Dear Neighbor,
It’s hard to believe August is over and the first day of school has come and gone for Michigan students! While this is a busy time of year for families with the start of a new school year and extracurricular activities, I hope you still find time to pause and enjoy the final days of summer weather in our beautiful state.
Throughout the summer, my colleagues and I have been busy at work, connecting with residents in our districts across Michigan. The conversations I have had at events across the district have been truly meaningful and have underscored why I love representing the communities of District 6.
As always, please feel free to reach out to my office if I may ever be of assistance to you. You can email us at senmcavanagh@senate.michigan.gov or by calling 517-373-7748.
In service,
Mary Cavanagh
State Senator
District 6
Featured in This Newsletter:
- Upcoming Events
- Legislative Updates
- District Updates
- Additional Resources
Upcoming Events
Coffee and Conversation
Join me for my next Coffee and Conversation community meeting in Redford!
WHEN: Monday, September 30, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Redford Township District Library, 25320 Six Mile Rd, Redford, MI 48240
I hope to see you there!
3rd Annual Tour de Livonia and 7th Annual Good Old Fashioned Neighborhood Corn Roast
For more information on the Tour de Livonia bike race: https://tourdelivonia.org/
For more information on the corn roast: https://livonia.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=2184
Redford Oktoberfest
Redford Township’s annual Oktoberfest is a free, family-friendly event that takes place in the heart of downtown Redford in the Town Hall Complex. Stop by for two days of live entertainment, food and beverages, hayrides, games for the adults, and children’s crafts and activities!
Friday, Sept. 20 from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 21 from 12:00 – 11:00 p.m.
For more information, please visit this page.
North Rosedale Park Civic Association Annual Steak Roast
Legislative Updates
Keeping our Workers Front and Center This Labor Day and Always
Last weekend, we celebrated Labor Day and the hardworking individuals who build up Michigan every day, from our educators to our homecare workers, our skilled trades workers to our first responders.
Last year, the Senate Democratic Majority passed powerful legislation to strengthen and protect workers’ rights, repealing the state’s harmful anti-union law, reinstating prevailing wages and more. And so far, this year, we have continued that progress.
In the 2025 state budget passed in July, $2.5 million was approved for the creation of the Community and Worker Economic Transition Office. Established by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, this office will develop proactive strategies that help companies and Michiganders take full advantage of the high-tech, high-paying jobs coming to the state in the auto and energy sectors.
The new state budget also included $52 million in continued support for Michigan Reconnect scholarships, enabling workers to go back to school to pursue a degree or a skilled trade certification.
Building on last year’s momentum, several other bills to uplift our workers are making their way through the legislature, including:
- Senate Bills 829–830, which would enhance workplace safety by bringing Michigan’s maximum penalties for MIOSHA violations up to par with federal levels. This package has been passed by the Senate and awaits further consideration in the House.
- Senate Bills 963–965, which would increase penalties and fines for businesses found to be employing minors illegally or subjecting them to unsafe working conditions; transfer the authority to issue work permits for minors from the Michigan Department of Education to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO); and establish a new Youth Employment Standards Act registration system under LEO for the employment of minors.
- Senate Bills 790–791, which would restore the right of 35,000 independent provider home care workers to have the choice to form a union, create access to training for caregivers, and more. This package passed the Senate in June and awaits further consideration in the House.
- Prevailing wage protections have been extended to essential wind and solar projects statewide through Senate Bill 571. Officially signed into law in July, this legislation ensures fair compensation and safeguards the skills and safety of our workforce.
Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation to Give Michiganders the Freedom to Plan
While other states work to restrict individuals’ reproductive rights, Michigan Senate Democrats are leading the fight to protect freedom of choice for all.
I recently introduced the Freedom to Plan Act, which would require private insurance and Medicare to cover over-the-counter oral hormonal contraceptives and emergency contraceptives, breaking financial barriers to Michigan residents’ ability and power to make their own medical decisions.
These newly introduced bills build on a series of actions taken by the Michigan Legislature to ensure Michiganders — not politicians — possess the power to determine if and when they would like to begin a family. After repealing the state’s archaic and dangerous 1931 abortion ban, Senate Democrats championed the Reproductive Health Act which breaks down barriers to accessing reproductive care by repealing medically unnecessary regulations that are only imposed upon abortion care facilities. Additionally, the Legislature passed the Family Protection Act to modernize the state’s surrogacy laws and protect other forms of assisted reproduction, such as IVF.
