Weeks 1-4: Michigan House of Representatives

In my first few weeks of working in Lansing, I have had the opportunity to meet many other representatives, attend committee meetings, and watch House session live, gaining insight into the process of passing legislation through both the House and the Senate. I work in the office of State Rep. Charles Smiley, who represents the 50th district of Michigan, including the cities of Burton and Grand Blanc as well as parts of both Grand Blanc and Mundy township.  Both of Charlie's legislative assistants are men, which I find to be a rare occurrence, at least in the offices that I have visited so far.  The majority of state representatives themselves are white males, which is something I think should change to more accurately represent the diverse constituencies in Michigan.  However, I have met a lot of females that work as legislative aides and representatives.  Our office is right next to Pam Faris, a really well-spoken, driven female legislator representing Davison, Clio, and Montrose.  She comes over to our office a lot and we frequently collaborate with her and her assistants to work on local projects.  It is a lot easier to work with offices that are of the same political party; nevertheless, I've met many Republican aides and policy analysts, and we treat each other nicely and sometimes make jokes about how we are of opposing parties.  I should note that there is still a bit of tension when greeting representatives of the opposite party, but it honestly just depends on the person and their ability to leave politics aside in order to engage in friendly conversation.  My supervisor Tim is one of our legislative aides and I would bet money that he is the most talkative person in the entire building - never a dull moment with him.  So, even though that the general rule is to treat everyone with respect, one may be surprised as to the reactions they'd receive from some people on the opposite end of the political spectrum.  On my first day, we walked in behind a young man who refused to hold the door open for me and failed to politely return Tim's greeting, which was an interesting start to the job.  As far as our attire goes, most of the men wear suits and ties, and the women wear blazers with a skirt or pants.  I once saw an intern wearing moccasins, but I personally try to stick with blazers, skirts, and heels, as it is important that I look professional when representing Charlie and his office.  Clothing doesn't impact personal interactions at all, because most people are dressed the same way.  Yet the fact that everyone is dressed professionally really gives you the sense that they are in important positions.  When we do work in the district, our dress is a little more relaxed, but we still make sure to look nice.  All in all, my workload has been pretty light to start, but I think as time goes by I will be able to take calls from constituents and be more involved in the activities of the office.  Until then, I get to attend Charlie's committee meetings and go to fundraisers and meet many new people, which is always enjoyable!

                                                Charlie, Tim, and I all carpool to Lansing

                                                   Charlie going into the Chamber of Commerce

                                  Tim and Charlie's daughter at the Burton Memorial Day Parade