Dozens of Community Conversation participants and other subscribers to this newsletter have taken us up on our offer to host candidate conversations in the several dozen races for open Michigan State House of Representatives seats.

We will begin scheduling these meetings next week and those who've signed up will be contacted with prospective dates and times.

There's still time to join the crowds.

We're taking signups now for in-depth dialogues between citizens, community leaders and candidates in many of the more than 40 open state House seats. We'll begin holding those meetings shortly after the August primary. Already, we're meeting one-on-one with 50 candidates before the primary to spread the "Common Ground Agenda" developed in more than 180 community meetings across the state in the past year.

Please email us as soon as possible if you'd like to participate in a candidate conversation this August - October in your region. Or, contact our regional outreach coordinators directly to sign up:

WEST MICHIGAN -- Annette Guilfoyle, 616 460 6455
CENTRAL/OUTSTATE MICHIGAN -- Nancy Short, 202 390 5766
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN -- Kim Johnson, 248 321 8635

We also continue to distribute the Common Ground Agenda for Michigan's Transformation. This month, the Grand Rapids Public Library System is the first system in the state to have a copy of The Center for Michigan report in every branch available for check out. A special thanks to Bill Hill of the GRPL for arranging this. If you would like copies for your library contact us at the phone numbers and email address listed above.