Greetings Westsiders,
Thank you for subscribing to my e-newsletter. I’m reaching out today to share some exciting highlights of the work I’m doing in Lansing, including the passage of three of my bills this month.
This November has been an exciting time to represent District 84. After one of the most productive legislative sessions in years, my colleagues and I took action to allow Michiganders to reap the benefits of a historically productive legislative session ahead of schedule.
This means bills to cut taxes for seniors and working families, expand Michiganders’ access to reproductive freedom, invest in schools, lower your utility bills, protect your community from gun violence and more will now be enacted sooner.
We also celebrated Veterans Day and, with it, the grand opening of the Has Heart coffee shop, a veteran-owned and operated coffee shop in Veterans Park.
Upcoming Coffee Hour
I will be hosting a Legislative Coffee Hour at Blandford Nature Center from 9-10 a.m. this Friday, Dec. 1. I hope you’ll join me so I can hear directly from you about your priorities, the challenges you face, and how I can continue to serve you. My staff and I will be available to assist with any questions or issues you may have. Blandford Nature Center is located at 1715 Hillburn Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.
I host a legislative coffee hour on the first Friday of each month. Reach out to my office at (517) 373-0476 anytime to find out where we will be next. You can also email me at Caglanville@house.mi.gov.
Legislative Update
Below are some more specific details of the legislation I have been working on this month:
- HB 4850 exempt active-duty military service members and their spouses from state jury duty. Troops and spouses are already exempt from federal jury service.
- The act currently only allows individuals who are more than 70 years of age, nursing mothers and those assigned to a witness protection program to claim exemptions from jury service.
- Without this exemption, military service members are required to request time off duty, pay and coordinate their flight home and be available for the selection process.
- That is exactly what happened to one of my constituents, who is currently stationed out of state. Her father, a veteran himself, contacted my office to share her story.
- HB 4637 is part of a larger bill package that will help reform Michigan’s juvenile justice system, which is plagued by systemic challenges and inconsistencies across the state, as outlined in the final report issued by the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform.
- My bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to eliminate several fees and costs that oftentimes create a lifetime barrier to juveniles as they try to move forward. These fees including the following:
- A requirement that the written order of commitment for a juvenile committed to a juvenile agency include a provision for the reimbursement to the court by the juvenile or the juvenile’s guardians for the cost of care or service.
- A provision allowing the court to enter an order to intercept the tax refunds of a juvenile or his or her parent, guardian or custodian for recovery of costs of care or service on a delinquent account.
- A provision allowing the court to order a juvenile or person responsible for the juvenile’s support, or both, to reimburse the court for attorney fees if the court appoints an attorney to represent the juvenile.
- HB 4573 extends the sunset on the New Jobs Training Program to 2033 and adds ALICE wages as an option for payment of job trainees in the program.
- The addition of ALICE will allow communities across the state to pay their trainees at the rate at which it costs to live in their community
- Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University were included in a recent supplemental spending bill in a big way! The supplemental includes capital outlay authorization for 15 projects with a state share total of $371.2 million, including:
- Grand Rapids Community College: $16.8 million to help renovate and expand its Learning Resource Center.
- Grand Valley State University: $30 million for the Blue Dot Lab, a laboratory that encourages students, faculty and community partners to interact with cutting-edge technologies, reshaping education and equipping students to take the lead in Michigan’s evolving economy.
- My bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to eliminate several fees and costs that oftentimes create a lifetime barrier to juveniles as they try to move forward. These fees including the following:
Thank you for taking the time to read my e-newsletter. Your support and engagement enable our district to thrive. I’m grateful to be a part of this community and for the privilege to represent you. If you are ever in need of assistance with the state government, you can reach out to my office, at (517) 373-0476 or Caglanville@house.mi.gov.
Sincerely,
Carol Glanville
State Representative
Michigan’s 84th District
(Grandville, Walker and NW Grand Rapids)