Dear Friend,

It is my honor to represent the 38th House District at the Capitol as your state representative.

My staff and I are always here to help you with any questions you may have, and we strive to do our best to answer them or put you in touch with someone who can. If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to call my office at (517) 373-0827 or email me at JoeyAndrews@house.mi.gov.

Be sure to also check out the latest happenings on the Lakeshore and in Lansing on my social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter!

Sincerely,

Joey Andrews

State Representative

Michigan’s 38th House District

In this issue:

  • District Events
  • Capitol Update
  • Community Update

District Events

Please join me for my upcoming community conversation events, where I will give a legislative update and take your questions about the issues facing our state and our community. These events are a great way to find out what policies I’m working on and to share your ideas and concerns with me!

Community Conversations:

  • Tuesday, July 16, at 5 p.m.
    • Location: Covert Branch Library
    • Address: 33805 M-140, Covert, MI 49043
  • Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 5 p.m.
    • Location: South Haven Memorial Library
    • Address: 314 Broadway St., South Haven, MI 49090
  • Friday, Aug. 23, at 5 p.m.
    • Location: Watermark Brewing Company
    • Address: 5781 St. Joseph Ave., Stevensville, MI 49127

Special Event:

I am thrilled to announce a town hall featuring Special Guest Attorney General Dana Nessel and Region IV Area Agency on Aging to address consumer protection against senior scams.

  • Senior Scams Town Hall
    • Date and Time: Sunday, August 4, from 12:30-2 p.m.
    • Special Guest: Attorney General Dana Nessel
    • Location: Region IV Area Agency on Aging’s Campus for Creative Aging
    • Address: 920 Lakeview Ave., St. Joseph, MI 49085

Capitol Update

The Michigan House of Representatives recently passed the state’s fiscal 2024-25 budget that embodies Michigan values and prioritizes stability and growth for all residents. This historic budget underlines our commitment to community revitalization, public safety enhancements, affordable housing initiatives and robust education investments. By focusing on these core areas, we aim to strengthen local economies, ensure safer neighborhoods, address housing challenges and provide accessible education opportunities from early childhood through college. Notably, this budget includes a $30 million increase in county revenue sharing and a $75 million investment in a new revenue-sharing trust fund to support services such as first responders, transportation and water infrastructure for local communities. This budget doesn’t raise taxes but rather seeks to reduce financial burdens on Michigan families while promoting long-term prosperity and quality of life across the state.

With the passage of this transformative budget, I’ve actively listened to and addressed concerns voiced by constituents, community leaders and stakeholders in House District 38. I’m proud to have secured critical funding for key projects that will significantly benefit our district, including:

  • $100,000 to Caring Connection to assist its efforts to provide crucial services to survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
  • $250,000 to the Brookview Montessori School for structural upgrades to bring the building up to code.
  • $550,000 funding for schools such as Benton Harbor to investigate the school-to-prison pipeline and address racial disparities in education.
  • $30,000 to the Benton Harbor Downtown Development Authority for the Wightman State Theater Restoration Feasibility/Pre-Design Study.
  • $200,000 to the Casco Township Senior Activity Center (located in the township hall) for upgrades to the garage (previously used for fire trucks when the building served as a fire hall) to create a senior activity center that is safe and accessible.
  • $160,000 to the South Haven Regional Business Hub to advance their work in building strong ecosystems and helping small businesses grow.
  • $150,000 to the Mosaic Career Pathway Institute, which offers trade programs and aims to help find meaningful work, transform lives, uplift families, and revitalize the community.
  • $150,000 to Bridgman for city hall rehabilitation.
  • $1,300,000 to the city of Douglas for the replacement of their lead service lines.
  • $150,000,000 to Palisades Nuclear Plant to support the reopening of the facility, protecting 600 high-paying jobs at the plant and an additional 1,1000 additional jobs throughout the community.
  • $500,000 to the Berrien County Workforce Innovation Center to assist with equipment, staffing, training and credentialing.

