Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome back to my e-newsletter. It is an honor to represent the residents of the 50th House District and Genesee County. To stay up to date on my work in Lansing and around the district, visit my website at www.RepSneller.com, follow me on Facebook (@StateRepSneller) or follow me on Instagram (@reptimsneller). I want to make sure I keep you as informed as possible.

 In this Edition:

  • Lansing Updates
  • District Updates
  • Upcoming Time with Tim
  • Resources

LANSING UPDATE

Gov. Whitmer’s Budget Recommendations 

Gov. Whitmer recently released her FY 2023 budget recommendation and laid out a budget that works for all Michiganders.

The budget recommendation calls for historic investments in Michigan’s infrastructure, including:

  • $578 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to provide resources for several Michigan infrastructure projects that will continue to fix roads, bridges, railways, and local and intercity transit, while also providing capital improvements at airports.
  • $480 million in fiscal year 2022 to increase road and bridge construction for state and local roads, highways, and bridges.
  • $150 million to support projects that are economically critical, carry high traffic volumes, increase the useful life of key local roads or will be completed in conjunction with bridge replacement projects.
  • $66 million for generators for pump stations to ensure reliable generator backup power is available at all 164 MDOT-owned pumping stations, increasing public safety measures for highway flooding events.
  • $60 million for rail grade separation to support projects at key congested local rail crossings that impede efficient movement of commercial and passenger vehicles and jeopardize timely public safety response in an emergency.
  • $3.9 million for the Michigan Automated Weather Observation System Replacement Plan to increase public safety by replacing the state’s automated weather observations, some of which are 30 years old.

Gov. Whitmer has also proposed an $18.4 billion investment in education. Every child deserves access to a quality education, no matter where they live. While last year’s historic investments in preK-12 education were a great first step, we must continue to repair the damage done to our public schools by years of underfunding. The proposed budget would include a 5% increase for per-student funding, making it the largest in state history. It would also include additional funding and enhanced support for rural school districts and those with a greater proportion of students receiving special education services, English language learners, at-risk youth and economically disadvantaged students.

To see more of the governor’s budget recommendations, you can visit here.

Infrastructure Survey 

We want to hear from you! The House Dems want to hear from constituents about how and where to spend federal infrastructure funding. The page hosts a survey that lets people choose what their community needs to be added or upgraded. Follow the link below to let us know what you would like to see us do to improve District 50!

Infrastructure Survey – housedems.com

County Commissioner Terms

I have worked on legislation that will lengthen the terms of county commissioners from a two-year term to a four-year term. This allows commissioners to spend less time focused on reelection and more time focused on the people’s business and working in the community. This term change will begin in 2024.

DISTRICT UPDATE

Recent Coffee Hours

Thank you to those of you who showed up to my most recent coffee hours! I always appreciate getting to hear from and connect with constituents.

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UPCOMING TIME WITH TIM

2022 Coffee Hours

My favorite part of this job is getting out with the community and hearing what issues matter to you. I’m hosting a series of coffee hours this year, and I invite you all to stop by any of them to express your thoughts on the issues that surround our community.

If you haven’t got the chance to stop by yet, I hope to see you there!

  • Feb. 25: Grand Blanc Senior Center, 1 p.m.
  • March 4: Scotti’s Coney Island, 10 a.m.
  • March 21: Sam’s Italian Restaurant, 6 p.m.
  • March 25: Burton Senior Center, 1 p.m.
  • April 1: Scotti’s Coney Island, 10 a.m.
  • April 29: Grand Blanc Senior Center, 1 p.m.
  • May 6: Scotti’s Coney Island, 10 a.m.
  • May 16: Sam’s Italian Restaurant, 6 p.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Genesee County Students Essay Contest

Genesee Health Plan (GHP) announced this past week that it is accepting entries for its Seventh Annual Health Heritage Essay Contest. Sovita Credit Union is the contest sponsor, which is open to all Flint and Genesee County students in grades 5-12, including students in home-school, private school and virtual/distance learning.

The specific essay guidelines are outlined below and can also be found here.

CrimFit Training Program

The CrimFit Training Program is a 15-week guided training program designed for participants of all ages and fitness levels to help you prepare for your Crim 10 Mile, Half Crim or 5K. The program consists of a weekly training session and monthly training calendars for guidance. Groups will follow the most up-to-date state and local guidelines on gatherings, with the plan to have groups train in-person as long as it is safe to do so. All participants and groups will have the option to train virtually if they choose so.

For more information, please visit the link here. Prices increase after Feb. 28, so sign up this weekend if you are interested!

Flint Native Opens Genesee County’s First Bartending School

Flint’s Sheena Harrison opened Drinks of Essence, Genesee County’s first and only bartending school, in late 2021. The school offers a three-day, 30-hour training course to allow aspiring bartenders and mixologists to hone in their skills behind the bar. Students  will learn how to mix, shake and enjoy exciting cocktails. Drinks of Essence also hosts a virtual mixology experience for $20.

For more information on upcoming classes and events at Drinks of Essence, click here.

  Helpful Resources

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

During this challenging time, it is more important than ever to stay in touch. I want to hear from you. What do you need? How can we help you? My office is here to assist you or answer any questions you may have. Please, reach out to me at TimSneller@house.mi.gov.