Back-to-School Budget Signed
As students across Michigan head back to the classroom, I am excited to see how our state education budget positively impacts our students, educators, and communities. This summer, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put her stamp of approval on the K-12 budget for the 2024-25 school year. This budget continues putting Michigan students and educators first and foremost, helping to set our kids up for futures full of success and opportunity.
Last year, our Democratic majority began the popular free breakfast and lunch program for all Michigan public school students — and in this year’s budget, we continued this critical program to ensure that Michigan’s 1.4 million public school students are well-fed and able to focus on learning. More information about the free breakfast and lunch program can be found here.
Our education budget also implements the state’s first-ever “Opportunity Index” equity funding formula that strategically invests more dollars into districts based on their concentration of poverty, prioritizing students and schools with the highest level of need.
Additionally, we delivered on the promise of two years of free community college for high school graduates, helping improve access to higher education and better paying jobs. This ensures that every Michigan high school graduate, beginning this year, can obtain an associate degree or skilled certificate tuition-free, saving over 18,000 students up to $4,820 annually.
Michigan Senate Democrats remain committed to meeting the needs and interests of students, educators, and families in every corner of our state, and we look forward to another school year full of learning, growth, and opportunity for our kids.
District Updates
We participated in numerous community events in August, including the Detroit District 1 Community Conversation, the 20th anniversary and renovation celebration of the Redford Township Library, and our coffee hour in Detroit. We also provided legislative updates at community clubs, neighborhood organizations, and more!
Detroit Community Conversation
Our team participated in the Detroit District 1 Community Conversation, and it was amazing to see the level of care, unity, and involvement from our residents. When the people of District 6 come together to address issues we care about, we can do anything!
Redford Township District Library Renovations and 20th Anniversary
Our team was so grateful to see the Redford Township District Library’s newest renovations on their 20th anniversary! We celebrated the library as an important place of culture and community for Redford residents, and we applauded this amazing investment and milestone.
August Coffee and Conversation
We hosted a well-attended Community Coffee and Conversation on Tuesday, August 27th. I enjoyed updating our community on my legislative goals for the fall and what my office is working on in Lansing. Thank you to the North Rosedale Park Civic Association for letting us use your space for this excellent conversation!
Additional Resources
LEO Hosts Webinar on Changes to Earned Sick Time
The Michigan Supreme Court recently issued an opinion resulting in changes to the state’s earned sick time laws and established the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act. In response, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity held a live webinar last week to discuss how the ruling affects workers and businesses. To view the webinar, click here.
Key Provisions of Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act:
- Effective on Feb. 21, 2025.
- Applies to all employers, regardless of their size, with the exception of federal employers.
- Includes all employee categories, such as salaried (both exempt and non-exempt) and full- and part-time hourly workers and expands the permitted uses of sick time.
- Grants employees the right to pursue legal action if an employer interferes with or retaliates against their use of Earned Sick Time Act benefits.
- Employers must now accrue sick time at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked.
- Businesses with 10 or more employees must provide up to 72 hours of paid sick time per year, an increase from the previous limit of 40 hours.
- Smaller businesses with fewer than 10 employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick time annually, plus an additional 32 hours of unpaid sick time.
- Unused sick time can be carried over, but employees may use no more than 72 hours of earned sick time within any given year.
LEO is committed to collaborating with the labor and business communities on educational outreach to ensure a thorough understanding and smooth implementation of the court’s ruling. The ruling also made changes to the state’s minimum wage laws and the State of Michigan has requested clarity from the court. Once this clarification is complete, LEO will provide similar educational outreach related to changes to the state’s minimum wage laws.
For more information, visit LEO’s Earned Sick Time Act resource page and FAQs.
Detroit Home Accessibility Program
Through the Detroit Home Accessibility Program, CHN Housing Partners has partnered with the City of Detroit and Detroit Disability Power (DDP) to create more accessible homes for Detroiters with disabilities. By making modifications to owner occupied homes, we are investing in Detroit homeowners and their homes, while simultaneously contributing to their safe and comfortable living environment. Submit your eligibility form today!