Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to this month’s Capitol and Community Update!

Please encourage your neighbors and friends in House District 56 — Troy, Clawson, Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Bloomfield Township — to sign up for these updates at RepMacDonell.com. And let us know if you have any thoughts on state-level issues or want to meet with me. Reach out to us 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 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:

• Opportunities to connect with me in our community
• Information the recently-passed supplemental school funding bill
• Updates on legislation I’ve introduced
• Information on your rights as a voter

Join me on Monday, Oct. 21, for a community conversation in Royal Oak! I will be there to take your questions and update you on my recent work in the Legislature. Events like this are a great opportunity to share your thoughts and concerns directly with me.

When: Monday, Oct. 21, from 5-6 p.m.

Where: Royal Oak Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48073

The following are highlights from my recent work in the Legislature. All my sponsored and co-sponsored legislation from this term are available online. Most recently, I introduced legislation to prevent deaf and hard-of-hearing Michiganders from losing access to prescription hearing aids. You can also see my press releases page for additional updates.

This summer, I voted for House Bill 5803, a bill to put more money into classrooms by reducing the amount that school districts must pay into the state’s educator retirement system, which is currently overfunded. This measure will free up hundreds of millions of dollars annually for Michigan’s school districts to spend on hiring more teachers, upgrading classrooms and investing in the best possible education for our students. I was thrilled to learn this week that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer intends to sign the bill when it reaches her desk. With this bill, Michigan Democrats are demonstrating our commitment to a strong, high-quality public education system.

Last week, all 55 of my House Democratic colleagues and I voted to increase school mental health and safety funding to $150 million across Michigan. This funding will go directly to school districts for them to spend on hiring psychologists and social workers, school security equipment and technology, and other resources.

Additionally, the state Department of Education will receive $1 million to create a tip line that students and schools can use to anonymously report unsecured guns, and to provide school districts with information on safe firearm storage for students. The last part might sound familiar, as it shares similarities with my Safe Homes, Safe Schools legislation that would have school districts provide parents with information on their responsibilities under Michigan’s safe storage law. However, a key difference between this legislation and my bill is that it does not require schools to send the information home to families; it only requires that information be shared with schools. I am grateful this one-time funding was included, and I am all the more confident that we can enhance gun safety in Michigan by passing Safe Homes, Safe Schools into law this year!

In recent years, we have witnessed troubling efforts at the state and national level to prevent individuals from voting and disrupt the democratic process. To combat this, I have mailed a “Voter Guide” flier to residents across our community with information on your voter rights and resources for dealing with threats to your rights. In case you did not receive this flier, I have summarized its main contents below:

Voters with disabilities are legally entitled to adequate accommodations for casting their ballot. Michigan’s Bureau of Elections now has an Ombudsman for Accessible Elections to assist individuals with disabilities attempting to vote. For more information on this resource, call  (517) 335-2730 or email MDOS-ADAVoting@michigan.gov.

Michigan prioritizes the security of our elections to ensure your vote is personal and private. You can learn more about Michigan’s election security measures at the Michigan Secretary of State’s election security webpage.

If anyone tries to give you false election information or prevent you or someone else from voting, I encourage you to report them to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Elections Division by contacting elections@michigan.gov or calling (517) 335-3235.

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.

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!