Welcome to my monthly Capitol and Community Updates e-newsletter! As your state representative in the 102nd Michigan Legislature, I am happy to provide these regular updates on my legislative work. In this issue, you will find information on my upcoming events, legislative updates, news on funding coming to our district, grant opportunities and resources for how my office can assist you!

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 BetsyCoffia@house.mi.gov. Be sure to check out the latest on my social media platforms as well. As this legislative session continues, I welcome your continued 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

Please join me for 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!

My 2024 in-person office hours occur monthly in one of the three counties of the 103rd District — Grand Traverse, Benzie and Leelanau — on a rotating basis, with a virtual session later in the day.

PLEASE NOTE: My upcoming in-person office hour will be in Grand Traverse County, and our virtual session will be transparency focused and include special guest state Rep. Erin Byrnes, the chair of the House Ethics and Oversight Committee!

State Rep. Betsy Coffia speaks to constituents at her monthly office hour in Leelanau County on June 10, 2024.

October meeting information:

In-Person Office Hour

When: Monday, Oct. 14, from noon to 1 p.m.

Where: Traverse Area District Library

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

Virtual Office Hour

with special guest House Ethics and Oversight Committee chair, state Rep. Erin Byrnes

When: Monday, Oct. 14, from 4-5 p.m.

Where: Zoom (Register here)

This has been the most productive legislative term in years, if not in decades. The Legislature passed over 440 bills that have been signed into law so far, the vast majority with bipartisan support. It is my great honor to put the people of Michigan first by delivering on our promises, and I am ready to keep the momentum moving forward as this legislative term continues.

I am pleased to share that in late September, the Legislature voted to allocate additional funding to go directly to school districts for mental health and school safety, bringing the total for these investments to $150 million. These dollars are going to make a huge difference by giving students better mental health support and giving parents peace of mind knowing their kids are supported and protected at school through increased gun violence prevention. Specifically, we approved $125 million in one-time funding in a School Aid supplemental in late September, $25 million in the state budget that we passed earlier this year and $1 million in additional funding for educational materials on the safe storage of firearms, as well as an anonymous tip line to report firearms that are improperly stored where a minor might have access.

Between this year’s School Aid budget and new legislation (HB 5503), we are also putting about $600 million back into classrooms on an ongoing basis by returning by local school districts into the school employees’ retirement fund. This was a top priority for our school districts during the negotiations for this year’s budget. Now, Michigan public school districts will pay less into the state’s education retirement system. We also eliminated the requirement that some employees pay 3% toward their retiree health care costs. The measures we have taken will give hard-working teachers at least some of the relief they need and have earned while returning savings to our school districts that can go directly to classrooms to improve our kids’ education.

Finally, this year’s state budget retained $125 million for rural school transportation needs that I successfully advocated for in my first standalone bill in 2023. My per-pupil, per-mile formula made it into last year’s and this year’s budget to bring much-needed funding equity for our rural school districts. Simply put, we are drastically cutting costs for Michigan K-12 school districts so that more money goes back to kids and classrooms, where it belongs.

Throughout the budget process, we took great care to ensure taxpayer dollars are utilized in a way that meets the needs of communities like those in the 103rd District and across Michigan. I will continue to be a persistent advocate for the priorities of my constituents and the greater northern Michigan region. I joined my fellow House Democrats in a press conference last week announcing this added support for our schools, which can be viewed here, and my statement can be found here.

As a lead sponsor on the Bringing Reforms in Integrity, Transparency and Ethics (BRITE) Act bill package, I was excited to see one of the bills in the package, HB 5583, pass the House last week. This bill would allow the Secretary of State to act in real time on campaign finance violations and abuses to stop and prevent violations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act in real time. Currently, candidates who violate state campaign finance laws to win an election are often not able to be held accountable until long after they have potentially won and taken office. By passing this bill, we are strengthening our state’s ethics and transparency standards. The BRITE Act is a seven-bill package that aims to close loopholes in Michigan’s transparency and oversight laws. There is much more work to do, and I will continue strongly advocating for the passage of the full BRITE Act, as we must continue to bring our state out of the shadows and into the light. My statement on the passage of HB 5583 can be found here, and additional details on the full BRITE Act bill package can be found here.

State Rep. Betsy Coffia at the Michigan State Capitol, wearing her sunshine BRITE Act pin to celebrate passage of a BRITE Act bill through the House!

The House passed HB 5600 last week, which would create the Office of Tribal Legislative Liaison within the Legislative Council. The bill seeks to better facilitate formal consultation in the policymaking process between legislators and the 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan, including the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB); our 12 tribes have been urging the Legislature to take this action for many years.

