Dear Michigan House Speaker Cotter,
I am writing to you on behalf of The Associated Students of Michigan State University, ASMSU. We, as the undergraduate student government, have recently passed a resolution advocating for the enactment of Senate Bill 332. ASMSU urges you to take up Senate Bill 332, as it has recently passed through the House Committee on Criminal Justice.
This common sense legislation benefits every representative’s constituency. For those younger than 21 years of age, Senate Bill 332 allows a second chance. In 2014, 9,300 first-offense Minor in Possession, or MIP, convictions were issued. During the same year, only 365 repeated the offense a second time. This means that only 4 percent of those younger than the age of 21 made the same mistake twice. However, in 2014, all of these young adults received a permanent misdemeanor charge on their criminal record.
With the enactment of Senate Bill 332, thousands across the state have the opportunity to keep a clean criminal record. When researching this bill, I spoke with many district court clerks that all shared a similar experience: encumbered young adults consistently visiting the court with hopes of removing their first and only criminal offense from their record in order to confidently apply for jobs, scholarships or loans. People under the age of 21 will also benefit from revisions to the Preliminary Breath Test, PBT, laws. These constituents now have the right to deny a PBT without fear of arrest or a civil infraction.
For all those older than the age of 21, Senate Bill 332 directly saves their tax dollars by lowering the affiliated court and incarceration costs. According to the Senate Fiscal Agency’s fiscal analysis of Senate Bill 332, if civil infraction rates continue steadily, and this bill is enacted, local law enforcement may experience a monetary benefit. This keeps our cities safer in a more cost effective manner.
ASMSU’S support for this bill will not stop upon its enactment. We vow to ensure all students know about this legislation change, how it presently affects them, and what it means for their future.
ASMSU believes that the Michigan Legislature cares deeply about the future of all Michigan constituents and urges you, and all members of the House of Representatives, to put this concern into concrete action with the passing of Senate Bill 332.
Sincerely,
Tyler VanHuyse
Tyler VanHuyse is a state liaison for ASMSU. He can be reached at stateliaison@asmsu.msu.edu.
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