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Dear Neighbor, Welcome to my monthly Capitol and Community Updates e-newsletter! As your state representative in the 103rd Michigan Legislature, it has been a pleasure to provide these regular updates on my legislative work in an effort to be as transparent and informative as possible for constituents like you. In this issue, you will find information on my upcoming events, a legislative update, news on funding coming to our district, grant opportunity information, resources for how my office can assist you, and more! 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 [email protected]. Be sure to check out the latest on my social media platforms as well. As this legislative session continues, I welcome your 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 |
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Upcoming EventsPlease join me at 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! I am also adding evening events to accommodate those that cannot attend during typical business hours. I hope you will join me at one of these upcoming events!
May Office Hour When: Monday, May 11, from noon to 1 p.m. Where: Leelanau County Government Center (8527 E. Government Center Dr., Suttons Bay, MI 49682) |
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May Office Hour – Evening When: Monday, May 18, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Where: Traverse Area District Library (610 Woodmere Ave., Traverse City, MI 49686) |
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State Rep. Betsy Coffia views flooding damage and the washed out Beitner Road Bridge in Grand Traverse County on May 4 as part of a tour set up with state lawmakers by the county road commission and sheriff’s department.
Flooding Update and Resources Recent severe weather and flooding have had significant impacts on our communities, from residents being displaced from their homes to extensive infrastructure damage. The governor declared a state of emergency in over 40 of Michigan’s 83 counties, including Benzie, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse. This emergency declaration helps the state deploy additional resources to help local officials and first responders protect Michiganders and their property. However, we need the federal government to also declare a disaster in the area to unlock additional relief funds. I am hopeful that our congressional representatives will be able to secure this declaration. I have been in regular communication with impacted residents who’ve reached out to my office, as well as local emergency management leaders during and after the flooding. I joined the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, Drain Commissioner, and Sheriff, as well as my colleagues state Rep. John Roth and state Sen. John Damoose, to view flood-damaged areas in Grand Traverse County on May 4. Additionally, as the House took up a vote on its proposed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, I offered an amendment that would have provided $15 million for a Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program. This investment would have prioritized dam repair and removal projects by relative risk to strengthen ageing infrastructure and protect vulnerable communities. The Republican House majority leadership rejected the opportunity to fully address the issue when they chose not to adopt my amendment. You can listen to my floor speech here. My office is continuing to monitor the situation and provide support for homeowners, small businesses, and impacted jurisdictions. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services has put together helpful information on Disaster Preparedness and Response to help impacted individuals navigate insurance claims, avoid scams, etc. The Michigan Department of Treasury is also allowing impacted individual and business taxpayers to request additional time to file state tax returns and pay state tax bills. Penalties and interest will be waived for those who qualify. Please note that tax extension relief is not automatic; taxpayers must contact Treasury online, by the U.S. Postal Service, or by phone to request relief. Additionally, residents struggling with the impacts of the recent floods can reach out to the local Red Cross, which may be able to assist as well. I want to personally thank the U.S. Coast Guard as well as all local first responders, road commission personnel, and local leaders for their work responding to this crisis on behalf of our residents. I also want to thank and acknowledge everyone in our community who is finding ways to help impacted neighbors deal with the aftermath of flooding, whether it was through lending time and muscle to help remove flooded belongings from homes and basements, providing equipment and vehicles for the cleanup, bringing meals, or just generally being good neighbors. Northern Michigan is fortunate to have so many caring people who pitch in when things get tough. We get through hard moments by pulling together. I will continue to seek ways to assist however I can. |
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Beitner Road Bridge in Grand Traverse County, damaged from floodwaters; photo taken on May 4 on legislator tour of impacted areas. Treasury Update on Tax Refunds A number of constituents have reached out to my office to report delays in receiving their 2025 tax refunds. In response, my team has been in touch with the Michigan Department of Treasury to better understand the current state of refund processing and the factors that most often lead to delays. Treasury has reported that this year saw an approximate 45% increase in early returns, which tend to be more complex, and this trend has led to delayed processing of returns. Returns are processed in the order that they were received and it is not yet clear why there was such a high volume of early returns. Unfortunately, Treasury is advising legislative offices that we are not able to check the status of current tax year (2025) individual income tax returns or refunds until this summer, unless an individual is experiencing a qualified hardship. This would include documentation of a court-approved foreclosure, eviction, or an official current utility shut off notice on the principal residence. Treasury has processed more than 3.7 million returns and issued over $2.3 billion in refunds since January 26, 2026. Most refunds continue to be issued within the normal 4-6 week timeframe. However, around 10% of returns require additional review for reasons such as missing or incorrect information, identity verification to protect against fraudulent activity, or the presence of refundable credits or debts/garnishments requiring intercept. These extra steps – while necessary to ensure accuracy, security, and fairness – do extend processing time for some filers. Treasury is encouraging taxpayers to continue monitoring their refund status through eServices as well as their Tax Year 2025 Return Processing Updates that outlines the filing season’s progress, common reasons some returns take longer to process, and important guidance for taxpayers checking their refund status. More information can also be found at the Tax Year 2025 Information page. |
Recent Constituent & Community Engagement |
