Capitol and Community Updates

Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to my monthly Capitol and Community Updates e-newsletter! As your state representative in the 102nd Michigan Legislature, I am happy to provide these regular updates on my legislative work. In this issue, you will find information on my upcoming events, a legislative update including final budget highlights, news on funding coming to our district, grant opportunities and resources for how my office can assist you!

Neighbors and friends in House District 103 are encouraged to also sign up for these updates at my website, RepCoffia.com. You can reach my office by phone at (517) 373-3817 or by email at BetsyCoffia@house.mi.gov. Be sure to check out the latest on my social media platforms as well. As this legislative session continues, I welcome your continued feedback and encourage you to reach out if my team and I can ever be of assistance to you!

In Service,

Betsy Coffia

State Representative

House District 103

Upcoming Events

Please join me for my upcoming office hours, 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!

PLEASE NOTE: We have a new location for our Benzie County office hour as the Red Door is no longer open on Mondays. We are grateful to the Red Door for hosting us the past 18 months and excited to have secured a location at the Almira Township Hall. Details below.

My 2024 in-person office hours occur monthly in one of the three counties of the 103rd District — Grand Traverse, Benzie and Leelanau — on a rotating basis, with a virtual session later in the day. This month, my in-person office hour will be in Benzie County and both events will be housing-focused and feature a special guest, Ryan Kilpatrick from Housing North!

August meeting information:

In-Person Office Hour

When: Monday, Aug. 12, from noon to 1 p.m.

Where: Almira Town Hall

(19639 Maple St., Lake Ann, MI 49650)

*NEW LOCATION*

Virtual Office Hour

When: Monday, Aug. 12, from 4-5 p.m.

Where: Zoom (Register here)

Legislative Update

This has been the most productive legislative term in years, if not in decades. The Legislature passed over 400 bills that have been signed into law so far, the vast majority with bipartisan support. It is my great honor to put the people of Michigan first by delivering on our promises, and I am ready to keep the momentum moving forward as this legislative term continues.

Opportunities for Tuition-Free College

As a proud alumna of Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), I worked multiple jobs to put myself through college. I had a great experience as a student, but if I’m being honest, I remember tuition costs being a major hurdle when I was also juggling rent and other living expenses and that almost caused me to drop out. 

 

So, I was excited to support a provision in this year’s budget to make attendance at community colleges, including at NMC, tuition-free for high school graduates who live in the college’s district and lower the costs for people that live outside of the district, for those that are eligible for the scholarship. The tuition-free opportunity includes both associate degrees and skilled trades certificates.

 

I want to be sure you and your family know about it as you are making your plans for the future; it’s a way to save nearly $5,000 and get a quality education.

 

You won’t want to wait too long to apply! Application deadlines are: 

• Fall Semester 2024

• New students by Aug. 26

• • Returning students by Sept. 2
• Spring Semester 2025
  • New students need to register by Jan. 13
  • Returning students need to register by Jan. 20
• Summer Semester 2025
  • New students need to register by June 11
  • Returning students need to register by June 16

Additionally, my colleagues and I in the Michigan Legislature voted last year to lower the eligibility of Michigan Reconnect to 21 years old until Nov. 15, 2024, after which it will revert back to 25 years old. I encourage interested people 21 to 24 to act now and contact the college about enrollment. This program is a tuition-free option for adult students. Michigan Reconnect allows people who live in-district for a community college such as NMC to attend tuition-free to pursue an associate degree, certificate, skilled trades training, etc. Those who live outside of the community college district will also see significant savings. Go to https://www.michigan.gov/reconnect/about to learn more and how to apply.

 

For more information on available programs and to apply for free tuition at Northwestern Michigan College, go to https://www.nmc.edu/landing/adult-students.html.

$5 Million in Funding for Educator Housing

This budget is a big win for our communities, and especially our affordable housing goals. Through our second budget cycle, we were able to secure key funding for the 103rd House District, including $5 million to establish affordable housing options for educators and support staff so we can better attract and retain workers at all levels in our schools. A lack of housing has been a major barrier to our region’s workforce recruitment, and that includes education staff. The plan is being championed by TCAPS, Northwest Education Services, Interlochen Arts Academy and Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools. This coalition of local education leaders brought this proposal to me last fall, and I made it a top priority. Working collaboratively with my colleague state Sen. John Damoose, we successfully advocated for its inclusion in the state budget.

