From the First Tuesday newsletter
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Millions of Michigan residents still have healthcare today and it’s all thanks to you. For the last nine months, the League and our partners, passionate advocates and concerned consumers have been fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the care it provides. And last week, we all notched another big win, and a pivotal one at that, with the failure of the U.S. Senate to take a vote on the Cassidy-Graham healthcare bill.
This comes after the successful defeats of the American Health Care Act and the Better Care Reconciliation Act earlier in the year, but Cassidy-Graham was a last-ditch effort to try to pass something before Sept. 30, when procedural rules changed that upped the number of votes needed to pass the bill, making its passage nearly impossible.
In the final days, the bill’s sponsors were making specific tweaks to court undecided votes and sweeten the pot for certain holdout states, but in the end, it was still not enough and the bill failed even to make it to the floor.
That’s because no matter what President Donald Trump and Senate Republican leaders said or did to push their ACA repeal, trying both the carrot and the stick approach, it was no match for the personal stories and good old-fashioned grassroots advocacy by the people whose care was in jeopardy and the people and organizations that support them—YOU!
Millions of people in Michigan would have been devastated by a repeal of the ACA. But supporters like you made your voices heard at every turn, attending town halls, rallies and protests; speaking out and spreading the word on social media; and calling, writing and emailing your members of Congress to keep up the pressure.
Whether you shared a personal story of how you would be affected or championed the benefits of the ACA as a whole to our residents, our state budget and our economy, you made a huge difference. You proved that advocacy works—people still have power and can have a collective impact, even in the face of stacked odds and extreme partisanship and opposition. President Trump and Congress tried three times to repeal the ACA, and you were there at every turn to fend it off. And while the president has a loud and powerful voice, it’s still no match for all of our voices in unison.
We have to remember that unity as we keep fighting, because while we have earned the right to celebrate, the push to repeal the ACA will surely continue. And many other battles await our urgent attention and action now that the focus shifts away from the ACA.
Preoccupied with repealing the ACA, Congress failed to act to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that 120,000 Michigan kids depend on, and we need to keep pushing for that. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are expected to work on their respective federal budget proposals this week. The House budget continues many of President Trump’s ill-advised proposals and contains devastating cuts to a variety of programs, including Medicaid and SNAP food assistance. We already have an easy website set up to help you contact Congress about the budget, so please do so today. And the fight is getting underway over President Trump’s ridiculous tax plan that raises taxes on people who are struggling in order to give huge cuts to his wealthy friends. In fact, the Senate’s budget blueprint included significant, deficit-increasing tax cuts that would likely lead to cuts in programs that American residents need the most.
Our work is far from done. But protecting the Affordable Care Act was a big win. And more importantly, it has provided an easy-to-follow blueprint for successful advocacy. Every one of you has the power to make a difference in improving public policy, and I encourage you all to keep speaking out as we continue to send a message to Washington and Lansing about the type of state we want Michigan to be: a state that welcomes and supports all people, including upholding healthcare rather than attacking it.
— Gilda Z. Jacobs
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.
