Dear Neighbor,
Hi, I’m Jason. I have the privilege to serve as your state representative for Washtenaw, Wayne and Oakland counties. Here is some information that I hope you will find helpful, including some updates and news from your state government.
I am so excited to share what we’ve been up to the last couple of weeks in Lansing. It’s been jam-packed with exciting progress, and most importantly, getting stuff done! We have several pieces of important legislation moving through committees, passing good legislation, advancing our state budget, and spending time with constituents throughout our communities.
Upcoming Events
I want to hear about the issues that matter to you! Join us in South Lyon for our next coffee hour!
- Coffee Hour: Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to noon at The Corner Social, 101 S. Lafayette St., South Lyon, MI 48178.
Combating Housing Discrimination
In a significant stride toward ensuring fairness and equality in housing, House Bills 4062 and 4063, legislation aimed at ending housing income discrimination and addressing the housing crisis, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. My colleague state Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor Charter Township) and I sponsored the bills.
The package will make sure that all individuals, regardless of their income source, receive equal housing opportunities and are not subject to biased treatment in any phase of real estate transactions. Housing is not a luxury — it’s a basic life necessity. Ensuring that the good families, veterans and seniors of Michigan are protected from discrimination based on their source of their income is fundamental to ensuring our hometowns are strong and inclusive.
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Tax Credits
Summer season is savings season! Through recent state and federal initiatives, we’re investing in the climate, jobs and environmental justice. Below is a helpful table of tax credits for energy efficiency and green initiatives. It’ll save our planet, and your wallet too!
Or click this helpful link to calculate your savings for home energy upgrades.
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Standing Up for Education Funding
Last week, we passed the Michigan House budget that invests in our hometowns — good jobs, roads, public transportation, housing, clean water and so importantly, our schools. We are standing up for our K-12 schools by working to put every dollar possible into the classroom. Our House budget builds upon last year’s historic budget with the highest foundation allowance ever, at $9,825 per pupil. We are doing this while continuing to provide breakfast and lunch for all students, lowering costs for school districts, and including $331 million for mental health and school safety.
I know that the budget has been a challenge for all of our districts, but particularly Ann Arbor Public Schools this year. We are working with our colleagues in the Washtenaw delegation, our teachers, students, the community and state government to ensure we are doing everything we can to support the district. Our House-passed budget would build upon last year’s state increase to add another $7 million in ongoing funding, along with millions more for the rest of our districts. We are all in this together, always, but especially when it comes to supporting our kids.
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U-M Researcher Will Study Improvements in Education
The Michigan Department of Education selected a University of Michigan researcher, Dr. Brian Jacob, to study how the state’s education governance system can be improved for the benefit of public-school students. Dr. Jacob is a professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. (I’m a proud Ford School alum!) He is also the co-director of the Youth Policy Lab at U-M. Dr. Jacob will review the key features of a school system; i.e., allocation of responsibilities and authority across different levels of government, their structures and the state school’s finance system. State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice says Dr. Jacob’s proposal aligns with Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan.
Yours in service,
Jason Morgan
State Representative
Michigan’s 23rd House District