KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo residents submitted enough signatures to the Kalamazoo City Clerk Wednesday morning to put an initiative on the November ballot for a local healthcare action plan.
Only 2,707 signatures were required in order to put the measure on the November ballot, but residents submitted more than double that amount, totaling 5,779 signatures in an action organized by Community Action Michigan.
If approved by voters, the ballot proposal would create a local healthcare action plan to bring down healthcare costs and expand access to affordable care.
“In my limited time practicing, I cant even count how many times I’ve seen someone who was only in my emergency department because the system already let them down, and now we’re playing catch up and dealing with a massive heart attack or stroke, or whatever the case may be,” local emergency physician Dr. Isaac Johnson said.
According to Community Action Michigan, the signature drive shows that Kalamazoo families and small businesses are holding U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Holland) accountable for what they call a failure to protect Michigan families.
“I want to talk to my legislators about getting this fixed, so I make an appointment at Representative Huizenga’s office, and I speak to one of his staffers and voice my concern about [The Big Beautiful Bill],” Dr. Johnson said, “I tell them the problems I see with it, and that if this gets passed we’re going to continue to see these things get worse.”
According to Community Action Michigan, Rep. Huizenga “has failed to protect Michigan families by supporting legislation that raises health care premiums, and out-of-pocket and prescription drug costs.”
News Channel 3 reached out to Representative Bill Huizenga’s office for comment. As of 11:40 a.m. Wednesday we have not yet heard back.