Rep. Wooden’s Capitol and Community Updates

Hello Friends,

We have made it to May! I can’t believe this year has flown by so quickly! I am looking forward to sharing with you all the recent updates that have been taking place in our state’s Capitol. I have been hard at work in Lansing fighting for the needs of our community and working on legislation.

As always, my office is reachable by phone at (517) 373-1790 and by email at [email protected]. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions, concerns, or to share your thoughts on a particular issue

Sincerely,

Stephen Wooden

State Representative, 81st District

Proudly representing parts of the City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Charter Township, Plainfield Charter Township and all of Ada Township.

In this issue:

• Upcoming Time with Stephen
• Legislative Updates
• State Budget Updates
• What We’ve Been Up To

May Coffee Hour

This will be an opportunity to meet with me directly to ask questions, share concerns and learn more about what I’ve been up to in Lansing. I hope to see you there!

May 22, 9:30-11 a.m. — Qahwah House Grand Rapids (2107 E. Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525)

Coffee hours will rotate around House District 81 throughout the year. Stay tuned for future locations and dates.

Rep. Wooden’s Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize State Building Code Receives Committee Hearing in House

Earlier this year, I, alongside my colleague state Rep. Parker Fairbairn, introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing Michigan’s housing shortage by modernizing building codes to make smaller-scale developments possible and affordable. I am proud to share that we received a hearing on these bills in the House Committee on Government Operations last week.

This legislation, House Bills 5570 and 5571, would implement so-called “smart-stair reform” in Michigan. The legislation would allow narrower apartment buildings between four and six stories to have one staircase instead of two, provided local zoning authorization and a number of fire safety measures are met, including limiting the size and number of apartments per floor, maintaining a maximum distance of 125 feet to the nearest exit, and existing fire suppression requirements are met.

Reforms similar to our proposed legislation have been successfully implemented in several states and cities across the United States. As 2025 research by Pew demonstrates, allowing modern single-stair designs with proper safety measures, like those in our legislation, makes smaller apartment buildings on vacant lots more feasible without compromising safety.

As we all know, Michigan, like much of the country, is facing a crisis of housing affordability and a shortage of houses and apartments for homebuyers and renters alike.

While there is no single silver bullet that can fix the entirety of this housing crisis, HBs 5570 and 5571 are a crucial step in the right direction. This legislation will allow for affordable, small-scale, infill multifamily housing where we need it most: on the vacant lots in the heart of our cities. These bills would help Michigan build more housing, create new options for families, close our housing gap and move us towards a Michigan where everyone can have a safe, affordable home to call their own.

I look forward to continuing this work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and hope to see this important issue continue to progress through the legislative process.

Michigan Legislature Begins Negotiations on Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget

It is once again budget season in the Michigan Legislature. The past few months have been full of hearings and debate on issues impacting our state budget and the cost of living for Michigan families.

On April 22, the House Republican majority passed its proposed FY 2026-27 budget plan. The Senate Democratic majority passed their proposed plan the following week on April 29. Budgets are a reflection of our values, and the contrast between these two proposals of Democratic and Republican priorities could not be clearer.

The House Republican plan would make massive cuts to critical programs, such as:

• Gutting the Rx Kids program by $20M, stripping additional supports from infants and new parents.
• Reducing support for military and veterans’ affairs 11.6% or over $33 million a year.
• Massive cuts to Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, totaling a nearly 63% cut that would threaten to drive up costs for students.
• Penalizing schools for providing curricula related to race or gender “stereotyping,” using state funds in supporting DEI initiatives, allowing transgender girls to participate in girls’ school sports with their friends or providing multi-stall unisex bathrooms.
• Falling $7.5M short in offsetting the increased costs of Medicaid and food assistance program caseloads, caused by Congress’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
• Over $6M in cuts to energy programs.
• Large cuts to state departments, including a 50% cut in funding for EGLE.
• And more!

The House Republican plan also neglected to include smart investments from the governor’s proposal, including:

• Weighted funding targets for at-risk and English language learning students. Weighted funding is a nationally proven model that provides stability and predictability for schools year after year, allowing them to plan effectively and serve their most at-risk learners.
• $2.5M for gun violence prevention.
• $3.3M in community violence prevention funding.

I am proud to have voted NO on this disastrous plan.

In contrast, the Senate Democrats’ proposal makes key investments aimed at lowering costs, protecting residents from harmful federal decisions, making new long-term investments in our public schools and growing an economy that benefits all Michiganders.

The deadline for the Legislature to complete a final state budget deal is July 1.

Over the next couple of months, the House, Senate and Governor’s office are going to continue budget conversations and to negotiate out a final deal. Last year, House Republicans nearly shut the state down by failing to develop and negotiate a budget proposal until the deadline, disrupting state services, straining school districts and creating uncertainty for local governments.

Under Democratic leadership in the past, the state had budgets delivered on time that put people and communities first. It is my hope that Michigan can once again deliver a sensible budget on time that defends critical programs and services, and invests in what people care about most: lower costs, healthcare, education, local communities and economies, and our democracy.

I will continue fighting for a state budget that represents the values of our community and makes Michigan a better, more affordable home for all. Stay tuned for future updates from my office as deliberations on the state budget continue.

Take Your Kid to Work Day

It was “Take Your Kid to Work Day” last week, and to say it was unforgettable would be an understatement. Not only did my son crush the scavenger hunt, but it was my daughter’s first time in the State Capitol!

As they grow older, I hope my kids see Lansing as a place where good decisions are made with people at the heart of it. For now, I’m just glad they see it as a place where they can play and get some candy.

Special thanks to House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri’s office for organizing festivities for the day, and my own mother for tagging along to help.

Our office is always here to answer any questions, concerns, or listen to any thoughts you have on any particular issue. The best way to reach us is by email at [email protected]. Our team is working hard to respond to every email and voicemail left with our office in a timely manner. We appreciate your patience as we experience increased communications!