Community Update

We are delighted to share some outstanding news with you — several federal and state grants have been awarded to our district, including:

State Grants:

  • Saugatuck Township
    • Award: Community Technical, Managerial and Financial Support for Lead Line Replacement (TMF LSLR) Grant
    • Amount: $258,000
  • City of Saugatuck
    • Award: Community Technical, Managerial and Financial Support for Lead Line Replacement (TMF LSLR) Grant
    • Amount: $221,660
  • New Buffalo Township
    • Award: Community Technical, Managerial and Financial Support for Lead Line Replacement (TMF LSLR) Grant
    • Amount: $106,000
  • City of New Buffalo
    • Award: Community Technical, Managerial and Financial Support for Lead Line Replacement (TMF LSLR) Grant
    • Amount: $600,000
  • Benton Charter Township
    • Award: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Grant
    • Amount: $19,965,000
  • City of Benton Harbor
    • Award: Financial Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships (FDCVT) Grant
    • Amount: $110,890
    • Purpose: Enhance public service through replacement of a parking lot
  • City of Benton Harbor
    • Award: Community Center Grant
    • Amount: $1,000,000
    • Purpose: Renovate and reopen the Bobo Brazil Community Center, which has been closed since 2009.

Federal Grants:

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
    • Total Award: $3.17 billion in public housing repair funding to 2,756 public housing authorities (PHA) across all 50 states.
    • Local Recipients:
      • South Haven Housing Commission: $245,032
      • Saint Joseph Housing Commission: $175,951
      • Covert Public Housing Commission: $86,353
      • Benton Township Housing Commission: $1,035,420
      • Benton Harbor Housing Commission: $1,114,823
  • U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
    • Village of Stevensville
      • Award: Safe Streets and Roads for All Funding Opportunity
      • Amount: $81,600
      • Purpose: Develop a comprehensive safety action plan

Going Pro Talent Fund Awards:

There were 15 Going PRO Talent Fund awards in our district. Here is the list of the recipients and the amount of funding received:

  • Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren
    • Compton Inc.
      • Address: 1201 8th Ave., South Haven, MI 49090
      • County: Van Buren
      • Total Number Trained: 30
      • Employer Award Amount: $58,100
    • Fortress Manufacturing
      • Address: 2255 Pipestone Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 5
      • Employer Award Amount: $9,500
    • Freedom Finishing Inc.
      • Address: 2755 Meadowbrook Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 1
      • Employer Award Amount: $2,000
    • Gaishin Manufacturing
      • Address: 240 Urbandale Ave., Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 46
      • Employer Award Amount: $83,659
    • Special-Lite
      • Address: 1394 E. Empire Ave., Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 25
      • Employer Award Amount: $50,000
    • Ausco Products, Inc.
      • Address: 2245 Pipestone Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 53
      • Employer Award Amount: $96,850
    • Wolverine Corporation
      • Address: 3600 Tennis Court, St. Joseph, MI 49085
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 37
      • Employer Award Amount: $57,668.00
    • Griffin Tool Inc.
      • Address: 2951 Johnson Road, Stevensville, MI 49127
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 19
      • Employer Award Amount: $59,000
    • Max 3 LLC
      • Address: 360 Urbandale Ave., Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 44
      • Employer Award Amount: $92,400
    • InterCare Community Health Network
      • Address: 800 M-139, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 76
      • Employer Award Amount: $178,180
    • Edgewater Automation, LLC
      • Address: 481 Renaissance Drive, St. Joseph, MI 49085
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 17
      • Employer Award Amount: $59,500
    • Accu Die & Mold Inc.
      • Address: 7473 Red Arrow Highway, Stevensville, MI 49127
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 5
      • Employer Award Amount: $13,072
    • Gast Manufacturing
      • Address: 2300 M-139, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
      • County: Berrien
      • Total Number Trained: 108
      • Employer Award Amount: $182,165
    • W.R. Grace
      • Address: 1421 Kalamazoo St., South Haven, MI 49090
      • County: Van Buren
      • Total Number Trained: 35
      • Employer Award Amount: $59,721
  • West Michigan Works!
    • Saugatuck Brewing Company
      • Address: 2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, MI 49406
      • County: Allegan
      • Total Number Trained: 31
      • Employer Award Amount: $49,195