Emily Dievendorf

We secured important economic relief by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security. We made a historic $2 billion investment in fixing local roads and infrastructure, and we ensured there will be no state employee layoffs.

We also safeguarded funding for Medicaid, school lunches and cultural institutions. And we preserved protections against sexual assault, human trafficking, and consumer abuses, and kept the Department of Civil Rights strong so every Michigander has a fair path to justice.

Across the country communities are going to feel the pinch of federal cuts, and Michiganders will be no different. But tonight we held the line, we voted our values and were able to protect access to essentials every family needs.

My work doesn’t stop here. I will keep listening, keep showing up, and keep fighting for the values that make Michigan a place where every person can thrive.

Today, I voted YES on the Omnibus Budget, HB 4706 and the Education Budget, SB 166. These budgets protect the services people depend on. The combined budget isn’t everything that everyone wanted, but it’s a clear step forward for Michigan!

Good news: the Governor has announced a budget deal that could prevent a shutdown. We haven’t seen the proposal yet, but when we do, we’ll make sure the details reflect our values. Hopeful progress, and we’ll stay vigilant.

We all deserve access to the quality healthcare we need, at every stage of life. I’m going to keep fighting for a budget that protects it.

They want to cut $3.7 billion in healthcare funding from our state budget, exacerbating cuts already coming from the federal level and putting healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of people in jeopardy.

We are just 8 days away from a government shutdown in Michigan.

Why? Because House Republicans would rather shutdown the government than let working families, kids and seniors have healthcare.

May the year ahead be one of kindness, healing and unity. Shanah Tovah to all who celebrate!

This week, troubling reports have circulated about attempts to falsely label trans people and their advocates as a threat to public safety. These claims are dangerous, misleading, and designed to stigmatize and persecute a community that already faces disproportionate discrimination and violence. Trans people are not driving political violence. In fact, study after study shows that anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and extremism are what put lives at risk. The language being used to target trans people isn’t just inaccurate, it’s dehumanizing, and it undermines the very real fight for safety, health care, and equality. To our trans community: I see you, I stand with you, and I will always fight alongside you for our right to live, openly, safely and with dignity. Please continue reaching out to each other, building connections, and leaning on the incredible organizations here in Michigan that provide resources, support, and hope. We will not let fear define us. Community, compassion, and truth will guide us forward.

Please see the attached letter I have signed on to urging the Michigan Congressional Delegation to take a strong stance against the Genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

This administration is making every aspect of life harder and more dangerous for our already vulnerable community members. We cannot stand for it. Safety and justice are bare minimums.

We must stay focused on protecting ALL of our neighbors from harm right now. We cannot let the fear and confusion of this moment in time distract from holding the line on what is true, fair, and humane.

State Rep. Dievendorf speaks out against threats, rising political violence Rep. Emily Dievendorf says they have received a flood of threats after they were accused of not standing during a prayer in honor of Charlie Kirk.

I will remain open and vulnerable about the way threats to elected officials threaten democracy and YOUR voice in the process. I will remain vulnerable because I am a human and your neighbor, and I am worthy of safety as well. But I am anxious to get back to fighting for this nation.

On Wednesday, our nation was shaken by another act of political violence, and on the same day of yet another school shooting. Two more times we are reeling from gun violence. One more day that people are looking, desperately, for someone to blame for the demise of this nation. One more tragedy where the dialogue is more about who the next target should be than what we each can do to ensure our collective safety. To protect our kids, families and neighbors. It is true that I have never supported Charlie Kirk’s politics, but I take political violence seriously. My life has been focused on anti-violence. Every life is valuable, and our response to tragedy must be rooted in that truth. Unfortunately, someone took a photo of myself and another Democratic colleague on the House Floor, against House Rules, at the time of the incident on Wednesday. The narrative that has been spread with the photo is a boldface lie. This photo was taken in an effort to put a target on our backs and it worked. Dark web extremists are on a mission nationwide at this point. I have messages suggesting violence to me and my family, telling me to hang myself, and committing to find and share my personal information, including my address. Most of the messages also call me a cunt, bitch, whore and awful human being and some say I’m a traitor to my race. Several say I should die in the way Kirk did. All while also suggesting I need to find Jesus. And yet even in the photo being shared I’m solemn and looking down at my desk. I was serious then and I’m serious now because the escalation of violence is hurting all of us.

I want to be very clear: I will not be intimidated. And I will not accept the idea that violence, harassment, or dehumanization are legitimate tools of politics or democracy. I have spent my life working to stop violence. I have led with empathy, and I am proud of that. Empathy and love are not signs of weakness. They must also not make excuses for harm done. Today, I am sad for the family of Charlie Kirk. And I am mourning the collective peace and safety that slips further away each time violence erupts. In bowing my head, I honored the seriousness of the moment and the weight of a human life lost. That reverence can exist without celebrating the harm Mr. Kirk caused in his lifetime. I will not allow extremists to use Wednesday’s horrific events to justify further violence against Democrats or any vulnerable community. If we agree violence cannot solve our differences, then we must also agree not to inflame it, encourage it, or manufacture falsehoods that put new targets on people’s backs. We must not forget that dissent is also patriotic. Our disagreements can serve to make us and our country better. Freedom of speech is protected for this very reason. Our First Amendment rights exist to liberate us from tyranny. Exercising these freedoms should not make us targets for violence or oppression. Making me and my colleagues less safe this week did not make anyone safer, Republican or Democrat. It only increased the likelihood of more violence. That is abhorrent, and it shows that many who are upset by Kirk’s death have yet to learn its most basic lesson. The least we can do is learn, and choose a different path.

Due to safety concerns, the September 15th Staff Coffee Hour has been cancelled. Thank you for your understanding and see you in a couple of weeks!

