May 28, 2021
Hello Neighbors,
For some of us, our everyday lives are returning to normal. While that can be a relief, for others this can also be a very stressful time, igniting feelings of anxiety, trauma, and depression.
So, after a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the mental resiliency of all Michiganders, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS) are joining mental health advocates across the nation in recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month.
Early in the pandemic, MDHHS partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Administration and Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration to develop the Stay Well program, offering emotional support through a counseling line seven days a week, 24 hours a day (dial 888-535-6136 and press “8.”) The program’s website, Michigan.gov/StayWell, also offers links to a variety of mental health resources, including crisis help lines, virtual support groups, guidance documents, videos and recorded webinars.
As always, please continue to look out for your friends and neighbors and be patient with one another. For the latest updates, I’d encourage you to follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
Warm regards,
Winnie Brinks
State Senator
29th District
In This Issue
- Governor Announces Significant Investments in Education Funding
- State Budget Updates
- Changes to COVID-19 Emergency Rules, Capacity Limits
- Families to Receive More in Food Assistance Benefits
- Safety Smarts for a Great Holiday Weekend
- Upcoming June Coffee Hour
- Contact Us
GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION FUNDING
On Thursday, May 27, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her funding priorities for K-12 education as the state readies for major investments in our schools and teachers.
Due to the American Rescue Plan and the recently announced state revenue increases, a surplus in funding now exists to make unprecedented investments in our schools, with enough funding to eliminate the funding gap that has existed between schools for many years.
The plan will utilize the surplus to propose over $1.7 billion in one-time funding and allocate more than $900 million for ongoing investments, representing Michigan’s most significant investment in public education to date.
Major highlights of the framework include:
- Closing the funding gap between schools in lower and higher-income communities with a $262 million investment.
- Investing funds in students who need them the most through a weighted funding formula which distributes education dollars more equitably.
- Providing a combined $500 million for districts to hire and retain more educators, psychologists, social workers, counselors and nurses, and provide student loan debt relief for mental and physical health professionals who work in high-need districts.
- Making substantial investments to help students plan for life after high school by facilitating postsecondary transitions, including $50 million to double funding for CTE, vocational, and skilled trades programs; $55 million to expand dual enrollment and early middle college programs; and, $100 million to hire more guidance and career counselors.
- Earmarking $500 million for school infrastructure.
In just a year, Michigan has gone from a nearly $3 billion deficit to a $3.5 billion surplus, with a state budget that is primed for investment. This is a great opportunity to put resources back into our educational system, which has been underfunded for too long.
STATE BUDGET UPDATES
We began the process of moving budgets for state departments this month. The state House has its own proposals in their own bills, but first Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the legislature’s Republican leadership must come to a consensus agreement on what to spend state dollars on, and where.
As the budget stands now, more than $700 million has been slashed from what Governor Whitmer initially recommended for our state budget back in February — including cuts to:
- The Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration, which has been at the forefront of protecting employees from scrupulous employers during the pandemic.
- Funding for the Futures for Frontliners program, which the governor created to help people who have served us on the frontlines during the pandemic.
- Funding for Local First Responder Training and Recruitment Grants.
- Double-Up Food Bucks, which helps lower-income families to purchase healthy food from local farmers’ markets and grocery stores.
These are all items I support and want to see fully funded. My Senate Democratic colleagues and I repeatedly offered amendments to restore funding on these and other initiatives to levels proposed by the governor — whose budget recommendations had prioritized increases for K-12 per-pupil funding, infrastructure repair, continued wage increases for direct-care workers, and childcare assistance, among other initiatives — but the amendments were not adopted.
Budget conference committees have begun to be announced, where we’ll have one more chance to advocate for these and other priorities that matter most to our communities.
CHANGES TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY RULES, CAPACITY LIMITS
On Monday, May 24, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced updates to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (MIOSHA) COVID-19 emergency rules as many employers return to in-person work. The governor also announced an updated Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) COVID-19 Gatherings and Face Masks epidemic order, eliminating outdoor capacity limits and increasing indoor social gatherings to 50% capacity, which is set to take effect on June 1.
Emergency rules update
Now that the state has reached the 55% vaccination threshold, MIOSHA has removed the requirement that employers must create a “policy prohibiting in-person work for employees to the extent that their work activities can feasibly be completed remotely.” MIOSHA has also updated other aspects of the emergency rules to reflect the recent order from MDHHS and guidance from the CDC. Those changes include:
- Employers may allow fully vaccinated employees to not wear face coverings and social distance provided they have a policy deemed effective to ensure non-vaccinated individuals continue to follow these requirements.
- The rules have been reformed focusing on performance, eliminating industry-specific requirements. Definitions have been updated to more clearly reflect changes in close contact and quarantining requirements for fully vaccinated employees.
