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Dear Neighbor,
Welcome to my e-newsletter! I’m honored and humbled to serve as our community’s voice at the Capitol in Lansing. As we continue into the term, rest assured that the challenges families in our community and state are facing are at the top of my legislative priorities.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by phone at (517) 373-0152 or email at AmosONeal@house.mi.gov if we can help.
Sincerely,
Amos O’Neal State Representative, 95th House District
In this issue:
Upcoming Community Conversation Mark your calendars for our next community conversation on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live. I will give a brief legislative update. Then, we will have a conversation about the Secure MI Vote Petition that is circulating and the dangers that it poses to our right to vote. Our special guests to help us discuss this crucial issue are Terry Pruitt and Carl Williams with the NAACP and Angie Miller with the Mid Michigan Area Labor Council. We hope to save some time for Q&A, so come with questions for our guests. You can join us on Facebook Live by clicking here or searching @StateRepAmosONeal. I hope to see you there!
State of the State Address Last week, Gov. Whitmer gave the 2022 State of the State address. Here is a brief review for those of you who were unable to view the speech. The governor’s message was simple: Michigan is strong because of our people. Whitmer highlighted a few big accomplishments, many of which couldn’t have happened without bipartisan collaboration across our divided state government. In a nod to her call to fix the roads, Whitmer reported that Michigan has repaired or replaced 13,198 lane miles of roads and 903 bridges, while supporting 82,000 good-paying, skilled trades jobs. In addition, the state invested $2 billion in water infrastructure to protect our natural resources and ensure everyone has access to clean drinking water. We understand that fixing our infrastructure means more than just our roads and bridges. I was glad Gov. Whitmer also focused on the importance of maintaining and investing in the human infrastructure of our communities. Last year, we expanded access to low-cost or free child care to one in three kids across the state and passed a budget with historic levels of funding for public schools. We passed bills that allowed 170,000 Michiganders to pursue a college degree or skilled trade credential. A bipartisan effort to spur economic development in our state led to a multibillion-dollar manufacturing investment from GM, creating thousands of new jobs.
House Select Committee on Ethics Yesterday, I was pleased to see my fellow House Democrats propose a committee on ethics to look into unethical behavior that doesn’t rise to the level of criminal wrongdoing. As we all know, even this level can breach public trust. This resolution to create the bipartisan House Select Committee on Ethics will publicly investigate allegations against current or former representatives. Michigan is one of two states not requiring state officials to disclose personal finances and potential conflicts of interest. Republican leadership has blocked our transparency bills for years, and that needs to stop now. We need a new, equally bipartisan Ethics Committee to examine credible allegations. We need to do more for all our constituents to ensure that Michigan becomes a more transparent state.
General Motors Investment Last week, General Motors, Michigan House Democrats and Gov. Whitmer announced a $7 billion investment in Michigan electric vehicle manufacturing, including a brand new EV battery plant in Delta Township and a $4 billion investment in GM’s Orion Township plant. This incredible decision will bring a combined 4,000 jobs to Michigan. This was a direct result of our bipartisan economic development efforts that were signed into law last year. By building up our local supply chains, investing in job creation, and powering the vehicles of tomorrow, we will ensure prosperity for Michigan families for decades. |
