Dear Neighbor,

As we move into the fall season, I am excited to continue working for you in Lansing. Fall is always a busy time in the Legislature, and I wanted to take a few moments to update you on what our office has been up to.

Budget wins in the community and state:

  • Supporting our communities in the fiscal year 2022-23 budget
    • $30 million for new Grand Rapids Amphitheater
    • $11 million for the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Riverfront Restoration Project
    • $10 million for Mary Free Bed’s new mental health facility
    • $6.5 million for the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans
    • $3.4 million for the United Methodist Community House

I am proud to have helped secure these important budget wins for the city of Grand Rapids! Improvements to the city like funding for the new Grand Rapids Amphitheater and the Grand Rapids Public Musuem’s Riverfront Restoration Project will help shine an even brighter light onto the city. Meanwhile, we are also providing money to some of the most useful facilities Grand Rapids offers! Places such as Mary Free Bed’s new mental health facility, Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and United Methodist Community House will see improvements with this historic budget.

While Grand Rapids received these budget wins, the state of Michigan as a whole also received wins that will also benefit our community.

  • Increased funding to keep chemicals out of our groundwater.
  • A fully funded MI Reconnect program that will help more Michiganders be able to attend post-secondary education and be able to train for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
  • Historic education wins by increasing the base funding amount to $9,150 per pupil, giving students the resources they need to succeed.
  • An ongoing 5% increase in revenue sharing.

Combining these wins with the infrastructure bill victory we saw in the spring makes me look forward even more to the future of Grand Rapids. I can’t wait to see what else this city brings to our proud community! For more information on what was included in this year’s state budget, click here.

As always, our office is here to serve you. If you have any questions regarding state issues, or comments on a state policy, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (517) 373-0822 or send us an email at RachelHood@house.mi.gov.