Capitol and Community Updates

Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to my monthly Capitol and Community Updates e-newsletter! As your state representative in the 103rd Michigan Legislature, it has been a pleasure to provide these regular updates on my legislative work in an effort to be as transparent and informative as possible for constituents like you. In this issue, you will find information on my upcoming events, a legislative update, news on funding coming to our district, grant opportunity information, resources for how my office can assist you, and more!

Neighbors and friends in House District 103 are encouraged to also sign up for these updates at my website, RepCoffia.com. You can reach my office by phone at (517) 373-3817 or by email at [email protected]. Be sure to check out the latest on my social media platforms as well. As this legislative session continues, I welcome your feedback and encourage you to reach out if my team and I can ever be of assistance to you!

In Service,

 

Betsy Coffia

State Representative

House District 103

Upcoming Events

Please join me at my upcoming office hours, where I will give a legislative update and answer your questions about the issues facing our state and our community. These events are a great way to find out what policies I’m working on and to share your ideas and concerns with me! I am also adding evening events to accommodate those that cannot attend during typical business hours. I hope you will join me at one of these upcoming events!

April Office Hour

When: Monday, April 13, from noon to 1 p.m.

Where: Traverse Area District Library

(610 Woodmere Ave., Traverse City, MI 49686)

April Office Hour –  Evening

When: Monday, April 27, from 6-7 p.m.

Where: Suttons Bay Bingham District Library

(416 Front St., Suttons Bay, MI 49682)

Legislative Update

Below you will find highlights of recent legislative action. As always, legislation I have sponsored or co-sponsored this term can be found here. Real-time updates on my legislative work can also be found here.

Welcoming Award-Winning Tribal Educator Samantha TwoCrow to State of the State

For the governor’s eighth and final State of the State address held on Feb. 25, I welcomed Samantha “Sam” TwoCrow of Suttons Bay as my guest on the House floor. Sam is a tribal citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) and an award-winning educator of 20 years who currently serves as the director of Indigenous education at Suttons Bay Schools.

Sam’s mother, an Indian boarding school survivor, taught beadwork and her grandfather was a painter. TwoCrow has followed her Indigenous roots by becoming an artist herself. Her work has won prestigious awards and her beadwork is held by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Additionally, for her work in education, TwoCrow won the 2024 Educator of the Year award from the Michigan Lottery’s Excellence in Education program.

As we discuss this year’s upcoming state budget, bringing all voices to the table will be essential for crafting a timely budget that reflects Michiganders’ values. Sam’s expertise in student needs and Indigenous culture makes her a valuable voice to bring into this conversation and uplift the need to preserve Indigenous culture and support our tribal communities. I was very pleased to facilitate meaningful conversations with her and several of my colleagues in the House and Senate, including our state senator, Sen. John Damoose, and with media interviews after the governor’s address. More information is available here.

Calling on Congress to Investigate Epstein’s Associates, Seek Justice for Survivors

On March 5, I introduced House Resolution 258, calling on the U.S. Congress to investigate and put under oath every person implicated in the Epstein files. I offered all my House colleagues several days to co-sponsor and ultimately received 31 signatures — 29 Democrats, including myself, and 3 Republicans. The Speaker of the House referred it to the Government Operations Committee, which is where I believe bills and resolutions are typically sent to die without a hearing or vote. I strongly urge the Speaker not to let that happen.

Previously, on March 3, I delivered the invocation on the House floor. The invocation is a sermon or prayer delivered ahead of each session by a legislator or their guest to share words of wisdom and inspiration ahead of that day’s proceedings. My invocation fell during Women’s History Month and focused on the need to respect women and protect each other, especially children, from those who have and wish to do harm.

Farmland Preservation Legislation Signed into Law

At the end of last year, the governor signed Senate Bills 685-690 and 699 into law to restore clarity for farmers enrolled in both the state’s Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program (PA 116) and permanent conservation easements. This was a bipartisan package of bills led by state Sen. Sue Shink.

This package responds to interpretations of the previous law that disrupted the program and resulted in delayed tax returns, back-tax assessments, and conflicting guidance for landowners. Specifically, the laws accomplish the following:

• Reaffirm eligibility for the PA 116 income tax credit for farmland enrolled in both preservation programs.
• Restore consistency by preventing back-tax assessments and ensuring accurate credit amounts.
• Provide certainty to existing contract holders and future enrollees.
• Strengthen the Agricultural Preservation Fund by increasing its administrative spending cap.

I was proud to vote in favor of this legislation in the House as a common-sense approach to supporting our family farms, agricultural workers and communities. Agriculture is Michigan’s second largest industry. Yet farmers and growers continue to face enormous pressure and challenges, so it was important to me to support our farmers enrolled in both the state’s Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program (PA 116) and permanent conservation easements. 

Bipartisan Work to Expand Access to Quality, Affordable Child Care

I testified on March 10 before the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee in support of Senate Bill 733 (starting at the 50 minute mark). We know communities across Michigan are facing a shortage of quality, affordable child care options, and this bill — sponsored by our state Sen. John Damoose — is designed to alleviate these shortages through the implementation and expansion of child care microcenters statewide. Sen. Damoose and I are tag teaming the work to try to find the most viable path for the microcenter bill to become a law and I truly appreciate the partnership and team approach on behalf of our shared constituents.

Microcenters are an innovation to expand child care access that was developed right here in the 103rd House District by Patricia Soutas-Little, the chair of the Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission. They are essentially a hybrid of home- and center-based care, providing child care for up to 12 children in a mixed age homelike setting. Three currently are in operation, one in a village-owned facility in Northport, another in Suttons Bay Schools, and the third in a local church.

The microcenters are an innovation borne of necessity — here in northwest Michigan, there are three children for every one child care slot. Spaces are even more sparse for infants, who require smaller ratios and more intensive care. I became aware of the microcenters pilot project through work with Soutas-Little. Together, we successfully championed an $800,000 allocation in a previous state budget to establish the Infant & Toddler Child Care Startup and add microcenters in Leelanau County. With the budget funding I secured, the program aims to serve Grand Traverse and Benzie counties as well and potential child care startups are in the works in both counties. This pilot program establishing child care microcenters is a third category of child care made possible through unprecedented variances granted by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

This program has provided needed flexibility to child care providers and has effectively expanded child care options in our rural northwest Michigan region. Senate Bill 733 aims to codify microcenters as a third child care category and to bring this successful pilot program statewide. I applaud Sen. Damoose’s efforts as the sponsor of this legislation, which will help support families and businesses in our communities by providing hands-on, quality child care across the state. We are hopeful the bill will get a vote out of committee onto the Senate floor for a full vote, when it can then be sent to the House for consideration. 

Recent Constituent & Community Engagement

Traverse City High School

On Feb. 17, I once again had the opportunity to visit with Mr. Joshua Veith’s civics class at Traverse City High School. I try to visit our high schools at least annually for civics class visits, and always look forward to these conversations. This was a fantastic opportunity to answer questions that the students prepared for me to answer in real time. The students brought up fears about ICE violating constitutional rights and targeting BIPOC and LGBTQ folks, how expensive housing is for their families and for them as they are soon to be adults, expressed unanimous support for everyone getting the health care they need as a human right like most developed countries already have, among other important topics. We talked about how I, as their state representative, got to vote for universal breakfast and lunch and fight to keep it in the budget. Their teacher brought up voter pre-registration, which was my bill to empower 16- and 17-year-olds like them to pre-register to vote, and is now law. I was thrilled to hear that some of them have used pre-registration to get all set to vote when they turn 18. These visits always remind me what matters: our kids. They matter. Their future matters.

4Front Credit Union Tour & Advocacy Team Conversation

Also on Feb. 17, I met with the 4Front Credit Union advocacy team in Traverse City, including Communication Center Assistant Manager Kate Lathrop, Finance Manager Ann Ditlow, and Project Manager Katie Brady. I deeply appreciated having the opportunity to tour their headquarters right here in our community and engage in meaningful conversations around the work they are doing to increase financial literacy and localized support for their members, especially for young people navigating student loans and credit cards, first time home buyers, and domestic violence survivors learning tools to rebuild their lives.

Law Enforcement & Northern Michigan E3 Council

On Feb. 23, Traverse City Police Chief Matt Richmond, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mike Shea, and I met with members of the Northern Michigan E3 Council to discuss public safety and community building. I was grateful to work with both law enforcement and E3 Council to create space for an important conversation. I am a firm believer in building relationships and greater understanding by taking time to sit down and trying to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We learn a lot from intentionally listening to one another. It was a productive conversation and I appreciated the opportunity to be part of it.

Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance

On Feb. 25, I met with members of the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance to discuss the legislative and budget priorities of northern Michigan’s business community. One of those priorities is to expand access to affordable, quality child care in our region including support for SB 733, the Microcenters bill that Sen. John Damoose and I are partnering to advance. As our local businesses are seeking high-skilled workers, many qualified candidates are not able to enter or re-enter the workforce due to the high cost of child care – a trend that disproportionately impacts women. I look forward to continuing to work with the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, including its member organization Traverse Connect, on addressing the child care crisis in northwest Michigan and across the state.

Additional Updates

• Coffia Introduces Resolution Calling for Justice for Epstein Victims
• Coffia Welcomes Educator and Tribal Member Samantha TwoCrow to the Michigan Capitol as State of the State Guest
• Coffia Amplifies Tribal Concerns about ICE Overreach
• Signal installation at Traverse City State Park entrance begins in early March; motorists should expect single-lane closures
• $9.7 Million Awarded to Expand Access to Free, High-Quality PreK Across Michigan
• MiLEAP and MDE Release “Every Child Reads Next Steps Forward”
• MDARD Opens Application for 2026 Agriculture Exporter of the Year Award
• MDARD Partners with MIFMA to Launch Farmers to Markets Program
• Michigan Leads Nation as First State Labor Department Named NIOSH Total Worker Health Affiliate
• Michigan receives national honor for its leadership in driving energy workforce development

Funding Coming to the 103rd District

I am thrilled to announce that our communities, businesses, and organizations in Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties in the 103rd House District have recently been awarded the following state grant funding:

• Grand Traverse Conservation District – $15,000: The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has awarded this grant through the Regenerative Agriculture Program to expand and enhance education and outreach events that promote regenerative agriculture practices and farmer-to-farmer networks.
• Benzie County Central Schools – $77,391.27 | Leland Public School District – $27,360.55: The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) has awarded this funding through the Universal FAFSA Challenge Awards, designed to support schools across the state in helping more students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and take the next step toward college or career training.
• Northwest Michigan Works! – $260,586: MiLEAP has awarded this funding to expand access to high-quality, home-based child care for Michigan families. The funding will support Family Child Care Network (FCCN) hubs in northwestern Michigan by connecting home-based child care providers to the tools and resources they need to build stronger, more sustainable businesses that deliver reliable care for children and families. These dollars will be used to operate three networks, serving providers in 10 counties, including Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau.
• Cherry Capital Airport (Northwest Regional Airport Authority) – $1,000,000: The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) PFAS Response Team (MPART) has awarded this funding to address PFAS contamination related to the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, commonly found at airports.
• Networks Northwest – $1,600,000: MiLEAP and the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District (GOISD) have announced this stipend payment through the Early Childhood Educator Wage Initiative. These payments deliver direct support to child care providers – the workforce that serves Michigan’s children and families.

Grant Funding Opportunities

Current state grant, loan, scholarship, and credit opportunities include:

• County Fairs Capital Improvement Grant: MDARD is offering this grant opportunity for building renovations, infrastructure upgrades or capital improvements that enhance the productivity, usefulness, or longevity of fairground facilities. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 18.
• Growing Green Lending Challenge Grant: EGLE’s Office of Climate and Energy (OCE) is administering this grant opportunity to help lenders and Michigan communities advance clean energy financing – known as green lending – with education, coordination, tools, and technical assistance. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on March 22.
• Michigan Supplier Conversion Grant: The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s (LEO) Community and Worker Economic Transition Office is encouraging small- and mid-sized automotive manufacturers to respond to the latest Request for Proposals (RFP) so they can receive critical capital needed to adapt to emerging, competitive global markets and bring vehicle and auto-parts production back to Michigan. Applications must be submitted by 3 p.m. on April 9.
• Underserved, Value-Added, Regional Food Systems and Supply Chain Grant: MDARD is administering this grant program to support value-added agricultural processing businesses and community organizations, including traditionally underserved groups, as they expand value-added agriculture production and processing, enhance regional food systems, develop supply chains, and promote access to healthy foods. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on April 15.
• Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship: MDARD, in partnership with the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF), is offering this scholarship opportunity to qualified high school seniors and recent graduates who have been youth exhibitors. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on May 3.

Apply for State Boards and Commissions

The governor makes appointments to nearly 250 statewide boards and commissions. These appointments are opportunities for Michiganders to engage with their state government on the issues they care about and represent their expertise and communities at the state level.

Vacancies can be viewed online. Each board listed includes the number of total members, number of vacant seats, and specifications for each vacancy.

E-News Archives, Publications and Recognitions

My e-news archive is available on my website here.

State publications on various topics – including veteran benefits, senior resources, and taxpayer support – are also available here. Physical copies of any of these publications can also be mailed to you by emailing my office with your request!

Do you know someone in the district who is retiring and would like a legislative tribute to celebrate their years of service? Has a local team or group reached a milestone that they would like to be acknowledged with an official certificate for each member? Our office can provide legislative tributes, letters, and certificates on a wide range of recognitions for constituents, community support organizations, and local small businesses. If you would like to request any of these materials for yourself or others, please fill out this form or email my office at [email protected]. Please provide as much information as possible, and we will work with you to arrange delivery or presentation of the recognition!