Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to my e-newsletter! I’m honored and humbled to serve as our community’s voice at the Capitol in Lansing. As we continue into the term, rest assured that the challenges families in our community and state are facing are at the top of my legislative priorities.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by phone at (517) 373-0152 or email at AmosONeal@house.mi.gov if we can help.

Sincerely,

Amos O’Neal

State Representative, 95th House District

In this issue:

  •       Upcoming Community Conversation – Oct. 21.
  •       $70 Billion FY 22 Budget Passed.
  •       Youth Development Corporation Granted $500,000 in FY 22 Budget.
  •       EGLE Awards MI Clean Water Plan Grant to Carrollton Township.

Upcoming Community Conversation

Mark your calendars for our upcoming community conversation on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live. I will give a brief legislative update. Then, we will have a conversation about safe gun storage from Moms Demand Action.

We hope to save some time for Q&A, so come with questions for our guests. You can join us on Facebook Live by clicking here or searching @StateRepAmosONeal.

I hope to see you there!

$70 Billion FY 22 Budget Passed

I was proud to work with my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a budget that will make transformational investments in Michigan’s future.

My House Democratic colleagues and I fought to ensure that this budget works for Michigan families across our state. I am so proud to deliver critical funding for a number of my key priorities:

  • A historic investment in child care that will decrease costs for working families, expand access and support child care providers.
  • $196 million for over 100 local bridges.
  • Full funding for Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners’ tuition scholarship programs.
  • $100 million in new community revitalization grants to redevelop neighborhoods and support small businesses.
  • New investments in drinking water, the Great Lakes, contaminated site cleanups and high-water infrastructure grants.
  • $24 million for direct care worker wage increases.

This budget is a far cry from the budget originally proposed last spring, which included a 75% funding cut for most departments. House Democrats fought hard to negotiate a real budget that works for working families, students, seniors and everyone else in our community. In the wake of the worst crisis we’ve seen in our lifetime, it’s more important than ever that we invest in our communities and ensure everyone in our state has the support they need to not only recover but thrive. I look forward to continuing negotiations around the remaining federal dollars available to Michigan and bringing even more funding home to our community.

Youth Development Corporation Granted $500,000 in FY 22 Budget

I was so proud to have Saginaw receive $500,000 for the Youth Development Corporation (YDC) workforce development grant that will impact the lives of so many. YDC is an organization whose mission is to advance underserved youth and adults by expanding accessibility in education, training and career placement through project-based opportunities and contextualized learning experiences. Taking progressive steps in our commitment to uplift low-income neighborhoods suffering from the damaging effects of poverty and creating a pathway towards reintegration for returning citizens, YDC initiates the “Beyond the Walls” project. This project began with a pilot program initiated at our local county jail in December 2020.

EGLE Awards MI Clean Water Plan Grant to Carrollton Township

Last week, our community received a grant of over $600,000 provided by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Clean Water Plan to ensure the safety of Saginaw’s drinking water. The plan aims to strengthen water infrastructure and to ensure the safety of tap water across the state. I think we all can agree that what happened in Flint can never happen again. It’s a stain on the moral conscience of the state and the nation as a whole. I applaud Gov. Whitmer’s MI Clean Water Plan and am so thankful to see Carrollton receiving it. It will ensure that every city in Michigan has access to clean, safe water, no matter the skin color or income of its residents. I’m very pleased to see that this grant has now been signed and that we can continue to make sure that Saginaw residents have access to high-quality water for generations to come.