Dear Friend,
Happy spring! I hope that warmer weather will be here soon. In this e-news, I will discuss my upcoming community conversation, recent legislative packages I have been a part of, the 2023 budget, and the water infrastructure supplemental.
If you need support or resources or have any questions regarding legislation or state government in general, please feel free to reach out to me at my office via email or by calling (517) 373-0478.
Sincerely,
Rep. Regina Weiss
State Representative
27th House District
Coffee Hour
Please join me for my upcoming community conversation on Friday, April 22, at 2 p.m. We will be at the Oak Park Public Library. I will also hold another community conversation on May 6 at 2 p.m. at the Huntington Woods Library.
Payroll Protection Package
When an employer incorrectly classifies their employees as contractors, they can avoid providing the benefits to which their hard-working employees are entitled. My colleagues and I introduced a bill package to increase the punishments for companies who misclassify their employees and make sure businesses are not able to shortchange their workers anymore.
2023 Budget Update
The governor’s proposed budget includes several key investments in our state. It includes $18.4 billion for K-12 education, $280 million for strategic one-time investments for infrastructure projects across the state, and $230 million for transformational education infrastructure, just to name a few.
Currently, House subcommittees are in the process of voting out their initial counters to what the governor proposed. While the budgets that have made it out of the subcommittee process so far have not been exactly what I would have hoped for, the process will continue, and I am hopeful that we will end up with strong budgets that prioritize supporting our schools, communities and working families.
Teacher Evaluation Bill
I have been asked by several teachers from our district to introduce legislation that would waive teacher evaluations for the 2021-2022 school year. My colleagues and I agree that these past two years have been incredibly trying for teachers and students. I want teachers to be able to solely focus on educating their students, without the added stress of evaluations, which is why I have introduced House Bill 5993 to suspend the year-end teacher evaluation requirement for the 2021-2022 school year.
Water Supplemental Investment
Senate Bill 565 is a historic investment into Michigan’s water infrastructure, totaling $4.7 billion. Included in this bill is $600 million for lead line replacement. It also includes funding for PFAS mediation grant programs, storm and wastewater management, and other critical investments in our water and environment.