Dear Friend,
With the weather cooling down, it feels like fall is officially here! Fall in Michigan is one of the best times of the year — I enjoy visiting our apple orchards, seeing the changing leaves and cheering on our local Downriver football teams. My staff and I have been quite busy this last month attending community events and working hard on important legislation to support our community and other Michiganders.
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
We hosted a “Constituent Services on the Road” event in Riverview to bring state agencies to the Downriver area. We had a great turnout of community members who came to ask questions and receive guidance from agencies like the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Wayne Metro Community Action Agency. Our team has responded to and solved over 800 inquiries/cases from members of our Downriver community since the beginning of the year, and I’m proud of this work we have been able to do.
Also, I attended Trenton’s sculptures unveiling ceremony as part of its revitalization efforts in the downtown area and incorporation of the arts. The sculptures, created by a local artist, were made with steel and glass. These sculptures, as well as new large-scale murals on city walls, are exciting and eye-catching new additions to the community. My staff attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Riverview Energy Systems Project, too. This project will serve as an innovative, sustainable way to process materials at the Riverview Land Preserve.
In Lansing, we voted out several bills at the end of the month. One of these bills was to put an additional $125 million into our school aid budget for school safety and mental health. We also are sending about $600 million back to school districts and putting money back into some teachers’ pockets by eliminating certain retiree health care costs. Specifically for our Downriver area, we are bringing over $2 million in funding directly to our schools, educators and students.
Lastly, I voted in support of a bill that will eliminate taxes on eligible grants related to broadband expansion in this state. This legislation will help more people and businesses have equal access to high-speed internet – which allows grantees to use more resources to support connectivity for school and employment. These are just some highlights from our work lately, but we have much more to do in the months ahead.
We’re Here for You
My office is open and welcomes any questions, concerns and ideas. Our team is eager to be a resource for you and your family however we can. Please feel free to reach out to our office here, sign up for our newsletter and stay connected on social media. I appreciate your feedback and thoughts.
Mailing Address: Michigan House of Representatives, P.O. Box 30014, Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Phone: (517) 373-0478
Email: jaimechurches@house.mi.gov
Sincerely,
Jaime Churches
State Representative, Michigan’s 27th House District