Hello Friends of the 75th District,

We have had many exciting developments and successes in our office in the last month!

I am proud to have been part of a statewide project. We worked across the aisle to invest billions of dollars from federal and state pandemic relief money into Michigan to assist in water infrastructure, greenspace construction and covid relief programs. I was proud to support this legislation as a great deal of the funds will go directly to our district.

My specific work to help make us all safer and make our lives better continues. I’m building on the success of my “Clean Slate” legislation, and I’m happy to announce that my office and I will be hosting another expungement fair in partnership with Legal Aid of Western Michigan, NAACP Grand Rapids, and many other amazing organizations. I am proud to assist West Michigan residents with the expungement process so they can truly get a clean slate.

Finally, my central registry reform package has passed the Senate. This has been a longtime project for my office, and I am overjoyed to see what difference it will make for hundreds of thousands of Michigan parents.

As always, I am so grateful to be able to represent the 75th District as your state representative, and I want to make sure my constituents’ voices are heard in Lansing. If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns about what is happening in our district, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. For the latest updates, I encourage you to follow me on social media.

Peace,

David

In This Newsletter 

  • Bipartisan Elections & Voting Rights Bill Package
  • $4.8 Billion Supplemental BIll & $55 Million Funding for Grand River Greenway Project
  • Grand Rapids Chamber Breakfast
  • Expungement Fair with Legal Aid of Western Michigan and NAACP GR
  • Central Registry Reform Passes Senate
  • Contact Us

Bipartisan Elections & Voting Rights Bill Package

On Wednesday, March 22, I was proud to co-sponsor House Bills 59455952, which would strengthen the voting process, bring transparency to our elections and keep election workers safe. This bill package includes:

  • A system to let voters know if a missing signature or mismatched signature occurs on their ballot.
  • A system that allows voters to track the status of their absent voter ballot.
  • Fines for those who make false statements about election workers, voters and elections.

This bill package will help bring transparency to our elections and ensure our elections are conducted in a strong and safe manner.

$4.8 Billion Supplemental Bill & $55 Million Funding for Grand River Greenway Project 

On Wednesday, March 30, I joined Gov. Whitmer as she signed Senate Bill 565, which, among many things, allocates $55 million for the Grand River Greenway Project. These new funds will help create and improve Grand Rapids recreation spaces, trails and parks. Money in this grant will go to fund projects such as a 28-mile network of parks and trails along the Grand River, connecting West MI from Lowell to Grand Haven. This investment in the Greenway Project will improve and revitalize our recreation spaces along the Grand River so that our families can enjoy everything West MI has to offer.

The funds for the Green River Greenway are only one part of the new supplemental bill passed by the Legislature. The $4.8 billion supplemental bill package will also help Michigan’s economy recover from the financial impacts of COVID-19. The funds address many different issues, including water infrastructure efforts to replace lead pipelines and combat PFAS, grants for road construction projects across the state — including M-37 in Kent County — high-speed internet expansion, and more funding for the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program.

Grand Rapids Chamber Breakfast 

On April 11, I attended the Grand Rapids Chamber Breakfast with my fellow legislators. I am always happy to be able to discuss the issues affecting businesses in our community and meet with other officials representing the Grand Rapids area. The Grand Rapids Chamber works to foster a thriving and prosperous West Michigan for all of our constituents, and I am glad to be a part of that good work.

Expungement Fair with Legal Aid of Western Michigan and NAACP GR

The Expungement Fair is back! I am once again partnering with the Legal Aid of West Michigan, NAACP GR and so many others to help host this event. The Expungement Fair and Job Fair will allow those with criminal records to seek support from community organizations, employers, and start the expungement application process. The “Clean Slate” expungement reform package is my proudest legislative accomplishment thus far, and I am thankful for the partnership with many great organizations that makes this event possible. Registration ends April 29!

The event will take place on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To preregister, call Noah Joseph at (616) 608-8056 or go to Rep. LaGrand’s Facebook.

Central Registry Reform Passes Senate 

Finally, I am proud to report that the Michigan House and Senate unanimously passed the Central Registry reform legislation I sponsored, HBs 527452805534 and 5594. This bill package will remove hundreds of thousands of good Michigan parents off of a government watch list and massively expand good foster care placement options. These bills will help parents and families with housing, jobs and will help parents care for their children. This is a great example of bipartisanship and consensus in the Legislature, and I am overjoyed to see it sent to the governor’s desk.

Contact Us 

As always, it’s very important to me to hear from constituents like you! If you need assistance with unemployment or any state department, my team would be more than happy to assist you with your issue. Also, if you have comments on questions about current legislation, we would love to hear from you. We value your opinion! You can reach out via email at DavidLaGrand@house.mi.gov or by phone at (517) 373-2668.