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Dear Neighbor,
Here is some information that I hope you will find helpful, including some updates and news from your state government.
Invest in MI Community Infrastructure Survey With the passage of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Michigan is expected to receive billions in federal funding for infrastructure projects. To plan for this funding, Michigan House Democrats are collecting input from residents about the infrastructure needs in their communities. Share your thoughts via this survey.
Proposed Ballot Measure Would Ensure Reproductive Freedom for All in MI Last week, paperwork was filed to begin a ballot petition drive to protect access to reproductive health care in Michigan. If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, a 1931 Michigan law would make abortion illegal. If passed, the ballot proposal would protect individuals’ rights to make their own health care decisions about birth control, preganancy, abortion, prenatal care and child birth. The coalition behind the proposed ballot initiative includes Reproductive Freedom for All, the ACLU of Michigan, Michigan Voices and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan.
In order for this proposal to be placed on the ballot in November, the Michigan Board of Canvassers must first approve a 100-word summary of the amendment and then the supporting campaign needs to collect the required amount of signatures (8% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election) by July 11.
COVID-19 Case Numbers Continue to Climb; AG Issues Consumer Alert for Fake Home Tests On Friday, Michigan reported a new record high of more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases per day. You can help prevent spreading the virus by indoor masking, washing your hands, staying home if you are sick and getting your COVID vaccine and booster.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all vaccinated people 12 and older receive a COVID-19 booster shot six months after receiving their second COVID-19 vaccine shot. Everyone ages 5 and older in Michigan is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to the health department, Sparrow Health Systems, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Meijer and other pharmacies offer the vaccine and the booster.
Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued a consumer alert warning about the rise in fake at-home COVID-19 tests being sold online. To avoid purchasing a fake test, make sure the test is authorized by the FDA, research the seller before you buy and pay with a credit card.
CLARIFICATION: Michigan Redistricting Commission Approves New District Lines It seems I inadvertently confused people with last week’s e-news about redistricting. Some more background information may help. Every 10 years, all states redraw their state and federal legislative districts. The redrawing (or redistricting) process is different from state to state.
Here in Michigan, voters passed Proposal 2 in 2018 to change how redistricting is done. Instead of being done by the political party who controls the Michigan Legislature at the time of redistricting — the way it had been done here for decades — a new commission made up of randomly selected Michigan citizens would do this work. So while Michigan’s redistricting process has significantly changed, this fact did not change: New federal (congressional) and state legislative (Michigan House and Michigan Senate) districts are drawn every 10 years using Census data.
Last week, I shared how our part of Ingham County has been redrawn. To be clear, I currently represent the 67th House District, and I will continue to do so through the end of my term at the end of this calendar year. However, when voters who currently reside in the 67th House District go to vote in the August 2022 and November 2022 elections, they will find that they no longer vote for state representative in the 67th House District. Instead, voters living in south Lansing and Delhi Township (where I live) will vote for state representative in the 74th House District. Other voters currently in the 67th House District will find that they vote in the 73rd House District. (It might help to consult the new state house map to get a better sense of the changes.) These changes will remain in place through the elections of 2030.
To recap, I will be your state representative through the end of 2022. Everyone in Michigan will have a new state house district number when they go to the polls in August and November of this year. Because elections are forward-looking, the state House candidates elected in November 2022 will begin serving their two-year term in January 2023. Hopefully this makes the news about redistricting a little easier to understand. I appreciate those of you who reached out for clarification! If you still have questions, feel free to contact my office at (517) 373-0587 or by email at karahope@house.mi.gov.
Sincerely,
Kara Hope State Representative |
