Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to my February e-newsletter! It continues to be a privilege to represent Northville, Plymouth and eastern Canton, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in Lansing.
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 on 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 contact my office at (517) 373-3816, MattKoleszar@house.mi.gov or by stopping 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:
- COVID-19 Supplemental Budget Passes House
- Election Reform That Works
- Keeping Long-term Care Facilities in Business
- MITC Announces New Investment Plans
- Plymouth Ice Fest
- Nominate a Teacher of the Month
- Need Help With Your Taxes?
COVID-19 Supplemental Budget Passes House
The House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 5523, a supplemental appropriation bill that contains nearly $1.2 billion in federal funding dedicated to fighting COVID-19, some of which has been available since December 2020. This bill includes:
- $300 million for health care recruitment, retention and training.
- $150 million for pandemic school safety to expand testing in Michigan schools.
- $75 million for COVID-19 early treatment and testing sites.
- $70 million for adult foster care facilities, which would provide $700 per bed grants to eligible facilities.
- $29 million for nursing home infection control efforts.
My fellow House Democrats and I have been fighting tirelessly to bring these taxpayer dollars home to Michigan and put the funds to work in our communities. Although this relief funding is long overdue, I am proud that we delivered this critical funding to keep Michiganders safe. I look forward to this bill finally reaching Gov. Whitmer’s desk and being signed into law.
Election Reform That Works
I testified before the Senate Elections Committee in support of my bill, HB 5258. Currently, when sending the final draft version of ballots to clerks, counties with more than 1.5 million residents (only Wayne County meets this threshold) are required to use costly certified mail. My bill would allow counties to use first-class mail, saving thousands of dollars each election. Candidates would be given more time to correct mistakes and ensure typos aren’t missed. Since the bill has already passed the House, we’re just waiting for the Senate to send it to the governor.
Keeping Long-term Care Facilities in Business
Last month, I was proud to co-sponsor HB 5698, which makes changes to the insurance fee schedules to keep Michigan’s long-term care facilities in business. This is part of an on-going process to build on the auto insurance reform passed in 2019. While I was proud to support that legislation, I understand that no huge, comprehensive legislation gets it right the first time. It’s our job to recognize this fact and continuously work to make sure our legislation serves the people of Michigan.
MITC Announces New Investment Plans
I’m proud to announce that the Michigan International Technology Center Redevelopment Authority recently unveiled their plans to construct a new 66,000-square-foot commercial flex space at the site of the former Detroit House of Corrections.
This site will provide businesses with move-in ready sites to grow by transforming an underutilized property with updated infrastructure and new investment. Last year, I was able to secure funding in the budget that helped to make this happen. The project is expected to generate an investment of nearly $40 million and employ nearly 300 full-time office and R&D jobs right here in Plymouth.
Plymouth Ice Fest
I was fortunate enough to attend the Plymouth Ice Fest, which lines downtown Plymouth with ice sculptures and live ice carving. This year, there was a petting zoo and many other fun activities for the whole family. If you were unable to attend this year, make sure you come down next year for a weekend of fun, food and beautiful art to get us through the February freeze.
Nominate a Teacher of the Month
As a former school teacher, I understand that our educators are too often underappreciated. That’s why I’ll be highlighting one each month for all the good work they do. Who among us hasn’t had a teacher who’s deeply affected our lives? We owe these exceptional teachers so much. The least that I can do is shine a spotlight on these heroes who give so much of themselves for their communities. So, please, nominate one of the wonderful teachers in our district for Teacher of the Month here so we can celebrate all they do for our community!
Need Help With Your Taxes?
With tax season upon us, my office has tax guides and resources available that are sure to make it just a little bit easier this year. If you need help with your taxes, please don’t hesitate to contact my office, and we’ll get you the resources you need.