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Katie's Plan

Katie desires to protect faith, family, and freedom here in Michigan. Her five major policy platforms will help accomplish this.

1. School Choice
2. Deregulate Employers & Kill Mandates
3. Heal the Mental Health System
4. Reform Property Tax
5. Slash Government Bloat

Got ideas on how to fix our state? I'd love to hear them. You can email me at info@katie4mi.com

School Choice

Michigan parents deserve the power to pick the best education for their kids—public, private, homeschool, or trade—without Lansing bureaucrats standing in the way. My plan puts $7,000 per student directly in parents’ hands through ESAs, tax-credit scholarships, and open sports access, so no child is trapped by a failing school or zip code.

  1. Pass Michigan Education Savings Accounts (ESAs):

    • $7,000 per student annually (73% of the $9,608 foundation allowance).

    • Funds deposited into a state-managed debit account (like Arizona’s ClassWallet).

    • Usable for: private tuition, homeschool curriculum, online courses, tutoring, therapy, trade school, AP exams, music lessons, etc.

    • Public school students can use for enrichment (e.g., dual enrollment, CTE).

    • Phase-in: 10% opt-in Year 1 ($1.5 B), 25% Year 3, universal by 2031.

    • Blaine-proof: Money goes to parents, not schools (Espinoza v. Montana, 2020).

  2. Expand MESP 529 Plans:

    • Full K-12 eligibility (homeschool, private, trade).

    • Exempt all contributions from Michigan income tax (effective 2026).

    • Match federal 529 rules — no state penalty.

  3. Open Public School Sports to All Residents

    • Any K-12 student living in the district (homeschool, private, charter, online) can participate in public school sports – no full-time enrollment required.

    • Local control preserved: Districts set tryouts, fees, and eligibility, but cannot discriminate based on non-enrollment.

  4. 100% Tax-Credit Scholarships:

    • Donors give to 501(c)(3) scholarship orgs → get dollar-for-dollar state tax credit.

    • Caps at $500 M/year (zero net cost to state).

    • Prioritizes low-income & special needs first.

Deregulate Employers & Kill Mandates

Small businesses are Michigan’s heartbeat, but overregulation and union mandates are choking them. I’ll work to repeal the Earned Sick Time Act for firms under 50 employees, kill Prevailing Wage to save $500 million on infrastructure, and launch a 60-day “Permit in a Click” portal—because West Michigan tourism, farms, and retailers need freedom to thrive, not red tape.

  1. Repeal Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA):

    • Removes accrual mandates for businesses under 50 employees.

    • Restores seasonal & part-time flexibility (critical for West MI tourism, ag, retail).

  2. Repeal Michigan Prevailing Wage Act:

    • Eliminates union-scale mandates on state contracts.

    • Saves $500 M/year on roads, schools, buildings.

  3. Overhaul Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA):

    • Real-time fraud detection AI (like Florida’s system).

    • Harsher penalties: 5-year ban + restitution for fraud.

    • Employer portal to flag suspicious claims in 24 hrs.

  4. Paycheck Protection:

    • Opt-in only for union political spending.

    • Annual consent form — no dues to partisan causes without signature.

  5. 60-Day One-Stop Permitting Portal:

    • Online dashboard (like Iowa’s “Permit in a Click”).

    • Auto-approval if agency misses deadline.

    • Covers zoning, health, environmental, liquor, building.

Heal the Mental Health System

Mental health crises don’t wait for regional bureaucracies. We must eliminate all PIHP middlemen wasting $300 million yearly, send Medicaid dollars straight to counties, and let faith-based and non-profit providers compete on results—delivering 24/7 crisis units and clearing ABA therapy waitlists so families get help now, not never.

  1. Eliminate Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs):

    • 10 regional bureaucracies → $300 M/year in overhead.

    • Bypass entirely — Medicaid dollars go straight to counties.

  2. Direct Funding to County CMHs:

    • Block grant model (like Texas): counties decide priorities.

    • Mandate 85% of funds to direct services (not administration).

  3. Prioritize Non-Profits & Faith-Based Providers:

    • Competitive bidding – CMHs contract with local non-profits and faith-based providers that deliver measurable outcomes.

    • No favoritism – any qualified 501(c)(3) can bid; faith integration encouraged where families choose it.

  4. Boost Autism & Crisis Response:

    • Earmark $100 M of PIHP savings for ABA therapy waitlists and mobile crisis units.

    • 24/7 crisis lines in every county

Reform Property Tax

Skyrocketing property taxes are forcing seniors and working families out of their homes. A 20% residential school millage cut over four years will save homeowners $600–$900 by 2031, while a Fair Share Cap ensures childless households and seniors pay no more than half the school operating rate—because you shouldn’t fund schools you don’t use.

  1. Cut Residential School Millage 20% Over 4 Years:

    • 5% annual reduction (2027–2030).

    • Funded by state surplus, waste audits, Prevailing Wage savings.

    • $600–$900 average homeowner savings by 2031.

  2. End Non-homestead (Business) School Debt Payments:

    • Shift all future debt millages equally to homestead and non-homestead.

  3. Fair Share Millage Cap:

    • Households with no children in public schools pay max 50% of operating millage.

    • Debt & capital millages still 100% (shared infrastructure).

    • Covers seniors, homeschoolers, childless homeowners.

  4. Prevent Foreclosures

    • Slash delinquent tax interest rate from 18% APR to 6% flat annual simple interest on principal only

    • No compounding or retroactive penalties

    • Applies to homesteads & family farms; commercial property capped at 8%

    • Revenue neutral in 3 years through 95%+ collection rates

  5. Millage Votes Only in Presidential General Elections

    • All new/renewal millages restricted to November of presidential years

    • Exemption of safety millages (police/fire) being on any November ballot.

Slash Government bloat

Lansing’s bloated agencies duplicate county work and waste billions. We must mandate zero-based budgeting, dissolve three duplicative departments, devolve $750 million in functions to counties as unrestricted block grants, and sunset every pilot program after four years—proving every dollar spent is essential, not eternal.


  1. Mandate Zero-Based Budgeting

    • Every department justifies 100% of spending every 2 years.

    • No automatic increases — inflation or population growth must be proven.

  2. Dissolve Entire State Agencies & Devolve to Counties:

    • Permanently eliminate 3+ duplicative departments (e.g., fold EGLE regional offices into county health depts; merge MEDC into county economic boards).

    • Transfer $750 M+ in functions (environmental permits, local grants, workforce training) as unrestricted county block grants.

    • Counties gain more authority — State stops funding a middleman role.

  3. Sunset State Programs

    • Automatic 4-year expiration for discrete initiatives (e.g., MDE teacher grants, EGLE pilot projects).

    • No overlap with devolved functions — state-only programs die unless proven essential.

  4. Full Agency Audit

    • Independent CPA firm (like Texas’ Sunset Commission).

    • Public dashboard — every cut posted online.

    • Goal of cutting $1 B+ in waste.