Dear Neighbor,
I am honored to serve as your state representative for the 29th House District and am proud to be a strong advocate in Lansing for the residents and families of our community. Please encourage your friends and family to stay connected and subscribe to this e-newsletter. It will keep you up-to-date on legislation and policies coming from the Capitol, as well as my coffee hours and other community events I will host so we can get together face-to-face.
In this issue:
● Upcoming Brews with Brenda
● Legislative Update
● Community Recap
Brews with Brenda
Please join me for Brews with Brenda on Friday, Aug. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lodge Grill and Bar, 2812 Orchard Lake Road in Keego Harbor.
I look forward to seeing you, but if you are unable to join me and would like to talk to me about any concerns or questions you may have, please reach out to me by email, phone or stop by my office in Lansing. Serving you and our community is my priority.
Legislative Update
Over the last few months I have introduced several bills to make our community and state a better place to live, many of which were in direct response to the conversations I have had with you and other community members:
● HB 4467: a bill to designate the monarch butterfly as the official state insect was referred to the Governmental Operations committee.
● HB 4483: a bill to encourage public schools to include cursive back into their curriculum and require the MDE to create a model program of instruction in cursive handwriting for schools to adopt. It was referred to the Education committee.
● HB 4617: a bill to update safety and positioning requirements for child restraint seats to depend on the weight of the child as well as other revisions. It was referred to the Transportation committee.
● HB 4666: a bill to increase the hourly reimbursement rate for childcare center providers, group home providers and registered family home providers in the Department of Education budget. It was referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
● HB 4550: a bill to add successor guardians to the background check requirement provisions for primary guardians. The bill is awaiting action in the Senate Families, Seniors and Veterans committee.
● HR 123: a resolution to urge the Congress of the United States to establish and fund programs that support positive health practices for minority mothers. It was referred to the Committee on Families, Children and Seniors.
Community Recap
New Henry Knight Amphitheater and Water Park Downtown
Congratulations to Auburn Hills Parks and Recreations on the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the New Henry Knight Amphitheater and Water Park downtown.
Fourth of July Celebration
I was happy to celebrate the Fourth of July with fellow dedicated legislator state Sen. Rosemary Bayer, and we had a great time! We serve in four communities together – Auburn Hills, Pontiac, Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake. Please feel free to reach out to either Sen. Bayer or me if you need help with any state-level issues.
The Better Together Celebration
The Better Together Celebration commemorated the merger of South Oakland Shelter and Lighthouse. I was honored to be invited to speak alongside several other elected officials. A tented private affair held on the grounds of M1 Concourse in Pontiac included dinner, music, classic cars and fireworks. The evening raised more than $45,000 to aid hunger, poverty and homelessness in metro Detroit.
New Orleans BUILD conference
When states provide birth to pre-k programs for their students, there is an opportunity for equitable educational development. I learned that New Orleans has a comprehensive early childhood system that is showing progress post-Katrina, and I believe we can implement similar programs here in Michigan. Many of my colleagues attended the conference, and childcare providers from New York praised our legislators for getting involved on the ground level.
NAACP Education Workshop
It was a pleasure and proud moment serving as a panelist and having the opportunity to speak at the 110th Annual NAACP National Convention Education Workshop in Detroit. Thank you Detroit Chapter NAACP and MDE Vice Chair Pamela Pugh for the opportunity!
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital. I toured the Maternity Ward, Student Medical Facility and much more! Thank you!
Pink Wave
We enjoyed highlighting our feminine side. We are state representatives, judges, county clerks, and county commissioners. We are wives and mothers. A special thank you to LaKeisha Solomon owner of Elite Couture and designer of these fashions! We are sisters serving our people.
Community Snapshots
I also had the opportunity to connect with many members of our community this past month. Here are a few of the highlights:
July 19 Brews with Brenda at Dimitris
Mom’s Demand Action Rally
Red for Ed Rally
2019 Annual Michigan Distributors and Vendors Association Candy Convention in Boyne Mountain.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I hope that you found the information helpful.
In Service,
State Representative Brenda Carter