Dear Friend,
I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. I’ve included legislative updates and upcoming events in this email. Team Chang has been hard at work getting things done and we hope to see you at one of our coffee hours or April 5 Consumer Protection Town Hall.
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
In my last email update, we had voted the safe storage, universal background checks, and extreme risk protection order bills out of the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety. I am excited that we also have voted all of these bills out of the full Senate! When these bills are signed into law, we will save Michiganders’ lives. I am eager to continue working with my colleagues on gun violence prevention legislation in the weeks and months to come.
RESTORING WORKERS RIGHTS
Last week, I voted along with my Democratic colleagues to restore worker’s rights in Michigan. The bill to restore prevailing wage and the bill to restore worker’s rights now heads to Governor Whitmer’s office to be signed into law. I was proud to vote yes on both bills. This legislation guarantees that unionized employees equally contribute to the costs of union representation in that workplace and it will help families by ensuring that workers are able to join together to negotiate for pay raises, safer working conditions, and more benefits.. It also helps increase an employee’s safety on the job and gives workers the freedom to negotiate with their employer. The prevailing wage restoration law will help ensure that public projects are done by highly skilled workers that get the job done correctly and on time. I am excited that Michigan is reinstating the prevailing wage law so that Michigan workers who build our infrastructure are paid the decent wage they deserve.
THREE OF MY BILLS HAVE PASSED THE SENATE THIS MONTH
Three of my bills have passed the Senate and two of them await action in the House. Senate Bill 18 would mark January 30 of every year as Fred Korematsu Day in Michigan and finally recognize this civil liberties champion on a permanent basis. Senate Bill 55 will help more low-income Michiganders on fixed incomes retain their poverty exemption on their property taxes by expanding on a policy we adopted during COVID-19. Senate Bill 82 is part of the safe storage bill package and would exempt the sale of firearm safety devices from use tax in Michigan. This would help responsible gun owners purchase gun safes, gun cases, trigger locks, and other firearm safety devices. This bill has also passed the House. We have several other pieces of legislation we expect to be taken up soon for action in the Senate.
GOV. WHITMER JOINS WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY TO ANNOUNCE NEW INITIATIVE, LOWERING THE COST OF COLLEGE
Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Wayne State University officials to announce the Wayne State Guarantee, a new initiative offering incoming Michigan students with family incomes of $70,000 or less a tuition-free degree with zero out-of-pocket expenses. The program will begin in the fall of 2023 and cover the full cost of tuition and standard fees. This is made possible thanks to the bipartisan Michigan Achievement Scholarship program, which Governor Whitmer signed into law in 2022, saving students up to $8,250 on their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 at a private college, or up to $27,500 at a public university.
Who’s Eligible for the Wayne State Guarantee
- Incoming first-year undergraduates who are Michigan residents admitted for fall 2023 as a first-time undergraduate in a degree-program.
- Household income of $70,000 or less and assets of $50,000 or less as confirmed on the 2023-24 FAFSA.
- Michigan residents eligible for the Pell grant in 2023-24 are also eligible.
- Must be enrolled full time (12 or more credit hours per semester) each semester. Funding is for the fall and winter semesters.
- WSU must receive your 2023-24 FAFSA by April 1, 2023, and be eligible to receive federal student aid.
- Must be admitted to WSU by April 1, 2023.
The Wayne State Guarantee covers the full cost of tuition and standard fees (matriculation, registration, and student service fees) with a combination of federal, state, and other WSU scholarships and grants. The award is renewable for up to four years, with the option to apply for a fifth year if the student is on track to graduate in that year.
MI TREASURY HOME HEATING CREDIT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN
Michiganders who need help with their energy bills can now apply for the Home Heating Credit, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury
Low-income, deaf, disabled or blind persons, disabled veterans and senior citizens may qualify for the Home Heating Credit. You are not required to file a Michigan individual income tax return to receive the credit.
You can apply for the Home Heating Credit electronically through the e-File system. Forms and instructional materials are available on the internet at Michigan.gov/IncomeTax or by calling 517-636-4486. All applications are due no later than September 30, 2023.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Coffee Hour with Rep. Donavan McKinney and Sen. ChangWHEN: Friday, March 24, 2023, from 10 – 11 amWHERE: Farwell Recreation Center, 2711 Outer Drive, Detroit, MI 48234Consumer Protection Town HallJoin Sen. Chang, a representative from the Attorney General’s office, and a representative from the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS).WHEN: Wednesday, April 5, 2023, from 6 – 7 pmWHERE: Salvation Army, 3000 Conner, Detroit, MI 48215Coffee Hour with Hazel Park City Councilmember Alissa SullivanWHEN: Friday, April 7, 2023 at 11 amWHERE: Hazel Perk Café, 21403 John R Rd, Hazel Park, MI 48030Coffee Hour with Sen. ChangWHEN: Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11 amWHERE: Ding Tea, 30569 Dequindre Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071
Thank you for reading this update! Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if we can assist in some way.Sincerely,
Stephanie ChangState SenatorDistrict 3