Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am most effective at my job when acting on your direct input. I encourage you to reach out to me and my staff with any questions, comments or concerns you may have regarding our community or state and with any policy ideas.
Please do not hesitate to reach out by phone at (517) 373-0822 or send an email to AngelaWitwer@house.mi.gov.
Sincerely,
Angela Witwer
State Representative, 76th House District
In This Issue:
- Weekly Wrap-ups
- In-District Update
- Legislative Update
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Weekly Wrap-Up with Witwer
Please keep an eye out on my Facebook page for upcoming Weekly Wrap-Ups and any event changes.
- Friday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. at BlackDog Coffee in Eaton Rapids, 120 W. Hamlin St., Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
- Friday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. in Public Meeting Room A of the Delta Township Admin Building; 7710 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing, MI 48917
In-District Update
October Teacher of the Month Nomination Form
Our office is taking nominations for District 76’s Teacher of the Month program for the month of October. Follow the link below to nominate a teacher you believe should be recognized in our district!
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Rep. Witwer pictured with Teacher of the Month winner Julie Crossman from Charlotte High School.
September Teacher of the Month Winner
Last Friday, I visited Charlotte High School to present our September Teacher of the Month certificate to Julie Crossman.
Julie, we appreciate your efforts and service to our community. Teaching is not an easy field to go into, but your dedication to educating our students is incredible. Thank you for all that you do!
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Road Work Alert!
Work will begin at the light at the intersection of M-100 and St. Joe Highway in Oneida Township starting in early October and will be completed in mid-November. Please be aware if you are traveling in this area in the days ahead.
Legislative Update
Rep. Witwer Introduces HR 145 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day
This week, I introduced House Resolution 145, declaring Oct. 9, 2023, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the State of Michigan.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day serves as a transformation and opportunity to highlight and further reveal historical truths about pre-existing indigenous cultures that have survived a violent colonization process and continue to exist and thrive today.
Rep. Witwer’s HB 4337 Passes the House!
This bill would amend a portion of M-50 in Eaton County currently named the “Ensign Francis Flaherty Memorial Highway” to be named the “Ensign Francis Flaherty Medal of Honor Recipient Memorial Highway.”
This may seem like a minor change, but I believe it’s crucial to always give our service members the full honor and respect they deserve.
Ens. Francis Flaherty received the Medal of Honor for remaining in a turret holding a flashlight on his capsizing ship, the USS Oklahoma, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, helping the remainder of the turret crew escape and ultimately sacrificing his own life.
While Flaherty was initially buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, in 2019, DNA analysis helped the Navy identify his remains, and he was finally laid to rest in his hometown of Charlotte.
This bill would more adequately honor Ens. Flaherty’s heroism and his self-sacrifice for his fellow soldiers and nation. The Medal of Honor is the United States armed forces’ highest decoration.
Rep. Witwer’s HB 4844 Passes Higher Education Committee!
Last week, my bill was up for testimony in the House Committee on Higher Education and this week passed committee for a vote!
HB 4844 would make a significant shift in the landscape of college athletics and student-athlete compensation. Allowing student-athletes to profit from their own name, image and likeness (NIL) rights provides them with new opportunities and potential revenue streams.
It also necessitates the establishment of a regulatory framework to ensure compliance and avoid potential abuses. It is crucial to strike a balance between allowing student-athletes to benefit from their NIL while maintaining the integrity of college athletics.
Session
Justice for Allie
HBs 4320 and 4387, introduced by state Rep. Sharon MacDonell and known as “Justice for Allie,” would make it illegal to coerce a vulnerable adult into providing sexually explicit material of themselves.
All sexual predators deserve to be prosecuted, but those who prey on people with disabilities are especially heinous. These bills give prosecutors a tool to hold perpetrators accountable and are narrowly tailored to exclude consensual activity between adults without mental disabilities.
Land Equity Tax Act
This package, House Bills 4966-70, would create the Land Tax Equity Act and amend the General Property Tax Act and Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Act to allow Detroit to levy a land value tax, which shifts tax burdens from homeowners to landowners with languishing, underdeveloped or empty lots, following a successful city-wide ballot measure in Detroit. These changes are not a statewide mandate.
The objective of this legislation is to create equity between homeowners and developers. The bill package allows for the issue to be put on the ballot, ultimately letting the people of Detroit decide. At the end of day, Detroiters will have the vote — we are trying to give the choice to them for their own self-determination. It will lower taxes for homeowners and create an incentive to develop land rather than leave it empty or abandoned, which helps reduce blight. As costs to live in the city continue to rise, these bills would help make it more affordable and accessible to live in Detroit. Taxes have been too high for too long. This will give Detroit homeowners relief. It’s as simple as that.