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State Rep. Betsy Coffia reading to students at Willow Hill Elementary School on March 20. March Is Reading Month Recap ‘March Is Reading Month’ is one of my favorite times of year! During my reading visits, I always appreciate having the opportunity to connect with the fantastic teachers and school staff in the 103rd House District, as well as promoting literacy and a love of books with my youngest constituents. This year, I was thrilled to be able to read to children at Eastern Elementary, Willow Hill Elementary, Lake Ann Elementary, and Cherry Knoll Elementary. Thank you to all of the teachers and schools that invited me and to the students for their enthusiastic participation! Any libraries, schools, childcare centers, summer camps, or other organizations that promote literacy are welcome to contact my office if you’d like to schedule a reading visit. It can be anytime – because every month is a great month to read! |
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State Rep. Betsy Coffia reading to students at Eastern Elementary School on March 20. Honoring Ashley Ochoa: Hometown Health Hero On March 18, I was happy to join state Sen. John Damoose’s team to present our constituent Ashley Ochoa with a tribute honoring her Hometown Health Hero Award from the Michigan Public Health Week Partnership – a collaboration of state and local health agencies, universities, and organizations dedicated to advancing public health. Ashley has worked in the Oncology Revenue Cycle at Munson Healthcare for over a decade and has been committed to helping patients access benefits and supporting their nutritional needs. Through her work, Ashley has identified broader barriers with patients, uncovering a critical need: when income is reduced, patients often resort to inexpensive, less nutritious options – foods that do not support healing. With support from Munson’s Front-Line Leadership program, Ashley developed Fuel for Recovery as a direct response to this need. Fuel for Recovery aims to reduce healthcare inequities by ensuring cancer patients in active treatment have access to nutrient-dense meals that support healing, energy, and treatment tolerance. Beyond her normal job responsibilities, Ashley has invested significant time and effort into securing funding through donors and community partnerships. Ashley’s work is a prime example of the critical public health efforts made possible by our community members supporting one another, and I was proud to join in honoring her work. Her dedication to patients shone through even further during her visit to Lansing for the ceremony, when over lunch she advocated with me for additional support such as transportation for cancer patients in our rural region. We are now planning a follow-up meeting to discuss further. Given my own recent healthcare journey beating cancer, I was especially touched by her commitment and passion to ease the burden of cancer patients in our region. Well done, Ashley, keep it up! |
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State Rep. Betsy Coffia presented Ashley Ochoa with a state tribute co-signed by State Sen. John Damoose, the Michigan governor and lieutenant governor on March 18.
Reclaiming Pride On March 26, I was honored to serve as the keynote speaker for Equality Michigan’s Reclaiming Pride event. At a time when political attacks on the LGBTQ+ community are mounting across the country, I am proud to continue standing with and uplifting this community. The transgender community in particular has become a favorite punching bag of the far-right, but I’m not interested in culture wars – especially when I believe they only exist to distract us from the Epstein Files. As your state representative, I am committed to defending and expanding on the progress that Michigan made last term under the Democratic trifecta when we enacted legislation to enshrine LGBTQ+ protections in Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) for the first time, ensure that LGBTQ+ victims of hate crimes have an opportunity to seek justice, and de-criminalize surrogacy so that anyone who wants to start a family in Michigan can do so. |
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State Rep. Betsy Coffia speaking at the 2026 Equality Michigan Reclaiming Pride event in Traverse City.
Bipartisan Support for Rx Kids On April 8, state Sen. John Damoose and I joined the Leelanau County League of Women Voters forum on early childcare and family support. Together, we delivered a presentation on Rx Kids – the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program. This program is funded through a combination of state dollars and local matches. It started in Flint in response to the devastating impacts of the Flint Water Crisis on infants and children. Dr. Mona Hanna came to state lawmakers with the Rx Kids concept; she is a pediatrician known for her advocacy during the Flint Water Crisis and highly respected for her expertise in supporting healthy children and mothers. Dr. Mona has been a powerful champion for this endeavor which was recently expanded through state funding that Sen. Damoose and I both supported in the last two state budgets. Rx Kids is providing life-changing financial security that is universal and unconditional. Moms receive $1,500 during pregnancy, and babies receive $500 per month for either 6 or 12 months after birth, with local community leaders selecting the program duration based on funds raised. Families have used the funds for things like covering for lost wages so that a new dad can stay at home with the newborn and his wife to get crucial bonding time, for prenatal visits, baby cribs and items which are becoming increasingly expensive, and even for covering rent so families of newborns won’t lose their housing in a crisis. While not yet statewide, this program has expanded to rural communities in Clare County and the Eastern Upper Peninsula where it is already having a measurable positive impact. Through our bipartisan efforts to educate community members on how the program can improve outcomes for babies and families, we hope to see Rx Kids expand to Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse counties, as well as other communities in northern Michigan, in the future. I am in active conversations with potential local entities that could serve as fiscal entities and fund matching organizations. I am also encouraging interested organizations in all three of the counties I represent to reach out to my office if you are interested in exploring the possibilities of this great program.
Additional Updates
Funding Coming to the 103rd DistrictI am thrilled to announce that our communities, businesses, and organizations in Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties in the 103rd House District have recently been awarded the following state grant funding:
Grant Funding OpportunitiesCurrent state and federal grant, loan, scholarship, and credit opportunities include:
Apply for State Boards and CommissionsThe governor 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.
E-News Archives, Publications and RecognitionsMy e-news archive is available on my website here. State publications on various topics – including veteran benefits, senior resources, and taxpayer support – 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, community support organizations, 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 [email protected]. Please provide as much information as possible, and we will work with you to arrange delivery or presentation of the recognition! |