Featured in This Newsletter
- Recent News
- In the District
- Upcoming Coffee Hour
- Stay in Touch
Recent News
Families are Encouraged to Enroll 4-Year-Olds Now in Pre-K
It’s not too late for families to enroll their 4-year-olds in free, high-quality pre-K through their local school district. The recent historic investment in Pre-K for All included in the state’s new budget will allow nearly 59,000 four-year-olds across the state to access free pre-K. As of August 15, enrollment has expanded to all families regardless of income level, while continuing to prioritize families who need it most.
Under the FY 2025 budget, free pre-K enrollment was open to families up to 400% of the federal poverty limit, or about $120,000 for a family of 4. As of August 15, school districts and other pre-K providers may open up enrollment to all families, depending on availability.
Families still have time to enroll children who will be 4 years old by Dec. 1 in pre-K this fall! Availability varies by location, with priority given to those who need it most. Visit MiPreKforAll.org to find programs near you.
Gov. Whitmer Announces Call for Applications for PitchMI, a Statewide Startup Pitch Competition
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced that applications are officially open for PitchMI, a statewide shark tank-style pitch competition. Michigan’s Growth Office will invest $100,000 in one innovative solution that transforms the way Michiganders get from point A to point B safely, affordably and efficiently. PitchMI is a commitment by the state to spur entrepreneurial problem solving, connect innovators with capital and create a ripple effect to accelerate more innovation.
The PitchMI competition is scheduled to take place Thursday, October 24 at 2:30 p.m. during the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification’s inaugural MI Future Mobility Conference at Newlab in Detroit. Applicants for PitchMI must be available to participate in-person. PitchMI is open to pre-seed, seed, Series A, and Series B companies with 51% of their employees residing in the State of Michigan. Solutions should be demonstration ready with working prototypes.
PitchMI drives momentum behind the Growing Michigan Together Council’s strategy to position Michigan as the innovation hub of the Midwest and the go-to state for scaling businesses across America. Michigan is home to the highest number of engineers is the U.S. and is a top state for patents. Identifying and addressing gaps in the innovation ecosystem will help retain and attract talent, scale companies and create high-paying jobs per the Council’s report.
The deadline to apply for PitchMI is Monday, September 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
For more information and to apply, visit: growingmichigan.org/opportunities.
Safe Driving Tips as New School Year Begins
With the new school year underway, we’re now sharing the road with school buses again. Here are some quick tips to remember when you see a school bus stopping for students to board.
Remember, yellow lights on school buses activate when the bus is preparing to stop. Red lights and the long stop arm are activated when the bus is completely stopped and accepting or discharging passengers.
Here’s a reminder on what to do when a school bus stops on different road types.
- Two-lane roadway
- When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.
- Multi-lane roadway with a center turning lane
- When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.
- Four-lane roadway without a median separation
- When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.
- Divided highway of four lanes or more with a median separation
- When a school bus stops for passengers, only traffic following the bus must stop
Construction Alert for Shiawassee County
To ensure the integrity of our roadways, the Michigan Dept. of Transportation is investing $159,000 to replace three culverts along M-21 in Shiawassee County: at Durand Road (Sept. 5 – 11), Baldwin Road (Sept. 7 – 17) and Serr Road (Sept. 12 – 17). Work will include replacing the culverts and restoring pavement. One lane of alternating traffic will remain open via temporary signals as crews work on each culvert.
City of Lansing Winter Clothing Drive Begins
The City of Lansing started their sixth annual winter coat drive last week to provide new and gently used winter coats, hats, and gloves to children and adults in need in Lansing. If you have items to donate for our neighboring community, you can do so now through Friday, November 15. All sizes are needed, especially men’s larger sizes. Donations can be placed in the large container outside of Lansing City Hall and bins inside Lansing community centers.
Drop-off locations include:
- Lansing City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave.
- Foster Community Center, 200 N. Foster Ave.
- Gier Community Center, 2400 Hall St.
- Schmidt Community Center, 5825 Wise Rd.
- Letts Community Center, 1220 W. Kalamazoo St.
The coats will be distributed for free at Community Connect on Thursday, November 21, at the Downtown CATA station.
In the District
Michigan State University Democratic Club Meeting
On September 3rd, I spoke at the MSU Democratic Club’s first meeting of the year alongside Representative Brixie and Senator Hertel. We discussed the importance of voting, student-centered issues, as well as how college students can better participate in their democracy.
Tornado Relief City of Perry Check Presentation
Pictured from left to right: Councilperson Jacob Puffer, Councilperson/Mayor Pro-tem Larry Lambert, Police Chief Kyle Bawks, City Treasurer Meggen Galbreath, DPW Superintendent Kevin Tyler, Councilperson Misti Leitelt, City Clerk Shirley Smith, Mayor Sue Hammond, Councilperson Bob Porter, Councilperson Chad Fuller, and Senator Singh.
On September 5th, I had the privilege of presenting a $200,000 check to the City of Perry to aid in their tornado recovery efforts. This significant funding will support the community as they rebuild and recover from the tornado that caused substantial damage in August of last year.
Labor Day Parade in Detroit
Last week, I had the pleasure of joining fellow state Sens. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit), and Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) in commemorating the Labor Day holiday by walking in the parade held in Detroit.
DeWitt Ox Roast Parade
This past month, I had the pleasure of attending the annual DeWitt Ox Roast Parade alongside the Clinton County Democrats. It was a fantastic event filled with community spirit, great weather, and a wonderful display of local pride. Thank you to everyone who came out!
Durand Farmer’s Market
Special thanks to the Durand Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Jeff Brands and all the community leaders that came out to the Durand Farmer’s Market this past week to celebrate the new state funding to create a pedestrian pathway to Durand Union Station. The project to connect the historic station with downtown has been a priority for decades, and I was proud to have secured the resources to make it possible in the 2025 state budget.
Celebrating Clean Energy Wins with Climate Power & ReWiring America
I was ecstatic to join Climate Power and ReWiring America yesterday at their “Front Porch Ribbon Cutting” at the home of Ann Siegle in East Lansing to highlight her rooftop solar installation, which was subsidized by IRA tax credits. Alongside remarks from Rep. Penelope Tsernaglou, Mark Meadows, and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, I was able to talk about the state Clean Energy Future package and the intersection of state and federal policy on climate action and clean energy.
Upcoming Events
I love being able to regularly connect with constituents at my Coffee and Conversation events and hear about the issues you care about. I hope you can join me later this evening in Owosso, where you will also have the chance to get updates on what my Senate colleagues and I have been working on so far this year.
Coffee Hour Tonight!
WHEN: TODAY, Monday, September 9 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Armory – Executive Boardroom, 215 N. Water St., Owosso, MI 48867
September 27 Virtual Coffee Hour
WHEN: Friday, September 27 from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: Virtual — Register online
Stay In Touch
As always, if you or someone you know would like to provide feedback about what’s happening in Lansing or needs assistance, feel free to contact my office. You can email us at SenSSingh@senate.michigan.gov or call (517) 373-3447.
Sincerely,
Sam Singh
State Senator
District 28