In the News
WNEM CBS 5 Flint: Senator introduces bill to increase awareness, understanding of African American history in schools
by Whitney Bryan
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced a bill to increase awareness and understanding of African American history across Michigan schools through expanded access to programming from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Peters said the 1619 Act would provide federal funding to support African American History educational programs through workshops and professional development activities for educators. According to Peters, the bill is co-sponsored by 15 Senators, includ… Continue Reading
06.27.20
WSJM 94.9 FM St. Joseph: Peters Preparing For Next Wave Of COVID
With Coronavirus numbers on the rise, there is ongoing effort to make sure the government is better prepared if or when a second wave of the outbreak comes. Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters sits on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which overseas the National Stockpile of Emergency Supplies. "They are basically warehouses for critical supplies that you would need in an emergency, and that's exactly what happens," Peters said. "You have big stockpiles of equipment, and w… Continue Reading
06.19.20
Gongwer: Peters Introduces Community Policing Proposal
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said this week a good way to improve trust between members of law enforcement and those in the communities they serve is to have them work in the very communities in which they live. With that in mind, Mr. Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) introduced Wednesday a bill that he said would encourage law enforcement recruits to work in the communities they live in through grants. The proposed legislation, called the Strong Communities Act, would provide federal grants to law enfo… Continue Reading
06.19.20
Marquette Mining Journal: Sen. Peters proposes ‘community policing’
by Jackie Jahfetson
MARQUETTE - Legislation to reform police agencies, improve training and boost accountability between law enforcement and communities is currently being discussed on the Senate floor. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, hosted a Zoom video call with Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and Rev. Dr. Steve Bland Jr. Wednesday to discuss proposed legislation that will address the critical issues facing the nation's criminal justice system. Peters remarked his support for several Senate bills and is w… Continue Reading
06.19.20
MLive: Michigan Sen. Gary Peters working on congressional bipartisan action in wake of George Floyd’s death
by Malachi Barrett
Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, said George Floyd's death is spurring Congress to take concrete steps toward policing reforms. A haunting video of Floyd slowly dying while a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes sparked protests against police brutality in all 50 states and several Michigan cities in the last month. Floyd's death also inspired a variety of bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing future incidents and providing more equit… Continue Reading
06.17.20
Detroit News: Peters introduces bipartisan Senate community policing bill
by Melissa Nann Burke
Michigan Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters has introduced legislation in the Republican-controlled Senate aiming to boost trust between police and the neighborhoods they serve by encouraging law enforcement officers to work in the community where they live. The measure, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, is an effort to help departments struggling to attract and retain recruits who intimately understand their community and who reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the ne… Continue Reading
06.17.20
WWTV CBS 9&10 Traverse City: Sen. Peters Announces New Legislation Aimed at Building Trust Between Police, Communities
Michigan Senator Gary peters announced new legislation on Wednesday aimed at building trust between police and the communities they serve. The Strong Communities Act would help departments recruit officers from the nearby areas. The goal is to have police that know and understand the people they protect. The legislation would give financial assistance for local recruits to go through the police academy and related higher education. It would also require the recruits to live within five miles… Continue Reading
06.17.20
WLUC TV 6 Marquette: Sen. Gary Peters introduces Strong Communities Act
by Jerry Tudor
Michigan Senator Gary Peters Wednesday, introduced new legislation aimed at improving relations and trust between police and their communities. The new proposal, which Peters has called the Strong Communities Act, looks to help recruiting efforts within racially diverse communities. One way it would do that is providing federal grants for recruits to attend an academy if they agree to work in their community for four years. "It's an opportunity for us to give law enforcement another tool, anot… Continue Reading
06.12.20
Holland Sentinel: Upton, Peters receive bipartisanship award
U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's inaugural Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship on Monday, June 9, given to the members of Congress who work with their opposite party to craft legislation. Upton, Peters and 28 other members of Congress were given the award. The Chamber gave Upton a 97 percent bipartisanship score and Peters a 91 percent bipartisanship score. Upton is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solv… Continue Reading
06.05.20
WSJM News Talk 94.9 FM Houghton: Peters Backs Legislation To Review Justice System
In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, U.S. Senator Gary Peters has introduced legislation to create the National Criminal Justice Commission. He says it would have a top to bottom review of the criminal justice system. "It's important for us to get our arms around this and do it in a comprehensive way," Peters said. "We have to stop talking, we have to start doing something positive and we have to take action, and this is a way to bring people together … Continue Reading
06.05.20
Iosco City News: Peters calls on Air Force to prioritize PFAS cleanup in Oscoda