- Cleaning requirements have been updated to reflect changes in CDC recommendations.
- Employers should continue to have and implement a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan in accordance with the updated rules.
Visit Michigan.gov/COVIDWorkplaceSafety for additional information.
Capacity limit expansion
MDHHS also updated its COVID-19 Gatherings and Face Masks epidemic order, eliminating outdoor capacity limits and increasing indoor social gatherings, including weddings, conferences and funerals, to 50% capacity. Under the new order, effective Tuesday, June 1 through Thursday, July 1, masks will continue to be required indoors for individuals who are not yet vaccinated.
MDHHS continues to urge Michiganders to follow CDC guidance, even where not specifically required by an epidemic order, including masking up at schools, on the bus or train and in congregate settings such as prisons and homeless shelters. People who are not fully vaccinated are recommended to mask up outdoors in crowded settings like a baseball game or concert. Organizations and businesses have the authority to put into place policies and guidelines that make sense for their operations, and for the safety of their employees and customers.
The latest COVID-19 information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
FAMILIES TO RECEIVE MORE IN FOOD ASSISTANCE BENEFITS
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has announced that Michigan families eligible for food assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic will receive an increase in their monthly amount. All households receiving benefits will see at least $95 extra in monthly benefits, including households that already receive the maximum monthly amount or are close to it.
The increased amount will now go to all households that receive benefits. Previously those who already received the maximum monthly amount did not receive an increase. An additional 350,000 families previously not receiving the increase in monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will now receive the increased benefit, bringing the total number of Michigan families helped to more than 700,000. Eligible families do not need to reapply to receive the additional benefits. More than 1.3 million people currently receive food assistance in the state.
People can check their Bridge Card balance online at Michigan.gov/MIBridges or call 888-678-8914. The customer service line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish and Arabic services are also available. Those that are deaf, blind, hard of hearing or speech-impaired can call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.
SAFETY SMARTS FOR A GREAT HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Stop fires before they start
Grilling, campfires and outdoor fun? Yes, please! But before hitting state forest roads on your ORV, lighting a cozy campfire or using power equipment, do a quick safety check:
- Keep your grill on a hard, level surface so spills and sparks don’t stray.
- On gas grills, check for leaks by brushing a little soapy water on connection points and watching for telltale bubbles.
- For charcoal grills, start charcoal with tinder in a chimney or with just a bit of lighter fluid — never volatile fuels like gasoline or kerosene.
- Spent coals should be emptied into a metal bucket or other non-flammable container; it’s best to wait until they’re cold.
- Prevent a nasty grease fire with both types of grills by making sure the tray is clean before you start.
With any fire, keep a water source and a shovel nearby in case of emergency. Never leave a fire unattended, even for a moment. Before lighting yard waste, visit Michigan.gov/BurnPermit to see if open burning is permitted when and where you want to burn.
Get fire safety tips at Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires or contact Paul Rogers at 616-260-8406.
Respect the Water
Swimming, paddling and boating Michigan waters are big summer pastimes, but too often end in preventable tragedy. Of the 181 boating accidents reported to the DNR in 2020, there were 33 fatalities. Of those, only seven people were wearing life jackets. Before you leave shore or enter the water:
- Complete a boater safety education course.
- Check that your vessel is operating properly and equipped with emergency essentials including life jackets, a fire extinguisher, two-way communication device, tow lines and a first-aid kit.
- Keep an eye out for high water, which can cause wakes that overflow onto land or docks, easily knocking someone over.
- Take extra caution when swimming, boating or fishing. High water levels can cause stronger, faster currents (especially around river outlets and piers), deeper and colder water, unpredictable conditions and more debris floating under the water’s surface.
- Pay attention to the beach flag warning system at state park swim areas and frequently check for updated warnings; conditions can quickly change. Red flags indicate the water is unsafe and no one should enter the water.
Read more about boating safety tips at Michigan.gov/Boating. For more tips on staying safe on the beach, visit Michigan.gov/BeachSafety.
UPCOMING VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
I hope you can join me for a Virtual Coffee Hour Friday, June 11, from 9 to 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a great opportunity to discuss important issues in our district from the comfort and safety of your own home.
Please click here to register and feel free to include any questions you may have for me. I’ll do my best to address everyone’s question during the coffee hour, and we’ll send you the link to the meeting before the start of the event.
I look forward to chatting with you and hope to see you online!
Contact Us
I have other questions. Are you and your office still available?
To keep you and my staff healthy and safe, we are working remotely until further notice. Please call our office at (517) 373-1801 or send me an email at SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov, as you normally would, and we will do our best to avoid any interruption of service.
I am still working diligently and engaging with folks in our community, but all in-person events have been canceled for the time being. You can follow me on Facebook or check my website at SenatorBrinks.com for more information on any future events.