trend where dishonest people are using these marketplaces to remain anonymous while passing off fake or stolen merchandise to unsuspecting customers.”
Sponsored by Tisdel and Reps. Ben Frederick (R-Owosso) and Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills), the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) Act will ensure that marketplaces verify who their high-volume third-party sellers are and post basic information on the seller’s store page so consumers can know who they are purchasing products from.
Within three days of becoming a high-volume third-party seller, House Bills 5485-87 require the seller to provide an online marketplace with basic information, including a government-issued photo identification of the individual acting on behalf of the business, or a government-issued document or tax record. If the seller does not provide the required information, the online marketplace would be required to suspend the seller until it has complied.
Additionally, online marketplaces would be required to disclose basic information about high-volume third-party sellers, including the seller’s name, address, and contact information. Individuals with home-based businesses would be required to provide their full address to the marketplace, but only their state would be disclosed to buyers.
“By requiring this basic information, we will limit the potential for fraud in the online retail industry,” Tisdel said. “It will create accountability and add transparency, so people know who these sellers are and how to get ahold of them.”
The plan remains under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee.
State Reps. Mark Tisdel, Samantha Steckloff and Ben Frederick testify in support of their consumer protection plan before the House Judiciary Committee.
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Rep. Tisdel celebrates ‘March is Reading Month’ at Holy Family Regional School
State Rep. Mark Tisdel reads to students at Holy Family Regional School in Rochester Hills on Monday, March 21. Tisdel visited with students in kindergarten through second grade to celebrate “March is Reading Month.”
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About State Representative Mark Tisdel
State Rep. Mark Tisdel, of Rochester Hills, represents Greater Rochester in the Michigan House of Representatives. The 45th House District, which Tisdel represents, includes the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills and part of Oakland Township.
Representative Mark Tisdel is one of 110 Members of The Michigan House of Representatives who are elected by the qualified electors of districts having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents.
Representatives are elected in even-numbered years to 2-year terms. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures through the federal decennial census.
Mar 26, 2022, from the office of 45th District Michigan House Representative Mark A. Tisdel