Dan Seibert says his main motivation for getting into the race for state House is his two sons ages seven and three. The Engineer says he’s “concerned that their future is not being fought for.”
Seibert is the Democratic candidate in the 66th state House District, which includes all of Van Buren County and northwest Kalamazoo County.
Seibert says constituents should set priorities for a state lawmaker. He says the top concerns of voters he talks to are roads, schools, and lowering auto insurance rates. Seibert says he wants to work on money in politics and transparency.
The Democratic candidate says the Freedom of Information Act should be expanded to the Legislature and governor’s office. Seibert says financial disclosure should be required for elected officials so voters know about potential conflicts of interest. He also favors a “cooling off period” between serving in the legislature and working as a lobbyist. Seibert says he would like to see lawmakers have to wait five years before they start working as a lobbyist.
Seibert says auto insurance is a “great example” of the influence of lobbyists. He says many groups are spending a lot of money in Lansing to protect their interests. Seibert says he favors a cap on medical fees for injuries due to auto accidents. He says hospitals charge more for injuries if they know happened in a car accident. Seibert says there should also be transparency for the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fund that pays for long-term care of people injured in car accidents. Seibert says once the fund is open, there can be a discussion about possible reform.
Asked about roads, Seibert says he thinks people are willing to pay for something if they are convinced the money is being well spent. He says that’s not the state’s track record. Seibert says the state needs to reset priorities. He says for instance, tax credits to corporations mean that money can’t be spent on infrastructure and schools.
Seibert says the state should set safer standards for PFASes in water. He says the state also needs strong “polluter pay” rules for contamination. Seibert says the taxpayer ends up paying for cleanup costs instead of companies responsible for the contamination.
The Democrat is running in a district that has been reliably Republican, but Seibert says everyone is frustrated with the lack of progress on issues they care about regardless of party affiliation.
