Dear Neighbor,

Here is some information that I hope you will find helpful, including updates and news from your state government.

Rep. Hope to Host Coffee Hour in September

Mark your calendar! Join me for a Coffee & Conversation event on Monday, Sept. 18, from 4-5 p.m., at the Sam Corey Senior Center, 2108 Cedar St. in Holt. Send an email to KaraHope@house.mi.gov with any questions or topics you would like covered. See you then!

Rep. Hope Introduces Bill to Remove Barriers to Abortion

1

Last week, my colleagues and I introduced the Reproductive Health Act, which removes medically unnecessary barriers to abortion in Michigan. The passage of Proposal 3 last November, which amended the Michigan Constitution to guarantee reproductive freedom, made it clear that voters overwhelmingly support access to abortion care in our state. If passed, the bills in this package (House Bills 4949–59) would:

  • Prohibit criminal punishment for stillbirths and miscarriages.
  • Remove the 24-hour waiting period for an abortion.
  • Allow properly trained advanced practice clinicians to perform abortions.
  • Allow private insurance companies to provide coverage for abortions and other pregnancy-related health care.
  • Allow Medicaid to cover abortions and other pregnancy-related health care.

My bill (HB 4951) would repeal the criminal penalties currently associated with abortion restrictions.

MI House of Representatives Hosts Annual 9/11 Ceremony

2

I had the honor of hosting Lt. Brett Justice from the Delhi Township Fire Department for the House’s annual 9/11 ceremony. In remembrance of the hundreds of first responders who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, we recognize Michigan’s police officers, firefighters, medical technicians and military members who bravely serve our communities every day.

3

MI Strategic Fund Awards $125,000 to Expand Holt Business 

Last week, Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced that three businesses have been awarded performance-based grants from the Michigan Strategic Fund to support expansion, including Molded Plastics Industries LLC in Delhi Charter Township.

The company received $125,000 to expand its 13-acre facility in Delhi Township to include new fiberglass processing equipment and CNC cells. The project is expected to create $6.8 million of capital investment and generate 36 new jobs.

Operation Safe Neighborhoods Removes More Than 450 Illegal Guns

Last week, Gov. Whitmer announced that more than 450 illegal guns have been confiscated under Operation Safe Neighborhoods. This operation aims to reduce gun violence by taking illegal firearms from people who cannot legally possess them due to their prior criminal history. Since Operation Safe Neighborhoods began, police have conducted 4,145 check-ins with felony offenders.

Democrats Put People First

In January, we hit the ground running, and we’ve already accomplished so much. For example, we:

  • Rolled back the retirement tax, helping seniors make ends meet.
  • Quintupled the working families tax credit, directly benefiting hundreds of thousands of kids in Michigan.
  • Made Michigan a more welcoming, inclusive state by protecting LGBTQ+ Michiganders in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
  • Took our cue from voters who enshrined the right to reproductive freedom in the Michigan Constitution and repealed the outdated 1931 abortion ban.
  • Made history as the first state in nearly 40 years by repealing anti-worker “right-to-work” laws.
  • Reinstated prevailing wage laws.
  • Kept our kids and communities safe by enacting commonsense gun violence prevention laws, including background check, safe storage and ERPO laws.
  • Supported job growth and created jobs, decreasing the unemployment rate to the lowest level in 23 years.
  • Directly supported Michigan families by funding free breakfast and lunch for all 1.4 million public school students across the state.
  • Expanded pathways to good-paying, high-skill jobs by lowering the age eligibility for Michigan Reconnect program from 25 to 21.
  • Made it easier to live in Michigan with major investments in housing and community revitalization projects.
  • Implemented more affordable pre-K for thousands of Michigan kids, taking a step closer to universal free pre-K.
  • Revitalized communities by welcoming new good-paying jobs to Michigan.

And there’s so much more to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues on issues that matter most to Michiganders. We are putting people first to ensure that everybody can make it in Michigan!

Sincerely,

Kara Hope

State Representative