Dear Neighbor,
Happy May! I hope springtime brings with it plenty of great weather and opportunities for you to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state. My colleagues and I have had a busy month, working on legislation in committee and on the House floor, as well as beginning the budget process for the upcoming fiscal year. I invite you to join me at my upcoming coffee hour on Saturday, May 13, at La Casa de la Cobija (2355 Division Ave. S.). I hope to see you there!
If you haven’t already, I invite you to follow my Facebook page to stay up-to-date on local issues, events, and my work as your representative. Additionally, you can find me on Twitter @JohnforMI.
My team and I are here to help! If you are in need of support or need access to local or state resources, have any questions regarding legislation or state government in general, please reach out to me at my office at JohnFitzgerald@house.mi.gov or by calling (517) 373-0835.
In this issue:
- Meet with John
- John’s Journal
- Legislative Updates
- Constituent Resources
Meet with John
Each month, I hold regular coffee hours to engage in conversation and exchange ideas with you. This month, my coffee hour will be held on Saturday, May 13 from 10-11 a.m. at La Casa de la Cobija, 2355 Division Ave. S. in Grand Rapids. I always appreciate and look forward to hearing from constituents, and I hope to see you there to talk about the things most important to you and our community. Of course, if you are unable to attend, do not hesitate to email or call my office.
I am also excited to announce that starting Monday, May 22, I will be holding regular office hours at Wyoming City Hall from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Stop by to say hi, talk with me about an issue or concern you have for our district and get updates for our community from the Capitol. I look forward to seeing you!
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John’s Journal
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A couple weeks ago, I had the honor to stop by Godfrey-Lee High School to recognize the accomplishments of the 2022-23 Lee Legends Boys Basketball Team, as well as two state tournament qualifying Lee wrestlers. It is important to recognize the achievements of our scholars who continue to succeed in the classroom and in their athletic and extracurricular pursuits.
If you know a student, scholar, athlete, artist, musician or other exceptional young person from our district that you believe is deserving of recognition for their accomplishments, I want to hear about it! Please, reach out to my office with information about our scholars’ accomplishments.
As the school year approaches its final days, I want to congratulate all the students of the 83rd who are graduating. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed, and I hope that you find fulfillment and success as you open the next chapter of your life. Go, explore, learn, try, and fail, but know that you will always have a home here in West Michigan.
Legislative Updates
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On Thursday, May 4, I introduced a two-bill package with state Rep. Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor) to update Michigan’s rules and regulations around car seats for infants and children. Our laws have not been updated since 2008, and this legislation is aimed at making sure our kids are traveling safely while in the car. These bills will put our state’s standards in line with current industry standards and research, and structuring the enforcement so that it is educational for parents, not punitive. That is why my bill in this package waives any fees or fines for not using the proper car seat if a parent can provide evidence that they have obtained a compliant car seat for their child and received education about its proper use.
Constituent Updates
June is Youth Employment Month
Michigan celebrates Youth Employment Month in June. The summer month of June is a great time for students to gain valuable skills for their future careers. The State of Michigan encourages employers to invest in young talent, as it is good for business and the economy. For more resources on youth employment check out the Youth Employment website.
I Served, I am a Veteran Campaign
The Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency is collecting stories and photos from Michigan veterans who have been historically underserved and underrepresented. These stories will be used to help encourage others to get the help they need. Getting veterans linked to the right benefits and resources can help them thrive and prevent the issues that can lead to veteran suicide and suicidal ideation. It also allows a wide variety of veterans to tell their own stories.
This includes multicultural veterans from all ethnicities and religions, LGBTQ+ veterans, tribal veterans, houseless or previously houseless veterans, previously incarcerated veterans, veterans struggling with addiction or alcoholism, peacetime veterans, and all other veteran populations, as well as dependents of deceased veterans. Regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, era of service, socioeconomic status or other factors, a veteran is a veteran — and their stories deserve to be heard.
If you served in the U.S. armed forces, including the National Guard and reserves, you are a veteran, and the MVAA wants to help you tell your story to inspire other veterans and get all former service members connected to the benefits they earned for their service. If you’d like to submit your story, please fill out a nomination form and send it to MVAA Communications Manager Andy Henion at heniona@michigan.gov.