Dear Neighbor,
I’m honored to serve another term and ready to keep fighting for our community. Lansing is as busy as ever, and I’m focused on fighting for the working class. In this month’s newsletter, I’ve included some important votes I have taken in Lansing, as well as important information for upcoming coffee hours.
I hope this newsletter shines a spotlight on what goes on in Lansing and in our community, and acts as a reminder that I am here to represent you.
In Solidarity,
Dylan Wegela
State Representative
House District 26
Included in this Newsletter
- District Events
- Legislative updates
- Public Engagement
- Contact Us
District Events
Coffee Hours
Please join me at our monthly House District 26 Coffee Hours, where I share legislative updates from Lansing. If you live in Inkster, Garden City, Northeast Romulus or Southeast Westland, please make sure to attend and share any questions you have for me!
My March coffee hour dates are:
- In Garden City on Monday, March 10, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Radcliff Center (1751 Radcliff St., Garden City, MI 48135)
- In Inkster on Saturday, March 29, from noon to 1 p.m. at the George C. Mitchell Community Center (3419 Harrison St., Inkster, MI 48141)
Below is the schedule for my recurring coffee hours for 2025. These will take place the second Monday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Radcliff Center (1751 Radcliff St., Garden City, MI 48135).
Legislative Updates
Committee Assignments
With the start of the new term, I am happy to share my committee assignments. I will serve as a member on the Oversight Committee and on the Weaponization of State Government Subcommittee. Additionally, I am proud to share that I will serve as Minority Vice Chair on the Oversight Subcommittee on Corporate Subsidies and State Investments. I look forward to continuing my fight to ensure that public dollars go to public goods, and that we have as transparent a state government as possible.
Tackling Legislative Non-Disclosure Agreements
Last term, it became apparent that my fellow legislators had to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to learn about corporate handout proposals/deals. Over 20% of sitting legislators signed these secret agreements that barred them from discussing their work with constituents.
This practice has to end, which is why I worked across the aisle with my colleague state Rep. Steve Carra to ban these NDAs.
House Bills 4052 and 4053 prohibit any legislator or their staff from signing an NDA that relates to their legislative work. I am happy to share that these bills were unanimously voted out of the Government Operations Committee on Feb. 20, and with overwhelming bipartisan support in the House. I look forward to my Senate colleagues taking action on them.
Reps. Wegela and Carra speak to the press on their bill package
One Fair Wage
In February, a group of Democrats and Republicans passed bills that stripped thousands of workers from earning paid sick time. These bills also allowed the practice of paying some workers below the minimum wage to continue. I fought these bills at every step of the way, but ultimately they were passed and signed by the Governor.
These bills changed the laws that were set to go into effect due to the Michigan Supreme Court’s Mothering Justice v. Attorney General decision.
Here is the history. In 2018 people gathered over 380,000 signatures to put this initiative on the ballot. Then at the time, the Republican-led legislature decided to adopt the initiative instead of letting it go to the ballot for a vote. After adopting the initiative as law, the legislature then decided to change several provisions in the law. These changes lowered the minimum, kept the subminimum wage and completely stripped out the provision granting workers guaranteed paid sick time. This led to a 6 years long legal battle that ultimately led to this action being ruled unconstitutional. Part of the ruling was that this law would go into effect as originally proposed this February. Hours before the law was set to go into effect the legislature decided AGAIN to alter key provisions. I proudly voted no. I believe that no one should be paid less than the minimum wage and that everyone deserves to earn paid sick time.
Update from Lansing
Every month, my team and I will update you on how I voted on bills that are signed into law. Check out my Facebook post available here to receive updates on my votes.
Public Engagement
Fascism thrives on fear, silence and division; we will not be afraid, we will not be silenced and we will stand together. At a recent protest, I spoke out against what I believe to be the unconstitutional and authoritarian actions of the Trump Administration. I will always push against hate, authoritarianism and any attempt to strip away our rights. Now is the time to act — we must organize, speak out and fight for a future where justice prevails.
Contact Us
Comment on Legislation: You can stay updated on legislative advancements through my e-newsletters or by clicking here.
If You Need Help: If you have a problem dealing with any department of state government, such as accessing unemployment benefits, my office is available to help resolve it. While we usually cannot assist with local or federal issues, we will always do our best to help direct you to the appropriate person or organization for help.
You may always feel free to call my office at (517) 373-3818 or email me at DylanWegela@house.mi.gov.
Helpful Links
