Emily Dievendorf
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Emily Dievendorf
@emilydievendorf.bsky.social
730 followers 110 following 160 posts
State Representative - Michigan's 77th District
Lansing, DeWitt & Grand Ledge
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emilydievendorf.bsky.social
Today is World AIDS Day 2025.

For the first time since 1988, the U.S. federal government has reportedly refused to formally commemorate World AIDS Day in 2025.
December 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
Today, we honor the trans lives lost to violence and discrimination. We remember their names, their dreams, and their power. May we carry their memory forward with love, protection, and unwavering solidarity. 🕯️ #TDOR

Artist Credits: GracieLeeArt
November 20, 2025 at 6:55 PM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
Today, we honor our veterans and their families who sacrificed for our country. I have introduced a bill to exempt 100% disabled veterans from use taxes when buying a personal vehicle — putting more money back in the pocket of our veterans who have given and sacrificed so much to this country.
November 12, 2025 at 12:40 AM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
Today, MDHHS announced it will issue full SNAP payments — the result of Democrats’ lawsuits against the Trump administration’s callous policies. SNAP remains one of the most effective tools to fight hunger, and today’s announcement will protect families in need.
November 10, 2025 at 10:46 PM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
The D.C. Republican shutdown means regular working Americans will have less food to go around, higher health care costs, missed paychecks, closed daycares and delayed travel.

Michiganders should not have to pay the price of Republican dysfunction in D.C.
November 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
Today, I voted NO on HR 195.
November 4, 2025 at 9:41 PM
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November 4, 2025 at 6:24 PM
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On Nov. 1, SNAP benefits were paused due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. Please swipe for resources for Mid-Michigan Families impacted by the pause.
November 4, 2025 at 6:24 PM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
The real fright this Halloween? Sky-high grocery costs and SNAP benefits under threat. Families shouldn't have to fear the checkout line. Michiganders deserve better.
October 31, 2025 at 1:19 PM
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Today I voted YES on House Bills 4306 & 4307, a bill package to revise how driver’s license suspensions are handled after a driver experiences a seizure. Under this legislative package the Secretary of State can reduce or waive the currently required minimum six-month suspension time period based on a review of the specific recommendation of a physician or other information, including evidence that the condition resulted from medical intervention or medically supervised experimentation with prescribed medication. The secretary of state also can issue a limited or restricted license. This legislation allows the Secretary of State, with guidance from a physician, to recognize the unique circumstances around each patient’s case. It ensures that a one-size-fits all approach is not applied to restrict access to transportation unnecessarily while it maintains the safety of all drivers on the road. As someone who lives with seizures which prevented me from driving throughout my first campaign season and through the first year and a half of my term in office, this legislation is a deeply personal issue. Our state should not be penalizing individuals who have disabilities but rather providing support for these communities and I am grateful to the bill sponsors, Representatives VanderWall and DeBoer, for championing this important effort.
October 30, 2025 at 7:54 PM
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Snap benefits will pause on November 1st for 1.4 million Michiganders.

If you receive SNAP benefits, you can call 2-1-1 or visit the link below to find free confidential support. mi211.org

Food Resources by County: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
October 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
emilydievendorf.bsky.social
Today, I introduced HB 5141: Agricultural and Domestic Worker Organizing. Thank you to all my colleagues who co-sponsored this effort!
Organizing power for agricultural and domestic workers is crucial in Michigan, where these workers play an essential role in sustaining our agricultural economy and supporting households statewide. Historically excluded from the right to organize, workers often face challenges like low wages, unsafe working conditions, and limited bargaining power. House Bill 5141, reintroduced today by State Representative Emily Dievendorf, removes the exclusion of agricultural and domestic workers from labor protections in Michigan! It’s time to ensure ALL workers have the right to organize and fight for fair wages and safe working conditions.
October 23, 2025 at 6:21 PM
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I voted NO on House Bill 4690-4691
Today I voted, hell no, against House Bill 4690-4691, which proposes to increase mandatory minimum sentences for fleeing and eluding law enforcement. While I understand the intent behind this legislation – to deter dangerous behavior and protect our officers and communities – mandatory minimums are not only an ineffective solution but also one that carries significant negative consequences for our state and its citizens. Mandatory minimum sentences, by their very nature, strip judges of their ability to consider the unique circumstances of each case. They impose a one-size-fits-all punishment that often fails to distinguish between a truly dangerous individual and someone who may have made a panicked or foolish decision. This lack of judicial discretion can lead to disproportionate sentences, particularly for individuals from marginalized communities who already face systemic biases within our justice system. Studies have consistently shown that mandatory minimums do not deter crime more effectively than discretionary sentencing, yet they contribute significantly to mass incarceration, which has devastating impacts on families and communities. We cannot ignore the undeniable reality of systemic disparities in policing. Another area where studies consistently show that Black and Brown individuals are stopped, searched, and arrested at higher rates than their white counterparts, even when accounting for similar behaviors. This is not merely anecdotal; it is a documented pattern that erodes trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. When such egregious disparities exist, how can we, in good conscience, pass legislation that will inevitably lead to more encounters, more arrests, and ultimately, more mandatory sentences for these same communities? In fact, we have hardly begun to address the very real reasons our neighbors fear police overreach and violence. We have not looked deeply enough into the very reasons many flee from police. We still have much action to take if we are to meaningfully build trust between police and community. We need transparency, not more punitive measures. We need to demand accountability from our law enforcement agencies and from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding their interactions with our citizens. True public safety is built on trust, equity, and a commitment to addressing the root causes of crime, not on a system that disproportionately punishes certain segments of our population. We must push for comprehensive data collection on police stops, arrests, and use-of-force incidents, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, to truly understand the scope of these issues and inform evidence-based solutions. We must work with our local law enforcement to make clear where excessive force begins and ends and to ensure accountability exists for all who take dangerous liberties with their power. Instead of increasing mandatory minimums, let us invest in community-based violence prevention programs, mental health services, and educational opportunities that offer genuine pathways to a better future. Let us demand greater transparency in police training, policies, and disciplinary actions. Let us work towards a justice system that is fair, equitable, and truly serves all Michiganders, not one that perpetuates cycles of injustice.
October 22, 2025 at 8:11 PM
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This Diwali, we celebrate the power of light, love and community. To everyone celebrating across Michigan and beyond, may your festivities be bright, your hearts full and your days peaceful.
October 21, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the first Peoples of this land, their strength, sovereignty and enduring presence. May we continue to listen, learn and build a future grounded in truth and mutual respect.

Artist Credits: Morning Star Designs
October 13, 2025 at 6:37 PM
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This fall and winter, my staff will continue hosting coffee hours across the district, and you’re invited! These events are a great opportunity to meet my team, get help navigating state programs, or share your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you.
October 12, 2025 at 2:08 PM
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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!
October 3, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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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.
September 26, 2025 at 6:06 PM
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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.
September 23, 2025 at 6:46 PM
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May the year ahead be one of kindness, healing and unity. Shanah Tovah to all who celebrate!
September 23, 2025 at 12:07 PM
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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.
September 22, 2025 at 2:40 PM
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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.
September 17, 2025 at 4:15 PM
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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.
September 12, 2025 at 5:44 PM
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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!
September 12, 2025 at 2:29 PM
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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.
September 11, 2025 at 1:45 PM