Issues

Using her experience as a community organizer and an attorney, Rashida has several priorities while in office that she has worked tirelessly to address:

Scrap Metal

“I have partnered with local law enforcement and prosecutors on a bill that will block the market for stolen scrap metal. The problem of scrap metal theft has impacted all of us and increased crime in our communities. This bill makes reforms that help police and prosecutors trace the sale of property to identify it as stolen and punish any individual who knows, or has reason to know, that the property he or she is buying or selling has been stolen with a felony charge and fines. I am determined to stop the destruction of our neighborhoods, and my legislation on scrap metal will significantly reduce the market for stolen scrap metal.”

Community Court

“I fought hard to obtain funding to establish the state’s first Community Court program to combat crimes like prostitution, auto theft, and property destruction in our neighborhoods. With the traditional court system overburdened, this program addresses the demand for more resources to uphold the law in our communities. Community Courts have proven successful across the country in reducing not only quality of life crimes, but also more major crimes, and it is my hope that we can do the same here in Michigan.”

Fraud Protection

“I successfully worked on a bipartisan package of bills that establish the crime of mortgage fraud. It was signed into law in October, 2011. Michigan is ranked in the top 10 for mortgage fraud, and for far too long we did not update our criminal code to take aggressive action against those who victimize homeowners and seniors. These new laws will give prosecutors and law enforcement the tools they need to take action against individuals who perpetrate this crime.”

Environmental Justice

In an area that is surrounded by industry and an increasingly high asthma rate amongst its residents, Rashida has established a strong track record in holding polluting businesses accountable to state, local, and federal law. Environmental justice has been Rashida’s top priority, and she has recently championed a bill that requires school districts to perform an environmental assessment before acquiring land to build or expand a school building to protect the health and well-being of kids, as well as our natural resources.

Consumer Protection
Our area is blessed to be home to both a large senior citizen population and a large immigrant community. However, both populations are vulnerable to fraud and scam artists posing as legitimate businesses. Rashida works to ensure that there are tough consumer protection laws in place to act as a safeguard for our loved ones. She proposed legislation that requires Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) to disclose interest rates and hidden fees.

Access to Services
Rashida has lived through a number of economic challenges and knows first-hand the obstacles that families face in trying to better their quality of life. That’s why she has made access to services a priority as the ONLY Michigan legislator with a fully-staffed service center, providing direct service and advocacy to residents. Rashida has worked side-by-side with residents to successfully restore funding for vital human services and at-risk youth programs.

Childhood Literacy
A high-quality education for our children is essential to our region’s success. In her first term, Rashida distributed over 9,000 free books in order to promote childhood literacy, and she continues to advocate for better schools that equip the next generation with the tools necessary to be successful.