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Dear Friends and Neighbors, Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! As always, I am most effective in my job when acting on your direct input. I encourage you to reach out to me and my staff with any questions, comments or concerns that you may have regarding our community or the state and with any policy ideas. Please do not hesitate to reach out by phone at (517) 373-0853 or send an email to AngelaWitwer@house.gov. Sincerely, Angela Witwer State Representative, 71st House District In This Issue:
Upcoming Coffee Hours Please join me for one of my Weekly Wrap-ups with Witwer. You can find the event on my Facebook page. Please also like and follow my page to stay connected with updates from the Capitol. I look forward to seeing you at a coffee hour soon! Upcoming Coffee Hours
In the District
Friends of the Eaton County Parks Golf Scramble Last month, I had the honor of being the starter at the Friends of Eaton County Parks golf outing. It was great to golf with members of our community in the sun for a great cause that supports and promotes the preservation, maintenance, advancement and improvement of parks and recreational facilities in Eaton County. I look forward to this amazing event next year.
Delivering Backpacks to Students in Need I had the opportunity to pass out 100 backpacks and school supplies to students across our district with my legislative director, Sophia. It’s a pleasure to make our students’ learning experiences a bit better. Walking in Our Community During the Legislature’s in-district work period, I have been busy talking to folks in our community about the issues that are important to them. Since April, my team and I have knocked on almost 16,000 doors and plan to knock some more next month. I want to especially thank all the volunteers who came out. If there’s anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at AngelaWitwer@house.mi.gov or (517) 373-0853.
Michigan Agriculture Explorer of the Year Award I was happy to assist in awarding Citizens LLC of Charlotte with a tribute for being Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MDARD) 2021 Michigan Agriculture Exporter of the Year. Citizens LLC is an exporter of identity-preserved soybeans to buyers across the world and continues to innovate in the edible soybean sector. Their services have expanded to include trucking, overseas container hauling, custom application, GPS and soil sampling, fertilizer spreading, custom seed treating, chemicals, fertilizer, seed and internationally marketed specialty soybeans, growing exports 4000% year-over-year from 2019-2020. Congrats, and keep up the great work! General Update
Sept. 11 Ceremony I was honored to host Sheriff Reich and the family members of fallen first responder Sgt. Williams James Darnell at the Michigan House of Representatives’ annual Sept. 11 ceremony to commemorate Michigan first responders lost in the line of duty during the past year, honor those lost in the 2001 attacks and recognize first responders serving in our communities today. Twenty years after horrific events that took place on Sept. 11, 2001, it’s important to reflect and remember those brave first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice, honor the men and women who protect us day in and day out and the heroes who laid down their lives in the line of duty. They may be gone, but they and their sacrifice will never be forgotten. Federal Unemployment Benefits Programs Ended Sept. 4 A number of federal unemployment programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), ended on Sept. 4. Even if you have unused weeks remaining on a PUA or PEUC claim, weeks after Sept. 4 will not be paid. These programs were set to end on March 14, but were extended to Sept. 4 by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Weeks prior to Sept. 4 that are pending review, protest, non-monetary issues etc. can still be paid once those issues are resolved. These programs ending will not affect claimants on a regular state unemployment claim. For more information on these federal unemployment programs, please visit Michigan.gov/uia. State Resources Available to Help the Unemployed Find Work There are still a number of free resources and programs available to support those still looking for work:
Legislative Update $13 Million in Grants to Small, Rural Hospitals Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and MDHHS secured a $13 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration for 51 small, rural hospitals in Michigan to support COVID-19 testing and mitigation, including our very own Sparrow Eaton Hospital. Each hospital will receive about $257,000 to be used within 18 months. Jumpstarting Michigan’s Economy To help our economy come back from the pandemic, Gov. Whitmer proposed $2.1 billion in additional investments. This helps maximize Michigan’s economic jumpstart plan by investing:
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