Dear friends and neighbors,

Welcome to the newest issue of our e-newsletter! As always, I’m excited to be working on your behalf in Lansing and throughout our district. 

I hope everyone had a relaxing, fun and safe summer. As we enter the fall, I am excited to share important legislative updates that impact our community. As always, if you are in need of any support or resources or have any questions regarding legislation or state government or in general, please reach out to our office and we can get you connected with the resources you need. My team is available at (517) 373-8670 or MariManoogian@house.mi.gov. 

 

Yours in Service,

 

 


Mari Manoogian

State Representative, District 40

Deputy Whip, House Democratic Caucus

 

In this Issue:

  • Upcoming Events
  • Flu Season
  • Legislative Update
  • Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

 

Upcoming Events

Please join me this month for an in-person Constituent Conversation Hour on Friday, Oct. 14, at NEXT – Your Place to Stay Active and Connected. I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Flu Season

As we head into the fall and the beginning of flu season, it is important we take care of ourselves and our loved ones. The single best way to prevent the seasonal flu is to get your yearly flu shot. Ask your primary care physician or head into your local pharmacy to get more information on the flu vaccine and to receive your shot!

It is important to both get vaccinated and practice everyday preventive actions to help keep you and your loved ones from the flu. Making healthy choices at your place of work, school and home can help prevent the contraction and spread of the flu. Staying home and avoiding close contact with others when you are sick; avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth; washing your hands throughout the day; and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects are all practices that keep everyone healthy and safe.

 

Legislative Update

My colleagues and I have been hard at work developing and executing the MI Pocketbook Plan. This plan is an urgent, necessary economic agenda to bolster household finances, protect workers and provide tax relief to working families and seniors. The plan is made of six bills that together work to combat rising costs and help Michiganders keep more of their earnings come tax season, among other things. I am proud to be a co-sponsor on four out of six of these bills and look forward to the opportunity to deliver for Michiganders.

A Closer Look at the MI Pocketbook Plan:

  • House Bill 4490: Repeals the retirement tax, which would save 500,000 Michigan households an average of $1,000.
  • House Bill 4986: Expands the working families tax credit (EITC) from 6% to 20%, which would lift 22,000 people out of poverty and send 730,000 working class families an average refund of almost $3,000. 
  • House Bill 6024: Increases the civil penalties for employers who steal wages and benefits from their employees. 
  • House Bill 6034: Prevents employers from stealing benefits by ensuring employees are not misclassified as independent contractors. 
  • House Bill 6097: Eliminates corporate deductions for expenses related to outsourcing to protect and maintain Michigan’s economy. 
  • House Bill 6346: Grants a $500 tax rebate for those filing taxes individually if their income is less than $125,000 or to those filing jointly if their income is less than $250,000.

 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Michigan is seeing exciting and historic investments as the Biden administration begins implementing the bipartisan infrastructure law. To date, Michigan has seen $2.9 billion in bipartisan infrastructure law funding for over 120 specific projects, including rebuilding our roads, bridges and rails; expanding access to clean drinking water; making high-speed internet more accessible than ever; tackling the climate crisis; and advancing environmental justice.

In 2022, Michigan was allocated: 

  • $1.4 billion in highway formula funding.
  • $121 million in dedicated funding for bridges. 
  • $198 million to improve and expand public transportation options.
  • $16 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. 
  • $213 million to provide clean and safe drinking water, including supporting lead pipe and service line replacements. 
  • $183 million for weatherization. 
  • $7.5 million to help prevent power outages and make our grid more resilient. 
  • $670 million in airport and port infrastructure. 
  • $54 million for infrastructure resilience. 
  • $26 million for legacy pollution cleanup, such as capping orphaned oil and gas wells and reclaiming abandoned mines.

Over five years, Michigan can expect to receive about: 

  • $7.9 billion in formula funding for highways and bridges
  • $1 billion to improve and expand public transportation across the state.
  • $110 million in formula funding to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging.
  • At least $100 million to help ensure high-speed internet coverage across the state.

The bipartisan infrastructure law contains some of the largest infrastructure investments in Michigan’s history. These investments will not only go to improving Michigan’s infrastructure but will also create a generation of good-paying union jobs and bring economic growth. 

 

Awards for the Month

As a reminder, we are always accepting nominations for Business of the Month, Teacher of the Month and First Responder of the Month. If you know a business or a person deserving of recognition in our area, reach out to us at MariManoogian@house.mi.gov!

 

Community Events

Is there a virtual or in-person community event you would like for me to attend? Let me know by emailing MariManoogian@house.mi.gov!

 

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