 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently joined me in Traverse City to celebrate the passage of the state budget and the inclusion of this funding. This project will be a phased, affordable and mixed-income housing development of 144 units to address the shortage of affordable housing available to educators along education support staff making between 40-80% of the area median income ($27,680-$55,360 for a single person). This budget is uplifting our schools, students and educators in meaningful ways, and once this housing development is completed, we will be in a better position to attract and retain the highest quality educators that will support our students’ success.

Funding for Rural School Transportation Continues

I am excited to report that the $125 million in funding that I secured in last year’s state budget to increase equity to our rural school districts for transportation costs is again included in this year’s state budget. This comes along with a new budget categorical formula based on pier pupil per mile that I proposed in my first standalone policy bill last spring. Many rural districts, which are often geographically hundreds of miles larger than urban districts, spend as much as 10-15% of their general fund dollars just to get students to and from school. More miles traveled means huge wear and tear on buses and extremely high fuel costs. In contrast, denser urban and suburban districts don’t have this major cost, and historically, the state has not had an equity formula built in to help rural districts cover their essential but expensive busing costs. This is a significant cost even before these children step foot in their classrooms. I am deeply proud that, once again, our state budget prioritizes rural Michigan kids and communities, and includes funding to help rural districts invest more money into the classroom, mental health and other critically needed resources for rural students.

More FY 24-25 Budget Highlights

I was honored to have the opportunity to update the Leelanau and Grand Traverse county commissions recently on the budget and other legislative work. You can view my Grand Traverse presentation HERE starting at hour 1, minute 19. 

 

The Michigan Legislature passed the final state budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year ahead of the legally required July 1 deadline, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has now signed the budget into law. Democratic leaders crafted a budget focused on strategic, fiscally responsible, and targeted investments that improve the lives of people and hometowns across Michigan without raising taxes. Additional funding going to the 103rd District includes:

• $1 million for the Boardman River FishPass to replace the deteriorating Union Street Dam with a new system that will have the ability to sort and selectively pass desirable fishes while blocking harmful invaders like sea lamprey.
• $1 million for a water main extension project in Bingham Township in Leelanau County.
• $3.2 million to expand our Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) sites, including PACE North in Traverse City, which serves seven counties, including Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau.
• $5 million for an educator housing project noted earlier in this newsletter.

 

Statewide, we are also making the following investments in this year’s budget that align with priorities I’ve heard from constituents in the 103rd District:

• $65 million increase to the Child Development and Care Public Assistance line is to increase the hourly reimbursement rates for child care providers by 15%, rounded to the nearest 5 cents. Child care centers, group and family homes and license exempt providers will all receive this rate increase, and it is an ongoing increase.
• $100 million toward local-level housing programs across the state that can be tailored to specific needs.
• $2.5 million to fund grants to nonprofit organizations as a means of supporting their work in reducing veteran homelessness.
• $200 million to provide universal school breakfast and lunch for all PreK-12 students in public schools.
• $9.2 million for a nursing school student loan repayment program and $8.1 million to increase wages for private duty nursing staff to help address the nursing shortage and support our first responders.
• $75 million for the new Revenue Sharing Trust Fund to continue support for all cities, villages, townships and counties across the state. This will be a significant step forward in preserving resources for local units of government that can be used to provide services, invest in infrastructure, improve quality of life and attract talent and business.
• $75 million for a Public Safety Trust Fund to provide cities, villages and townships with additional resources for addressing violent crime and to support community violence intervention efforts. This can include initiatives meant to reduce drug related violence, along with domestic and sexual violence, which is a particularly tough challenge in rural regions.
• $2.5 million to fund grants from the Office of Rural Prosperity, to support rural needs such as improved broadband, housing, infrastructure, education and workforce development.
• A $5 rate increase for the County Jail Reimbursement Program, which offers counties per diem payments for housing certain offenders.
• $161.5 million to establish new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) sites across the state to serve as many as 35,000 additional individuals, providing them with behavioral health services that are often not currently available. My office continues to encourage rural communities in our region and beyond to explore the CCBHC model as a way to meet critical mental health needs by our constituents.