On this day, we remember the lives lost on 9/11 and honor the bravery of all first responders who ran toward danger. Today, we also thank our local firefighters, EMTs and police officers who continue that legacy of service and sacrifice here at home.

Michigan House LGBTQ+ Caucus Condemns Divisive Anti-Trans Policies; Calls for Focus on Getting a State Budget Passed LANSING, Mich., Sept. 4, 2025 — Under the Trump administration, there has been an increase in anti-trans [...]

housedems.com/michigan-hou...

I spent the morning with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Sen. Sarah Anthony and Mayor Andy Schor serving lunch at Riddle/Willow Elementary. Every kid should have access to breakfast & lunch; political games shouldn’t get in the way of passing a budget that fills our kids’ bellies so they can learn!

According to data compiled by The Violence Project, (mostly white) cisgender men have perpetrated approximately 98% of mass shootings since 1966. Several other analyses show similar findings.

Watch me NOT make assumptions about all men based on that fact…

See, it’s easy.

Millions of people across Michigan would be directly harmed if the Republican budget goes into effect. Kids and families will go unfed, seniors will go without health care, expecting moms will lack support, costs will continue to increase.

Our hearts go out to the children, families, clergy and educators impacted by the mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minnesota today. Every child should have the opportunity to grow up and today 2 children are lost to this world and 17 others are wounded. There is no excuse. This cannot keep happening. America must protect our children. - Michigan State Representative Emily E. Dievendorf

Dem legislators and our core staff are spending quality time with the devastating budget passed by House Republicans yesterday. We will have updates on specific cuts soon. In the meantime we know that essential programs like Medicaid, the Human Trafficking Commission, Double Up Food Bucks, rape kit testing, local government funding, and currently filled state employee jobs are included in the cuts. (Link to freep story highlighting some major cuts in comments.) Also included in cuts were eliminations of any programing considered “DEI” or focused on underrepresented communities. The State of Michigan is the largest employer in Lansing and Mid-Michigan and I take this cut particularly personally, as potentially 4,000 state employees are eligible to lose their jobs. (Confirming that number today.) Combined with proposed cuts to the Education budget shared earlier this year, we estimate a 4 billion dollar cut to the overall State Budget.

We are combing through the republicans’ budget as quickly as we can, so we can be prepared for what they plan to cut.

www.freep.com/story/news/p...

This is the legislative SUMMARY of the 800 page budget we received from House Republicans and were expected to vote on within an hour. It dramatically slashes essential programs. It makes the daily lives and hardest moments of Michiganders’ lives more difficult. We voted no.

UM Medical Decision on Gender Affirming Care Many of you have likely seen the news that the University of Michigan has announced it will no longer provide certain gender-affirming care to people under 19, in response to recent federal DOJ policies. Gender-affirming care is essential, evidence-based healthcare. It saves lives and helps young people thrive. Do not let disinformation convince you otherwise. Care is still legal in Michigan. This change reflects UM’s response to federal pressure, not a ban under Michigan law. Families still have options. We are not giving up. To every young person and every family impacted: you are not alone. We are fighting alongside you and actively working to fill these gaps so that no one is denied the care they need. Michigan should be a place where all young people can live as their full, authentic selves. That’s the future we are building, together.

Please see my statement on UM Medical’s recent decision on gender affirming care for those under 19.

I voted no on House Bill 4707, which would ban ranked choice voting in Michigan, because democracy means voters have the freedom and ultimate authority to decide how to best express their will. In June, the MI Board of Canvassers approved a proposed summary of a ballot petition that would bring ranked choice voting to Michigan and signatures are currently being collected to try and get it on the 2026 ballot. If the ballot proposal passes, HB 4707 would immediately conflict with it, creating legal conflict and confusion among local governments and voters alike. Even worse, this ban would strip away local control by voiding all existing ranked choice voting ordinances and silencing communities that have already chosen to adopt them. Instead of imposing a one-size-fits-all mandate, we should respect the will of the people and allow them to decide. Our time as a chamber would be far better spent tackling urgent challenges, like passing a full state budget that funds universal school meals for kids and helps families with the rising costs of living, rather than interfering with decisions that communities have a right to vote on for themselves.

Our Kids Can’t Wait! 43 Days to Government Shut Down Michigan still has no finalized School Aid Budget. Michigan students and families are being forced to start the school year without a finalized School Aid Budget. This uncertainty disrupts staffing, meal programs, and classroom resources, and we know who will pay the price for legislative inaction. We must invest in Michigan's roads, but not at the expense of our classrooms. Using the School Aid Fund for unrelated projects is unacceptable. Our classrooms should never be treated as a piggy bank for other projects. Schools must come first. Finalizing a School Aid Budget is my Top Priority. Every child deserves stability and access to the resources they need, including: universal breakfast and lunch, funding for English learners, per-pupil support for children's mental health and school safety, early literacy coaches, and career and technical education programs.

We are 43 days from a state government shut down, and Michigan still does not have a finalized School Aid Budget! #MiLeg

Michigan lawmakers call for release of Hmong immigrants detained by ICE • Michigan Advance For Democratic State Rep. Mai Xiong, the struggle against ICE human rights abuses and the deportations affecting the nation’s immigrant communities are hitting closer to home. Xiong is currently…

While Michigan Republicans are cheering for Trump's outrageous treatment of immigrant communities, Democrats @MaiXiong.bsky.social, @StephanieLilyChang.bsky.social, Sam Singh and @EmilyDievendorf.bsky.social spoke up for our Hmong neighbors and immigrant rights michiganadvance.com/2025/08/07/m...

Lansing Meet & Greet - August 11, 2025 | Abdul for U.S. Senate

RSVP: abdulforsenate.com/events/lansi...