Dear Neighbor,
Welcome to this month’s Capitol and Community Update E-newsletter!
As always, please encourage your neighbors and friends in House District 56 — Troy, Clawson, Royal Oak, Birmingham and Bloomfield Township — to also sign up for these updates at RepMacDonell.com. Please let us know if you have any thoughts on state-level issues or want to meet with me. My office can be reached by phone at (517) 373-2617 or by email at SharonMacDonell@house.mi.gov.
I can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I would be happy to hear from you and work with you to make the 56th House District a better place!
In Service,
Sharon MacDonell
State Representative
House District 56
In this newsletter you will find information on:
- My next Community Conversation.
- The recent hearing for my gun safety legislation.
Upcoming Events
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Community Conversation in Bloomfield Township!
Join me on Monday, May 6, for a community conversation! I will be there with special guests state Rep. Samantha Steckloff and state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who also represent the Bloomfield area in Lansing. I will be there to outline my plans for the legislative year and answer your questions. Events like this are a great opportunity to share your thoughts and concerns directly with me.
Legislative Updates
The following are highlights from my recent work in the Legislature. All my sponsored and co-sponsored legislation from this term are available at the provided hyperlink. You can also see my press releases page for additional updates.
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Testimony for Gun Safety Bills
Last week, my colleague state Rep. Julie Brixie and I testified in support of our Safe Homes, Safe Schools bill package in the House Education Committee. These bills would require all school districts to share information about safe firearm storage with our students’ parents. By making parents more aware of best practices for firearm storage, this legislation would keep firearms out of the hands of children, reducing accidental and intentional gun deaths. I was honored to be joined in the committee by families directly affected by the recent mass shootings at Michigan State University and Oxford High School, including families of individuals who lost their lives. In their memory, Michigan can and must do more to prevent gun violence.
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Commending Troy Resident for work
on federal water pollution rule
Last month, the Biden administration finalized the first-ever federal standard regulating a group of chemicals called PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in drinking water and setting aside $1 billion to assist states with PFAS detection and treatment. This rule will save thousands of Americans from death and disease caused by these dangerous “forever chemicals.” I am so proud of Troy resident Tony Spaniola, chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, whose tireless advocacy for the victims of PFAS poisoning brought this issue to the attention of federal legislators. I will be presenting Mr. Spaniola with an official legislative tribute for his years of selfless work. Our community is home to some truly remarkable people!
Community Recognitions and Resources
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Participants needed: study on firearms in the Asian-American Community
Eastern Michigan University’s Center for Health Disparities Innovations and Studies was recently awarded a prestigious federal grant to study risk and protective factors for firearm violence among Asian-Americans. The study is now in its participant recruitment phase, and the center reached out to me and my colleagues in the Asian Pacific American Caucus to assist in recruiting participants. If you or someone you know identifies as Asian-American and might want to participate in the study, please email Daniel Chen at schen21@emich.edu for more information.
Submissions for Small Business of the Month AND Teacher of the Month
Each month, I recognize a small business in the community from House District 56 as our small business of the month. To nominate your favorite company for this recognition, please fill out this form for Small Business of the Month. I am also excited to recognize a Teacher of the Month! Teachers are the backbone of this nation, and our district has the BEST! Please fill out this form to recognize a Teacher of the Month.
Tributes, Letters, and Certificates
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. If you would like to request any of these materials for yourself or others, please email my office at SharonMacDonell@house.mi.gov with as much information as possible on the requested recognition, and we will work with you to arrange delivery or presentation of the recognition!