TAYLOR — State Rep. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) hosted a town hall-style event Wednesday night to give residents a chance to address their legislators directly about issues that are important to them. The event took place at the Wayne County Community College District Taylor Campus. State Reps. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Township), Cara Clemente (D-Lincoln Park) and Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) were on hand to take questions, and Democratic Floor Leader Christine Greig (D-Farmington Hills) gave a legislative update to the crowd, focusing on the budget process.
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to host this event, because as legislators, we are most effective when we’re listening to the people we represent,” Geiss said. “We had some excellent conversations on several important issues, so I’d like to thank my colleagues and all the people who attended for making this event a success.”
The meeting was a part of the House Democrats’ “This Is Your House” listening tour, which features town hall-style events across the state for representatives to meet with their constituents, and part of the Downriver Community Meeting series, in which lawmakers from the Downriver area host regular events to discuss topical issues affecting their communities.
“The most important part of our job is representing our constituents’ needs in Lansing, and we can’t do that unless we know what they are,” Camilleri said. “In addition to my regular coffee hours, I enjoy taking part in events like these so that I can be sure I know what residents are thinking.”
Topics that attendees raised at the event included the cost of auto insurance, proposed changes to health care, funding for education and Michigan’s infrastructure needs. The representatives also spoke briefly about Michigan’s government and civic engagement.
“What matters to our constituents matters to us, and I’m proud to say that my colleagues and I are already working to address many of these issues,” Hammoud said. “I look forward to taking these concerns back to the Capitol and continuing to work on behalf of the hardworking people we represent.”