Dear Friends, I hope you all enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend with your family and friends in the sun. Right before the holiday weekend, the Michigan House and Senate each worked late into the night on the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget, which we passed. Highlights about that are included below, along with other important updates. Featured in this newsletter:
As always, if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please call my office at (517) 373-2417, or email me at SenRBayer@senate.michigan.gov. Be well, |
Rosemary Bayer State Senator
BUDGET INCLUDES INCREASED EDUCATION FUNDING, INVESTMENTS IN OAKLAND COUNTY The Michigan Legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2023 budget late last week, which goes into effect October 1. This historic $76.7 billion budget includes an increase in funding for special education in Michigan classrooms and funding for Bloomfield Hill’s Ascend Foundation. With $19.6 billion from the School Aid Fund and $15.3 billion from the General Fund, the budget passed prioritizes education and provides for a $450 per-pupil increase in the K-12 foundation allowance, bringing the total to $9,150 per student. Additionally, $1.92 billion has been earmarked for special education resources. I am proud to see these investments being made in our schools and into our community. Increasing funding for special education in schools is crucial in making sure all our students are being prioritized in our schools, regardless of how they learn. In addition, putting funding towards the Ascend Foundation provides much needed resources to help make sure our community is being uplifted and supported. Among the budget items included that I fought for, and that will benefit Oakland County residents, are:
AG NESSEL ISSUES NEW CONSUMER ALERT TO PROTECT PRIVATE HEALTH, LOCATION DATA In the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding abortion, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a new consumer alert focused on consumer protection measures residents can enact right now to protect their personal information companies obtain when you sign up for certain services, like phone applications that track fertility and menstrual cycles. The Protecting Private Health and Location Data Consumer Alert is now available on the Department’s alerts page. Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to protect personal data: Compare options on privacy. When considering a health app, ask some key questions:
Take control of personal information.
Know the risks.
Report concerns. Do you think a health app shared personal information without permission? For more information, read this additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE FOR CONSUMERS STRUGGLING WITH ENERGY COSTS Help is available for Michiganders grappling with higher energy costs amid fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine, factors that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s Michigan Energy Appraisal Summer Outlook 2022 finds are leading to higher prices amid rising demand across all energy sectors. Michiganders struggling with these costs have options for help. Those having trouble paying home energy costs may contact their electric or natural gas utilities for information about financial assistance or contact Michigan 211 by calling 211 or going to mi211.org. Michigan 211 is a free, confidential service that connects Michiganders with a broad range of assistance programs and services and other resources, including help with food, housing, transportation and home energy bills. More energy assistance information is available through the MPSC’s energy assistance consumer tip sheet. Utility customers also can help reduce their costs by using energy efficiently. Check out the MPSC’s consumer tip on beating the heat for suggestions on reducing energy use. The U.S. Department of Energy has additional spring and summer tips for saving energy.
JULY RECOGNIZED AS LAKES APPRECIATION MONTH By proclamation of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, July is Lakes Appreciation Month, highlighting the rich ecosystems, fresh drinking water, recreational appeal, and economic vitality that Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes and four bordering Great Lakes provide. Michigan continues to award infrastructure grants to municipalities through the governor’s $500 million bipartisan MI Clean Water Plan, ensuring Michiganders of access to clean and affordable drinking water. The governor’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, meanwhile, creates a roadmap to a prosperous carbon-neutral economy by 2050 that will also protect the state’s natural resources, including lakes. Appreciating Michigan’s lakes means respecting them, too — especially the immense power of the Great Lakes. When making summer plans for time at Great Lakes beaches, always use caution, pay attention to beach flag warnings (where available), and know that the lakes are prone to dangerous rip currents, crashing waves, and quickly changing weather patterns. Of Michigan’s 100-plus state parks, 42 offer access to the Great Lakes shoreline, making them popular destinations for gatherings with family and friends. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers safety tips and information everyone should know before hitting the water.
MDHHS ANNOUNCES FREE COVID-19 TESTS AVAILABLE FOR AT-RISK COMMUNITIES The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has announced an expanded partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation through Project Act to provide 300,000 COVID-19 tests to 60,000 households free of charge to at-risk communities. Michigan was previously enrolled in a pilot program that provided 250,000 tests to 50,000 households. Residents can request tests once per month in July and August. Households will receive one kit each month containing five tests. Eligible individuals in vulnerable communities can order their free COVID-19 tests through AccessCovidTests.org. Each household will receive one kit with five tests, typically within a week of ordering. Individuals seeking to order tests will input their ZIP code to see if they live in a qualifying area. Individuals without internet access can contact 211 for assistance ordering tests. MDHHS also continues to partner with libraries across the state to provide free at-home COVID-19 tests to Michiganders. Click here for a list of participating libraries.
|