As a member of the Legislature, Rebekah is proud to collaborate with key stakeholders throughout our county to better meet the needs of our citizens. In 2010, she worked with local elected officials and clean energy advocates to pass a bill to create the “Property Assessed Clean Energy Act” (PACE) (PA 270 of 2010). This innovative legislation allows a local unit of government to establish a voluntary program whereby it makes loans to business owners who wish to improve their property’s energy efficiency or install renewable energy systems. Business owners choosing to participate in the program would receive the up-front capital necessary to make these important improvements and then pay the loan back over time through a special assessment on their property taxes. As a result of such collaboration, business owners can lower their energy costs, while the upgrades made to these properties will stay in our communities for generations to come.

Above all, Rebekah is committed to developing strong relationships with local officials who are serving in the face of severe economic challenges. Their dedication and unique knowledge of their communities are just one of the many reasons she adamantly opposed the Emergency Manager legislation (PA 4 of 2011) that gives one un-elected individual the unprecedented authority to circumvent local government, break contracts, raid pensions, nullify collective bargaining rights, privatize the government services, and lay off employees with little supervision or accountability to the public. Instead of undermining the democratic process, Rebekah believes first and foremost we must work with our local leaders to find the solutions that will best meet their communities’ needs, and ultimately, maintain a high quality of life for all of our residents.