Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to my e-newsletter! I’m honored and humbled to serve as our community’s voice at the Capitol in Lansing. 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) 373-0837 or email at AmosONeal@house.mi.gov if we can help.

Sincerely,

Amos O’Neal

State Representative, 94th House District

In this issue:

  • Legislation

HB 4292: Supplemental Funding Bill

Last week, I was honored to sit as chair of the Conference Committee that negotiates the final version of legislation. House Bill 4292 invested $615 million to help school district debt relief and school renovation and expansion projects. I am proud of the work we have done to help Michigan students and school districts. We created an opportunity for Michigan school districts to feel some relief from financial burdens that have held them back. Now schools can better use those funds to benefit the students in other aspects of their experience. Not only that, many Michigan schools received funds to help improve their campus and promote more academic opportunities. These investments will help Michigan students be better prepared and better trained for Michigan’s workforce.

HB 5215: Parentage Act

There are many types of families, and Michiganders grow their families in many ways, including with the assistance of fertility treatments, assisted reproduction and surrogacy. This week in Lansing, I was proud to sponsor HB 5212 and vote yes on this bill in a package. We are one step closer to finally updating our parentage laws.

Many children in our state are at risk because they do not have a path to establish their legal connection to their parents. This legislation is critical to ensuring that all children can access the security of legal parentage, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. The bills protect Michigan’s children by updating our law to clarify who can be a parent and how to establish parentage.

This bill package will now move to the senate.

HB 4945: Domestic Violence Gun Package 

Last week, I was elated to see my House Bill 4945 pass on the House floor. This bill, alongside its Senate counterparts, would prohibit abusers convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms.

Michigan is now part of the minority of states that do not prohibit abusers convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms. Without a state prohibition similar to the federal law prohibition, state and local prosecutors are unable to enforce the federal misdemeanor domestic violence crime prohibition because they lack the appropriate jurisdiction. This makes it less likely that abusers will be prosecuted for violating the law in Michigan.

Research has found that the federal law prohibiting gun purchase and possession by people convicted of domestic violence-related misdemeanors led to 17% fewer gun-related homicides among female intimate partner victims and 25% fewer gun homicides among child domestic violence victims. I am hopeful to see the Senate take up the bills just as swiftly as the House.

HB 5164–65: Call Center Mobilization Package

Last week, in the House Labor Committee, we had a hearing on House Bills 5164 and 5165, both my bills, to protect Michigander jobs.

The first bill will halt eligibility for special grants and loans to companies that close down a call center in Michigan and send those call center jobs out of the country. The second bill is a registry that keeps track of those companies that partake in that behavior.

There are currently three states that have passed similar legislation. Those are states far separated on the political spectrum that find common ground with these bills. We hope that Michigan will become the fourth state to adopt these acts that protect Michigan jobs.