Dear neighbor,
May was a busy month in the legislature! We are finishing up the state budget, passing anti-discrimination laws and working on initiatives to protect vulnerable adults.
Thank you again for your support. If I may ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 517-373-7748 or senmcavanagh@senate.michigan.gov.
In service,
Mary Cavanagh
State Senator
District 6
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
As Chair of the Labor and Economic Opportunity budget, I have focused investments on talent growth and attraction, housing affordability and access, small business supports, infrastructure development for local governments, adult literacy, youth entrepreneurship and support for immigrants.
As a member of the PreK-12 budget committee, I am proud to support historic investments in education. Including raising per-pupil funding, providing tutoring support to help get kids back on track, free breakfast and lunch for all students in public schools, funding for after school and summer partnerships, and behavioral health supports for our children.
In the Department of Health and Human Services Department budget, I supported increased funding for Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies which provides 12 months of continuous postpartum Medicaid coverage, investments for the City of Detroit’s senior citizen home renovation, expanded funding for substance use disorder programming, and the creation of the Office of Community Violence Intervention.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
I am working on a number of bills that I hope to see signed into law!
- Senate Bill 205, which prohibits landlords from considering the source of income for potential tenants. This will ensure those using section 8 housing, disability, child support, and social security will not be discriminated against when seeking housing.
- Senate Bills 119–123 are a package of bills which reform juvenile prison sentencing, including a ban on sentencing those who are 19 and younger to life without parole. I have introduced SB 121 in the package, which says a juvenile, if it is in the best interest of the public, can get any sentence an adult would receive for the same crime, except for life without parole. 28 other states ban juvenile life without parole, and Michigan needs to be the next.
- Legislation to protect the rights of vulnerable adults in guardianship situations by requiring courts to consider the least restrictive alternatives to full guardianship.
- Legislation to make it easier for 100% disabled veterans to get their property tax exemption.
- Legislation that would prohibit and create a penalty for the dissemination of misinformation on elections and voting
- Senate Bill 332, which would require paid family leave in Michigan.
- Senate Bill 301, which requires insurance companies to cover doula services. We know the use of doulas, especially for people of color, drastically reduces death rates and medical complications during childbirth. Requiring insurance companies to cover these services will be life saving for many.
- Senate Bill 335, which will increase safety in healthcare facilities by prohibiting mandatory overtime for nurses, including nurse-to-patient ratios and the publication of ratios at facilities.
- Senate Bill 90, which prohibits discrimination based on traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles, also known as the CROWN Act. SB 90 has passed the Senate and awaits action in the House!
- Senate Bill 32 allows police departments to recuperate costs of officers that leave the departments if the department paid for their training. The bill addresses a common issue in our district and many other communities across the state, and will help support officer and resource retention in our local departments. SB 32 has passed both the House and Senate and awaits signature from the Governor.
DISTRICT EVENTS
May was an exciting month in Senate District 6!
OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES
Comcast RISE Awards
Between June 1-30, eligible small businesses in metro Detroit, will be able to apply for the Comcast RISE program at ComcastRISE.com. A total of 100 grants per city, or 500 grants overall, will be announced in August and awarded in September 2023, bringing the total number of recipients to date to 13,500.
Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment and was created in November 2020 to help small businesses hardest hit by COVID-19. The program will evolve from helping businesses survive the pandemic, to helping businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth.
New Hotline can direct Detroiters to housing help
If you live in Detroit and have questions about property taxes, home repairs, or evictions, a new hotline has been set up to provide answers!
Helping Medicaid members keep their coverage
Take action to avoid a gap in coverage! At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE), allowing Medicaid members to keep their health care coverage. Per recent federal legislation, eligibility renewals will start again in June. Monthly renewal notifications will be sent by mail beginning in May.
- Make sure your contact information is up to date.
- Check mail or text messages for a letter.
- Complete your renewal form (if you get one).
If you’re a Medicaid member, learn more about how these changes may affect your health care coverage at Michigan.gov/2023benefitchanges.
Applications now being accepted for the Fostering Futures Scholarship
Young adults who have experienced foster care on or after their 13th birthday are eligible to apply for a scholarship from the Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund.
The priority deadline for the Fostering Futures Scholarship applicationfor academic year 2023-24 is August 1, 2023. Eligible students enrolled at a Michigan degree-granting college or university may now apply to receive scholarship funds for tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies.