Dear Neighbor,
Welcome to my e-newsletter! I’m honored and humbled to serve as our community’s voice at the Capitol in Lansing. As we continue into the term, rest assured that the challenges families in our community and state are facing are at the top of my legislative priorities.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by phone at (517) 373-0152 or email at AmosONeal@house.mi.gov if we can help.
Sincerely,
Amos O’Neal
State Representative, 95th House District
In this issue:
- Events
- Community Conversation – Sept. 15, 6 p.m.
- Driver’s License Restoration clinic – Sept. 28, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Legislation
- MI Pocketbook Plan
Upcoming Community Conversation
It is not too late to join us TONIGHT at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live. I will give a brief legislative update. Then, we will have a conversation with our special guest, the executive director of the PartnerShift Network, Samantha Jones, on driving workforce solutions through community partnerships.
We hope to save some time for Q&A, so come with questions for our guests. You can join us on Facebook Live by clicking here or searching @StateRepAmosONeal.
I hope to see you there!
Driver’s License Restoration Clinic
As you may know, the Legislature voted to pass the Clean Slate to Drive laws, reclassifying certain violations as civil infractions and modifying when some violations can suspend a person’s driver license. These qualifying violations and any sanctions or suspensions connected to them will no longer be enforced and will be cleared from driving records, providing drivers with an opportunity to have their driving privileges reinstated!
Navigating these new changes may be confusing, so the Department of State, Department of Attorney General, DTE Energy and others are excited to host a free Road to Restoration Clinic in Saginaw. These clinics are held to assist individuals in reviewing their driving record to understand what they need to do to have their driver’s license restored.
The clinic will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The clinic is hosted by SVRC Marketplace, located at 203 S. Washington Ave. in Saginaw.
Pre-registration to attend these clinics is preferred and encouraged. Pre-registration to attend the Saginaw clinic closes at midnight on Thursday, Sept. 22. You can register to attend by using this link or by following the instructions on the flier below. Walk-in opportunities will be available, but only between noon and 6 p.m. Individual walk-ins are encouraged to bring a copy of their driving record with them, or they may purchase a copy on site for $12.
Additional information about Road to Restoration clinics, including a list of future clinics, can be found at Michigan.gov/RoadtoRestoration.
MI Pocketbook Plan
Last week, I was pleased to see some of my Democratic colleagues introduce the MI Pocketbook Plan. This plan is a set of six bills to create an urgent economic agenda to bolster household finances, protect workers from employment crimes and provide tax relief to seniors and working families. These bills will provide Michiganders the best tools to combat rising costs, keep more of their earnings come tax season, and guard against payroll fraud and the outsourcing of jobs.
It’s a comprehensive set of bills, solving real problems and lifting burdens off thousands of hard working families in the state. This is the type of people-first legislation the people of Michigan expect from their representatives, and we owe it to them to pass the MI Pocketbook Plan urgently.
Bills in the package include:
- House Bills 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.