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Social Welfare Policy 314

Seeketa Schimmel
Professor Diane McMillan
Adopt a Legislator
March 12, 2015

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My Michigan State Representative is Robert Wittenberg, who is the Representative from
District 27, which covers the following municipalities in Oakland County: Berkley, Ferndale,
Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak Township.
Representative Wittenberg was raised in Michigans 27th House District, attended Berkley High
School and currently resides in Oak Park. Upon graduation from BHS, Robert attended Indiana
University. He quickly became active in university politics and student governance, serving as
Speaker of the House for the Indiana University Student Association, founder and president of
the Hillel Business Leadership Initiative and the Dean of Students appointee to the Commission
on Multicultural Understanding. Robert graduated IU with a bachelor of science in business
management, but his passion for politics, activism and civic engagement continued. Before
joining the Legislature, Robert worked for more than nine years as a licensed life and health
insurance agent, helping to enroll thousands of businesses and individuals on health insurance
plans, most recently those that are compliant under Affordable Care Act. He remains actively
engaged in the community through organizations such as the Tri-Community Coalition of
Berkley, Huntington Woods and Oak Park; the Berkley Holiday Lights Parade; and the Oak Park
JCC. Rep. Wittenberg believes that if we are to invest in our states future, we must invest in our
cities, schools and seniors. His legislative priorities include bringing tax relief and economic
security to Michigan families and seniors, restoring funding to Michigans public schools and
ensuring that Michigans young people can afford to go to college and can find good jobs in our
state.
Representative Wittenberg opposes legislation that allows adoption agencies to
discriminate against potential parents based upon agencies religious views. He recently stated, I
am deeply disappointed that the House Families, Children and Seniors Committee voted today to

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send three bills to the House floor that allow adoption agencies to deny adoption services to
same-sex couples, interracial couples or anyone else that the agency may object to on the basis of
the organizations faith. These bills will make it harder for children who need loving families to
find a home, and send the message that Michigan is not a welcoming and tolerant state. Rather
than drafting new rules to allow for discrimination and finding new ways to slight Michigan
families, we should be working on laws that help children awaiting adoption find families and
make clear that our state is open and welcoming to all of its citizens. Moving forward, I will
always fight for policies of inclusion and respect for all Michganders.
This writer experienced empathy for Representative Wittenbergs position on this issue. I
could identify with his opinion since, as a social work student ands future social worker, I am
interested in and passionate about issues that affect people who need someone in the welfare
system and the legislature who would advocate for them and for programs that would improve
their daily lives, e.g. improving child welfare and adoption policies and maintaining strong intact
families (especially in the African-American community), and improving the welfare system in
general so that it is transformed from a multi-generational entitlement program into an
educational support and job training program.