Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! It continues to be a privilege to represent Northville, Plymouth and eastern Canton, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in Lansing.

I am very pleased with the progress we’ve made so far during my time in office, but we still have much work to do. I will continue to fight to ensure that every Michigander has access to the tools, resources and opportunities they need to succeed. I encourage you to stay up to date with what’s going on in Lansing and to let me know about the issues that matter to you, so I can continue to best represent the interests of our community.

If there is anything I can do to help you and your family, please do not hesitate to call my office at (517) 373-3816, email me at MattKoleszar@house.mi.gov, or stop by my office in Lansing. You can also catch me on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,

Matt Koleszar

State Representative, 20th House District

In this Edition:

  • Legislative Update
  • In Our Community
  • Upcoming Events

Legislative Update

Expanding Benefits for First Responder Families

House Bill 4247, which is a reintroduction of one of my bills from last term, recently passed unanimously out of the House. This bill would guarantee in-state college tuition for all surviving school-aged children of police officers and firefighters who were killed in the line of duty, regardless of their surviving parent’s current financial circumstances. I introduced this bill in honor of Sterling Heights Officer Mark Sawyers, who was shot and killed while sitting in his patrol car after investigating an accident.

Currently, the Police Officer’s and Fire Fighter’s Survivor Tuition Grant Act is available to children of deceased Michigan police officers or firefighters that meet the established criteria, including a limitation on family income. The changes I propose in HB 4247 would ensure all children, no matter their family’s circumstances can benefit from the program following the tragedy of losing a parent.

This legislation gives first responders the peace of mind of knowing that their families will be taken care of, should they make the ultimate sacrifice.

Adjusting Lobbyist Reporting Deadline

Last month I testified to House Bill 4130, which is a part of a bipartisan, five-bill package based on the Auditor General’s report on the Bureau of Elections (BOE). My bill would adjust the lobbyist reporting deadline by one month to improve workflow within the BOE. Improving our elections processes make for a smoother election process and I am proud to be a part of this package. HB 4130 was successfully voted out of the House Committee on Elections and Ethics and is up for Third Reading in the House.

Koleszar Reading

Pictured: On Friday, March 5 I was excited to kick-off March is Reading Month by reading to Ivywood Classical Academy’s kindergarten students.

Upcoming Events

 

Coffee with Koleszar

I hope you can join me for my upcoming virtual coffee chat! I look forward to having an informal conversation with you about the issues facing families in our community.

When: Thursday, March 18, from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Facebook Live

Teacher of the Month

I am excited to announce we will be starting up our Teacher of the Month program again! Click here to nominate a teacher you would like to see recognized at one of our fantastic schools. We will be announcing March’s Teacher of the Month at the end of the month.