House oversight subcommittee on state and local public assistance names members, adopts regular meeting time

The House Oversight Committee on State and Local Public Assistance Programs convened for an organizational meeting on Jan. 30, 2025, where members named in a chair's appointment letter were read into the record, members introduced themselves, and the committee adopted a standing meeting time.

Clerk read a letter dated Jan. 30, 2025, appointing representatives to the subcommittee. The letter named Jason Wolford as chair, William Brock as vice chair, Steve Cara, Penelope Sternoglu as minority vice chair, and Denise Mensah. The committee then conducted a roll call and confirmed a quorum.

Representative Brooke moved to adopt Thursday at 9 a.m. in Room 326 of the House Office Building as the subcommittee's regular meeting day, time and location. The clerk took the vote; Chair Wilford and representatives Brock, Cara, Sternoglu and Mensah voted yes. "Mister Chair, you have 5 yays, 0 nays, 0 pass," the clerk reported, and the motion prevailed.

Several members gave brief personal and professional introductions outlining their districts and backgrounds. Representative Denise Mensah, who identified herself as the state representative from the 60th District covering Mount Clemens and parts of Clinton Township and Sterling Heights, said she had not planned to run but did so to avoid leaving the seat uncontested. "I was perfectly content at home," Mensah said, recounting her prior work as a senior buyer for Macomb County and earlier local government service.

Representative Penelope Sternoglu, who represents the 70th House District and lives in East Lansing, noted her prior service as a county commissioner and as last year's elections committee chair. Representative Brooke described her Thirtieth District as a border community with Ohio and emphasized oversight to ensure tax dollars "are working the way they're supposed to." Representative Steve Cara said he seeks to limit government intrusion while protecting rights and looks forward to oversight work in public assistance programs.

Chair Wilford closed with a statement outlining the subcommittee's mission to examine how public-assistance dollars are used in the state and to promote efficiency and accountability in government. "This term, we are going to prioritize making government more efficient and more transparent and more accountable to the people of Michigan," Chair Wilford said, urging the public to submit tips to the committee's tip line. The chair repeated a figure discussed in the meeting, saying Michigan's public assistance spending "amounts to nearly 30,000,000,000." He cited the Michigan Constitution, Article 1, Section 1, noting that government is instituted for the people's "equal benefit, security, and protection."

There were no formal policy hearings, bill debates or additional votes at the session. The committee stood adjourned after the organizational business; members adopted the standing meeting schedule for future Thursday meetings at 9 a.m. in Room 326.

The session combined routine organizational steps — reading the chair's appointment letter and establishing a quorum — with member introductions and a public-facing statement of oversight priorities.