|
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! As always, I am most effective in my job when acting on your direct input. I encourage you to reach out to me and my staff with any questions, comments or concerns that you may have regarding our community or the state and with any policy ideas.
Please do not hesitate to reach out by phone at (517) 373-0853 or send an email to AngelaWitwer@house.gov.
Sincerely,
Angela Witwer State Representative, 71st House District
In this issue:
Upcoming Coffee Hours Please join me for one of my virtual Weekly Wrap-ups with Witwer. You can find the event on my Facebook page. Please also like and follow my page to stay connected with updates from the Capitol. I look forward to seeing you at a coffee hour soon!
Upcoming Virtual Coffee Hours:
In the District Walking in Our Community During the Legislature’s in-district work period, I have been busy talking to folks in our community about the issues that are important to them. Since April, my team and I have knocked more than 19,000 doors and plan to knock some more next month. I want to especially thank all the volunteers who came out. If there’s anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at AngelaWitwer@house.mi.gov or (517) 373-0853.
General Updates Celebrating Michigan’s Police I’m a proud supporter of Michigan’s police. That’s why I was honored to pay tribute to them on the 30th anniversary of their Emergency Management and Homeland Security Training Center. This center provides our police with invaluable training. Our police put their lives on the line, every day, to help us. The training center helps them prepare for all the challenges they see in the field. I was proud to add my name to a special, bipartisan tribute signed by the governor to show our support for all the training center does to help our people in uniform to carry out their duties safely and professionally.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Announced $2 Million in Export Assistance Funds Available for Michigan’s Small Businesses Governor Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to announce on Sept. 9 that Michigan has received the top award in the nation from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) State Trade Expansion Program for the upcoming fiscal year. Michigan received $2 million in federal grant funds — the maximum amount awarded by the SBA and a $650,000 increase from 2021 — to help Michigan small businesses grow in the state through increased access to global markets.
You can read more about the award here. You can apply for the grant here. Click here to find an international trade manager.
State Resources Available to Help Jobless Find Work There are numerous free resources and programs available to support individuals in taking their next steps. Whether they want to conduct a job search, explore new career pathways or discover educational or training programs, there are many opportunities they can pursue.
Unemployment Assistance My office is still assisting constituents who are experiencing unemployment issues. If you or someone you know are having issues receiving unemployment compensation, please contact our office at (517) 373-0853 or AngelaWitwer@house.mi.gov with the following information:
Legislative Updates Big Budget Win for the 71st District’s Firefighters Last week, I voted yes on a bipartisan budget with historic investments in health care, child care and infrastructure for the upcoming fiscal year. I’m very proud to say that it will also fund the purchase of a new ladder fire truck for the Delta Township Regional Fire Department! I was able to bring home $1.4 million dollars to get our firefighters the equipment they need. Our firetruck is 20 years old and needed frequent repairs. Did you know that fire trucks respond to over 5,000 emergencies a year? I’m proud to support a budget that gives our first responders the resources they need!
What I’m Doing to Help Small Businesses I had the honor of giving testimony on a reintroduced bill of mine, House Bill 4994, in the Committee of Commerce and Tourism. This bill allows cobblers to donate unclaimed shoes after six months. The bill would make it easier for small business owners to help the less fortunate in their communities.
On Tuesday last week, I testified in favor of House Bill 5260, which I sponsored, in the House Regulatory Reform Committee. The bill would allow qualified trade organizations to offer the education necessary for used car dealers. This is a no-brainer: many professions provide the training mandated by the state in order to maintain one’s license. Trade groups and professional associations provide state-required training all the time. It shouldn’t be any different for car dealers.
No matter the industry, I’m going to continue to fight in Lansing for Michigan’s small businesses! |