 

These investments represent our core values — keeping residents safe, creating equitable housing and making life more affordable so families can flourish. Every community will benefit from funding to establish a Public Safety Trust Fund, support education and career readiness, and provide tax relief for families and seniors. With the passage of this budget, we are making transformative investments for every main street and every household, and Michigan continues to be on a stronger and brighter path forward.

Additional Updates

• Coffia on Final Budget Passage
• Coffia Celebrates Rural Development Grants in Grand Traverse
• Coffia Celebrates Funding to Fix Local Roads, Save Families Time and Money
• Michigan Legislature Passes Key Housing Bills
• Gov. Whitmer, Sec. Vilsack Announce Expansion of Rural Readiness Program to Win Projects, Build Infrastructure, Create Jobs in Rural Michigan

As always, legislation I have sponsored or co-sponsored can be found here. Real-time updates on my legislative work can also be found here.

 

Funding Coming to the 103rd District

I am thrilled to share that our communities in Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties in the 103rd House District have recently been awarded the following federal and state grant or loan funding:

• U.S. 31 Resurfacing Projects – $1.8 million: The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is investing nearly $1.8 million to resurface 11.7 miles of U.S.31 from south of Dock/Brackett Road in Acme to north of Campbell Road north of Elk Rapids. The project includes chip sealing, asphalt paving and new signs and pavement markings. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to support 22 jobs. My statement applauding this investment in our communities can be found here.
• Traverse City Area Public Schools – $200,000: This competitive rebate funding from the Biden-Harris Administration for one electric bus comes from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus Program.
• Northwestern Michigan Fair Association – $100,000: The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has awarded this competitive county fairs grant for capital improvements and grandstand upgrades.
• NoBo Mrkt – $100,000: MDARD has awarded this funding to build capacity in the Grand Traverse region by providing the needed support to accelerate food businesses and encouraging market demand for local food.
• Freshwater Research & Innovation Center – $1 million: The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has approved this funding under the Brownfield Redevelopment Program to support our regional economy.
• OM4T, LLC – $99,400: MDARD has awarded this funding to Grand Traverse County’s OM4T to expand their proven housing investment model, strengthen the small business’ organizational capacity, and uplift the five additional farms its workers support during the growing season.

 

Grant Funding Opportunities

Current federal and state grant opportunities include:

• Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program: The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development has announced that funding is now available to help local organizations, cooperatives, and Tribes expand affordable, high-speed internet projects in rural communities. Applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov by Aug. 20.
• Renewables Ready Communities Award: EGLE is establishing a new funding opportunity to award Michigan communities for hosting renewable energy projects. This adds to the existing value provided through tax revenue, community benefits opportunities, advancement of clean energy commitments, and more. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until Sept. 30.
• MI Neighborhood Grant: Applications are now open for this grant through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to address the regional goals identified through the implementation of the Statewide Housing Plan. This grant is open to developers, nonprofits and units of local government. Applications will be accepted as long as funding is available.
• Wastewater Infrastructure Fund (WIF) Grant Program: This grant from MDARD aims to help the state’s food and agriculture businesses ensure compliance with Michigan’s environmental regulations. Applications will be accepted continually until funding is exhausted.

 

Apply for State Boards and Commissions

As you may know, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer makes appointments to nearly 250 statewide boards and commissions. These appointments are opportunities for Michiganders to engage with their state government on the issues they care about and represent their expertise and communities at the state level. Vacancies can be viewed online. Each board listed includes the number of total members, number of vacant seats and specifications for each vacancy.

 

E-News Archives, Publications and Recognitions

My e-news archive is available on my website here.

State publications on various topics are also available here. Physical copies of any of these publications can also be mailed to you by emailing my office with your request!

Do you know someone in the district who is retiring and would like a legislative tribute to celebrate their years of service? Has a local team or group reached a milestone that they would like to be acknowledged with an official certificate for each member? Our office can provide legislative tributes, letters and certificates on a wide range of recognitions for constituents and local small businesses. If you would like to request any of these materials for yourself or others, please fill out this form or email my office at BetsyCoffia@house.mi.gov. Please provide as much information as possible, and we will work with you to arrange delivery or presentation of the recognition!