The fiscal year 2025 enacted budget also includes $500,000 to formally establish the office. Many state departments already have a tribal liaison, but the Legislature currently does not. I proudly cast my vote in support of this legislation that will give constituents in the GTB — citizens of a sovereign nation — more access to our state’s lawmaking processes when it comes to legislation that impacts them. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The House also passed HB 5682 with overwhelming bipartisan support. Sponsored by state Rep. Jenn Hill of the Upper Peninsula, this bill would exempt internet access expansion grant funds from the income tax, restoring the pre-2017 tax-exempt status. Currently, internet expansion grants from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are subject to state taxation, as they are seen as income for entities deploying broadband across the state. Economic growth and development is no longer possible in modern times without access to high-speed internet. I’ve been thrilled to see the work being done to expand access to high-speed internet here in the 103rd House District, but we must do more. This legislation will help bridge the digital divide in rural communities by increasing funding to expand access to high-speed internet across the state, allowing more people to stay and succeed in our rural communities. This legislation will help seniors access necessary medical appointments, allow students to reliably take online classes and let small-business owners reach more customers across the state.

• Coffia on New Bill for Strong Schools, Healthy Kids
• House Dems Deliver for School Safety, Mental Health
• Campaign Finance Reform Bill Passes House
• MDOT Project in Acme Township Named Top 12 Finalist for 2024 America’s Transportation Award
• Gov. Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Gilchrist Proclaim Week of September 8th as Voter Preregistration Week
• ICYMI: New Report Shows Clean Energy Legislation Will Lower Costs, Create Thousands of Good Paying Jobs, and Stimulate an Economic Boom
• Coffia Joins Gov. Whitmer, MDARD Director Boring to Call for Disaster Declaration for Northwestern Michigan Cherry Crops

As always, legislation I have sponsored or co-sponsored can be found here. Real-time updates on my legislative work can also be found here.

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

• Traverse City — $255,396: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded this grant to expand the city’s sustainable practices by launching the Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project, which will provide some city residents and businesses with easy access to more organic material pickups, especially including food waste. This will help our community reduce toxic methane emissions from landfills.
• Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) — $795,673: The Michigan Public Service Commission has awarded this grant as part of a program to fund the planning, development, designing, acquiring or construction of renewable energy and electrification infrastructure projects in Michigan. BATA will use this funding to support rooftop solar infrastructure.
• Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) Grants
  • Benzie County (Total: $104,664)
    • Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra Inc.: $17,500
    • Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts: $24,801
    • Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse Inc.: $27,913
    • Michigan Legacy Art Park: $34,450
  • Leelanau County (Total: $36,950)
    • Leelanau Historical Society: $18,400
    • Northport Community Arts Center Inc.: $18,550
  • Grand Traverse County (Total: $243,114)
    • City Opera House Heritage Association Inc.: $27,400
    • Mashup Rock and Roll Musical: $24,178
    • Northwest Michigan Arts and Culture Network: $38,100
    • Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre:  $17,500
    • Northwestern Michigan College: $24,585
    • Old Town Playhouse Inc.: $33,338
    • Traverse City Dance Project: $33,514
    • Traverse City Downtown Development Authority: $12,000
    • Traverse Symphony Orchestra: $32,500

Current federal and state grant opportunities include:

• Michigan Craft Beverage Council Research Grant: The Michigan Craft Beverage Council (MCBC) is accepting research grant proposals for the 2025 research program. A full list of the MCBC’s research priorities and evaluation criteria are available here. New this year, the Council is also accepting education grant proposals to support the dissemination of education within Michigan’s craft beverage industry. Education grant guidelines are available here. Proposals must be received via email at MDARD-CraftBev@Michigan.gov no later than 3 p.m. on Oct. 11.
• Dairy Business Builder Grant: The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), is accepting applications for its Dairy Business Builder Grant to encourage small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, entrepreneurs and processors in the Midwest to pursue projects such as dairy farm diversification, on-farm processing, value-added product creation and efforts to market dairy products for export. Applications for the grant will be accepted until 6 p.m. on Oct. 23.
• Regional Food Systems Grant: MDARD is now accepting applications for the next round of the Underserved, Value-Added and Regional Food Systems Grant Program, which is designed to promote the expansion of value-added agriculture production and processing, help develop food systems, improve healthy food access and expand underserved business development to enhance Michigan’s food and agriculture industry. These grants will be focused on supporting the state’s agri-food business and farming operations. The department will host an informational webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. All applications must be submitted through the MiAgGrants system, and proposals must be received by Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m.
• MI Neighborhood Grant: This grant opportunity through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) is a blend of state and federal funding in response to regional action plans and is in strategic alignment with the Statewide Housing Plan. This grant is open to developers, nonprofits and units of local government who seek to create housing activity components. Applications will be accepted as long as funding is available.
• Wastewater Infrastructure Fund (WIF) Grant Program: This grant from MDARD aims to help the state’s food and agriculture businesses comply with Michigan’s environmental regulations. Applications will be accepted continually until funding is exhausted.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer 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.

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

State publications on various topics 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 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 BetsyCoffia@house.mi.gov. Please provide as much information as possible, and we will work with you to arrange delivery or presentation of the recognition!