Note: This column originally appeared in Michigan Advance
Last fall, I wrote a column about the mixed emotions of being a Detroit Lions fan and a criminal justice reform advocate. A lot—I mean, A LOT—has changed since then, but two things have not: the Detroit Lions are still losing and criminal justice is still winning.
The ‘Honolulu blues’ of Lions fandom has actually been a reassuring return to normalcy this fall amidst a world that is far from routine right now. But we’re only two games into the season and a lot could change (you hear that child-like optimism?), so I’ve still got my hope. And I guess you can blame all the positive momentum on justice reforms for continuing to reinforce the idea that hope, if strategically invested and paired with hard work, can pay dividends.
Getting Michigan to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to 18 years old was one of the Michigan League for Public Policy’s biggest wins in 2019. It took four years, three legislative sessions and a lot of determination and negotiation to get it done. But the groundwork and the incremental progress helped set the stage for the Legislature’s current embrace of sweeping justice reforms.
Just look at the legislative schedule for this week.
On Tuesday, the Senate Families, Seniors, and Veterans Committee passed Senate Bill 1006, a bill introduced by Sen. Jim Ananich that would prohibit the current lifetime ban on food assistance based on certain felony convictions. The League has been working on this issue for several years, as making food assistance accessible to more justice-involved individuals is key to helping them get back on their feet.
In fact, full eligibility for SNAP benefits among drug offenders decreases the probability of returning to prison within one year by 13.1%. And as we wrote in our testimony for the Senate committee hearing, “The ban unfairly extends punishment long after individuals have served their sentences, and systemic factors in employment, healthcare, and law enforcement mean that people with disabilities, particularly disabled people of color, are overrepresented both among the food-insecure population and in justice system involvement.”
And later that day, the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee began discussion of House Bills 4488-4493 and voted to pass Senate Bill 293 to make it easier for people with a criminal record to attain an occupational license. Reforming the occupational license process is more relevant than ever as COVID-19-related unemployment and economic struggles continue for many workers.
On Wednesday, along with finalizing the 2021 state budget, the full Senate voted to pass Senate Bills 681 and 682 and House Bills 4980–4985 to expand, simplify, and in many cases, automate the state’s adult and juvenile criminal record expungement process. Expanded and automatic criminal record expungement is a way to significantly improve the lives of individuals while strengthening our workforce as a whole and supporting our businesses, and these bills give thousands of Michigan residents a long-awaited clean slate and a new lease on life. And just like Raise the Age, immature decisions and juvenile records should not follow kids for the rest of their lives—it is a disservice to their rehabilitation and redemption.
On the House side, two different bill packages borne out of the Jail Task Force began to move. Also on Wednesday, the full House voted to pass House Bills 5844 and 5854-5857 to eliminate mandatory jail sentences for certain violations, helping keep people out of jail for minor offenses. And on Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee voted to pass House Bills 5846-5853, bills that would eliminate driver’s license suspensions for offenses not related to dangerous driving.
Reforming driver’s license suspensions has been another big issue for the League. Driving without a valid license (including a suspended license) is the third most-common reason for jail admission in Michigan. By strictly penalizing drivers for reasons unrelated to safe driving or stemming from unpaid traffic tickets, Michigan law shuts out Michiganders from financial stability and security, criminalizing poverty instead.
A piece we put out last week noted that in 2010, nearly 400,000 licenses were suspended for failure to appear or nonpayment—80% of all license suspensions that year—and only 5% of all suspensions were related to dangerous driving. This number has not reduced substantially over the last decade, with Michigan issuing approximately 360,000 driver’s license suspensions each year because drivers failed to appear in court or pay legal fines and fees.
The League’s analysis on driver’s license suspensions also looked at the dramatically different experiences and punishments by race. Bias in traffic stops contributes to Black drivers being more likely than White drivers to be ticketed and to serve jail time for driving without a valid license. Driver’s license suspension reform will not address the racial disparities we see in Michigan’s traffic stops, but it will allow hundreds of thousands of drivers to stay on the roads and continue to work by halting a cycle that stems from unpaid tickets and the debt that can quickly accrue.
During these difficult times, the Legislature’s bipartisan, concerted effort to address barriers to much-needed employment and food assistance for justice-involved Michiganders offers a ray of hope for former offenders struggling to get back on their feet during COVID times. These bills also strike an important blow for equity for Black and Brown Michiganders and those with disabilities, who are all dramatically overrepresented in the justice system.
There’s certainly a lot for criminal justice advocates, justice-involved individuals and their families, and Michigan employers to be happy about this week. But while a slew of good bills have started to move, none of these reforms have been fully passed into law. In Lions games and policy battles, I’ve seen great efforts stall out on the goal line and the clock hit zero. We have to keep the advocacy up to make sure these great proposals become great laws before the legislative session ends in December.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
