Lahti Runs for State Senate

One of the U.P.’s state lawmakers wants to move from the state House to the state Senate this fall.

Ishpeming State Senator Mike Prusi can’t run again for his seat in November because of term limits.

So Hancock State Rep Mike Lahti has thrown his hat into the ring to succeed him.

Before getting elected to the state House in 2006, Lahti was on the Hancock school board and the Houghton County Board.

He agrees with the Senate Fiscal Agency, whose president spoke at NMU today, about fixing the tax system.

Lahti says over the last few decades, Michigan’s economy has been shifting drastically from manufacturing goods to more service-based, but the tax structure hasn’t changed with it.

He says that means Michigan is taxing the wrong things.

Prusi has given Lahti his endorsement.

Lahti says job creation will be his top priority, seeing how badly areas like Baraga and Ontonagon Counties are hurting for employment right now.

He says he’s never shied away from difficult decisions, and he says he won’t make political decisions to get elected.

Lahti says he’ll continue doing what he’s done in his time in the state House, which is to put the well-being of his district first and the state second.

Lahti went on a tour of the U.P. today to make the announcement in 5 different cities.

Besides Marquette, he did that in Houghton, Escanaba, Iron Mountain and Bessemer.

And he’ll hit up 2 more cities on Monday.