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) - member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee - called on the Air Force to expedite per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cleanup efforts at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB) in Oscoda. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy, John Henderson, Peters expressed his concern that the Air Force does not yet inten… Continue Reading
05.29.20
WWTV CBS 9&10 Traverse City: Sen. Gary Peters Says Federal Government Must Help Support Michigan’s State Budget 3
by Chloe Kiple & Josh Monroe
9&10 News caught up with one of Michigan's senators Friday about how coronavirus is impacting the state's budget. Senator Gary Peters says he's worried about how COVID-19 funding and resources may cut into monies for other things like schools. He wants the federal government to step in and provide more resources for state and local governments. He says the House has already passed a funding bill and now he wants to fight to get his colleagues in the Senate to do the same. "The original C… Continue Reading
05.27.20
WLNS CBS 6 Lansing: Peters introduces bill to slow the spread of Coronavirus in nursing homes
U.S. Senator Gary Peters introduced a bill to provide $20 billion to help states, nursing homes and intermediate care facilities contain the spread of the Coronavirus. T To date, more than 20,000 nursing home residents and workers have been killed by the virus. The Nursing Home COVID-19 Protection and Prevention Act would help states implement strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, purchase desperately needed personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits, and support nursing home w… Continue Reading
05.27.20
WLNS CBS 6 Lansing: Bill introduced to increase access to capital for financial institutions that support small business owners
Senator Gary Peters has introduced a bill that would increase access to capital for community investment institutions working to support small business owners and consumers through the Coronavirus pandemic in minority communities. The Community Capital Investment Act would establish a Treasury Department program to provide community investment institutions, such as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), community banks and credit unions, i… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Arab-American News: Sen. Peters proposes bills to bring medical manufacturing back to U.S., track and address future shortages
by Hassan Abbas
The shortage of medical supplies and protective equipment to tackle the COVID-19 crisis in the U.S. became apparent early on in the pandemic. In Wayne County alone, workers at a prominent hospital spoke of under 100 masks at the beginning of the disease's spread. The country's national strategic reserve of ventilators proved to be woefully inadequate and the unavailability of proper protective masks for health care workers is now a widely known issue. Manufacturers in states began switching ov… Continue Reading
05.26.20
Holland Sentinel: MI senators introduce act giving National Guard members full time benefits
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, Gary Peters, D-Michigan, were among those introducing legislation that would provide full time benefits to National Guard members throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The National Guard COVID-19 Response Stability Act was introduced by Stabenow, Peters and others on Friday, May 22. The legislation would require the federal government to extend Title 32 authority for National Guard members, meaning the federal government would cover costs of … Continue Reading
05.23.20
Detroit Free Press: Peters, Stabenow blast private ownership of major infrastructure in wake of Midland flood
by Chris Solari
MIDLAND - The private ownership and a lack of required repairs of two dams that caused massive flooding of Wixom and Sanford lakes is a significant frustration of Michigan's two U.S. senators. Both Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow issued strong rebukes Saturday for the owners of the Edenville and Stanford dams, whose failures earlier this week caused water from the Tittabawassee River to flood neighboring communities and render two man-made lakes nothing more than mud pits. "I think most peopl… Continue Reading
05.20.20
Politico: Under pressure, Trump administration weighs extending National Guard deployments
by ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN and DANIEL LIPPMAN
Trump administration officials are preparing plans to extend the federal deployment of more than 40,000 National Guard members performing coronavirus relief work across the country, after scores of lawmakers moved to pressure President Donald Trump to keep the Guards in place past June. Four people familiar with the matter said the administration is prepared to extend the deployments through July, which would maintain federal funding for troops administering Covid-19 tests, disinfecting nursing… Continue Reading
05.16.20
MLive: Michigan receives $315 million in federal funds for coronavirus testing
by Marie Weidmayer
Federal funding will help expand testing for the novel coronavirus in Michigan. A total of $315 million in federal funds is coming to the state of Michigan from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, a news release from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said. "Widespread testing is absolutely critical to keeping us and our loved ones safe as we reopen our economy," Stabenow said in the release. "This is a good start but the Administration must provid… Continue Reading
05.13.20
WOOD TV NBC 8 Grand Rapids: Peters: Next stimulus must include aid for state government
by Rick Albin
Among the unanswered questions linked to the coronavirus pandemic is what the economy will look like on the other side and what the gap in tax revenue will mean for the state government's ability to continue to offer vital services. Michigan is looking at an estimated $3 billion hole in this year's budget. Without some type of federal help, that could mean cuts to a broad swath of services, including K-12 school funding. A new federal stimulus bill could help address some of that. While a plan… Continue Reading
