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February 23, 2021

Friends, 

 I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. I am writing to connect with you about some upcoming events and a few important legislative and community updates below.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Unemployment Benefits Town Hall

Learn more about what your state legislators are doing to assist thousands of residents during the COVID-19 crisis by joining a Telephone Town Hall. Special guests will include Representatives Darrin Camilleri and Abraham Aiyash, and local experts from the Unemployment Insurance Agency and Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC).

By joining the call, you will be able to connect directly with your representatives and local experts, learn about Michigan Works and recent updates concerning UIA in Michigan, ask questions, and discuss what action can be taken to get assistance and information.

>> For more information, please visit Facebook.com/StephanieChangMI or register to receive the information to join the telephone townhall here.  

Friday, Feb. 26 at 4:00 p.m. – Virtual Coffee Hour

Please join me for a virtual chat about what Team Chang has been doing in Senate District 1. Our special guest will be Jason Smith from the Michigan Center for Youth Justice. Grab a cup of coffee and come with questions.  

>> For more information, please visit Facebook.com/StephanieChangMI or register to receive the information to join the Zoom meeting here.

COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION

We know that many people are finding it challenging to find a place to get vaccinated.

>> Here is a link to Wayne County Health Department’s page about vaccines.

The number for the Detroit Health Department to schedule an appointment for the TCF Center site is 313-230-0505. This link includes the list for eligibility for a vaccine in Detroit: All Detroiters 60 or older with chronic medical conditions can now get vaccines at TCF | City of Detroit (detroitmi.gov).

I-375 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Last Friday, I submitted public comment regarding the I-375 Environmental Assessment.

>> You can find information about the proposed changes to I-375 and the Gratiot interchange here at this link.

>> You can also read my public comment letter here.

I have been monitoring the I-375 study effort since my first year in office and will continue to do so.

HISTORIC FORT WAYNE

I recently attended the public meeting held by the City of Detroit to discuss updates regarding Historic Fort Wayne and proposed Master Plan Amendments.

>> You can learn more about the proposed changes, the strategic plan for Historic Fort Wayne, and more at HistoricFortWayne.org.

My husband’s family has deep ties to Fort Wayne and I have been monitoring this since my first year in office as well.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Recently, Michigan topped 100 health or safety violations by employers against employees related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, my colleagues and I reintroduced legislation to protect workers’ rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Bills 161-165 will ensure essential workers can access workers’ compensation benefits, that the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) creates and enforces guidelines for workplace safety, and more. Specifically: 

  • Senate Bill 161 (McCann): Presumes essential workers who test positive for COVID-19, without knowing their time of infection, contracted the virus during their employment and are therefore eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
  • Senate Bill 162 (Chang): Encourages collaboration among MIOSHA and other state regulatory agencies to create general industry standards to mitigate COVID-19 exposure in the workplace. It also increases MIOSHA fines and penalties to strengthen accountability.
  • Senate Bill 163 (Santana): Protects employees from adverse action if they report unsafe work conditions to MIOSHA.
  • Senate Bill 164 (Moss): Protects employees from adverse action if they are unable to come into work for any reasons related to COVID-19.
  • Senate Bill 165 (Brinks): Requires employers to obtain, publicly post, and make readily available to employees a list of testing sites from their local public health department. 

The bills have been referred to the Senate Economic and Small Business Development Committee.

Thank you for reading this update. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (517) 373-7346 or senschang@senate.michigan.gov if we can assist you in any way.  Stay safe,     

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Stephanie Chang
State Senator
District 1