Note From Erika
Greetings friends and neighbors!
I hope you all are doing well! This week’s edition is jam packed with legislative updates, so be sure to check out what my colleagues and I in the Senate have been working on. Additionally, I know many of you are concerned about DTE and the recent power outages so please be aware of the upcoming Michigan Public Service Council (MPSC) town hall.
Sincerely,
Erika Geiss
State Senator — 1st District
(517) 373-7800
In this Edition:
- Legislative Updates
- District Updates
- MPSC Town Hall Series – Power Outages
- March is Reading Month
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Gov. Whitmer signs Lowering MI Costs into Law, Cutting Taxes by $1 billion for working families and seniors
Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lowering MI Costs plan, one of the biggest tax relief initiatives Michigan has seen in decades. The plan will overhaul the unfair and unpopular retirement tax, expand the Working Families Tax Credit, and make significant investments in housing and community development.
By expanding the Working Families Tax Credit to 30 percent of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, 700,000 Michiganders—those who have the hardest time affording the basics—will see an average of $3,150 dollars back in their pockets. Phasing out the unfair and unpopular retirement tax over four years will ultimately put an average of $1,000 back in the pockets of 500,000 households. The Lowering MI Costs plan also invests $50 million of surplus tax revenue in the state’s Housing and Community Development Fund, which prioritizes projects offering veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families safe, affordable places to call home. This is significant, sustainable and ongoing dedicated funding to affordable housing.
Elliot-Larson Civil Rights Act, Protections for All
On Wednesday March 8th, the House of Representatives passed the Senate Bill 4, which had passed the Senate at the end of February. SB 4 amends Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which protects civil rights, to extend protections to members of the LGBTQ+ community by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes from discrimination. This change has been 50 years in the making, protections will be expanded to LGBTQ+ persons against discrimination in employment, public accommodations and public services. It also will provide protection in educational facilities, housing and real estate. The bill now heads to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has expressed her support for codifying civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ persons. (note: will have to update if Gov. Whitmer signs on thur)
Senate Repeals Anti-Union Laws and Restore Prevailing Wage
In a historic win for workers, I was proud to vote yes on Senate Bill 34 and Senate Bill 6 to restore workers rights. SB 34 repeals Michigan’s anti-union laws for public and private sector employees. Thanks to this legislation workers throughout Michigan will be able to secure higher wages and better benefits, ensure safe working conditions and proper treatment. SB 6 restores the state’s prevailing wage law which ensures the State of Michigan pays a prevailing wage, hence the name, and hires highly skilled workers for building roads, bridges, and schools. Michigan will be the first state to repeal anti-worker laws and restore collective bargaining rights in nearly sixty years. This is a huge win for workers across Michigan.
Senate Repeals Archaic 1931 Abortion Ban, Ensures Right to Abortion is Kept Safe
On International Women’s Day, I was proud to vote yes to pass much-needed legislation to repeal Michigan’s 1931 statute that criminalizes abortion care and related acts.
The Senate bills passed are:
- Senate Bill 2 (Geiss), which repeals the 1931 ban on contraception and other information about reproductive health (by repealing section 40 of 1931 PA 328);
- Senate Bill 37 (Bayer), which would update the code of criminal procedure;
- Senate Bill 39 (Geiss), which repeals Section 14 of 1931 PA 328 that criminalizes providing an abortion.
- Senate Bill 93 (Anthony), which repeals penalties for the sale of drugs or medicine to procure a miscarriage.
Almost 2.5 million Michiganders—56.7 percent of voters—voted this fall to create a constitutional right to reproductive freedom. The most urgent part of fulfilling the public’s will on Proposal 3 is repealing the 1931 ban on abortion and related statutes. When this archaic and dangerous law was passed, women only had the federal right to vote for a little over a decade. The legislation was drafted and enacted by an entirely male Legislature. With this legislation, we are telling Michiganders and their nurses and doctors that we trust them to make these deeply personal decisions, and we’re doing that by getting rid of this harmful, or as I like to say zombie, law that says otherwise.
Supplemental Budget Investments in Michigan
Last week, my colleagues and I passed a $1.34 billion supplemental appropriations package that contains funding for a number of important priorities, including: water affordability, hospital staffing retention, nursing home rate increases, health workforce stabilization, community violence intervention, housing, and community and neighborhood grants.
>>You can read more about this supplemental spending bill here.
DISTRICT UPDATES
Gordie Howe Bridge Public Meetings
Looking for updates and information regarding the Gordie Howe International Bridge? Look no further! Join the upcoming Public Information Meetings to hear the latest updates on Community Benefits and construction progress on Canadian and US project components.
Details are below:
WHEN: March 22, 2023, at 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm
WHERE: El Kiosko Banquet Hall, 7271 Dix St, Detroit, MI 48209
WHEN: March 23, 2023, at 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm
WHERE: Mackenzie Hall, 3277 Sandwich St. W, Windsor, ON N9C 1A9, Canada
Presentations will be followed by a question and answer session.
MPSC TOWN HALL SERIES – POWER OUTAGES
The Michigan Public Service Commission has scheduled a series of public town hall meetings to hear from those impacted by power outages that left hundreds of thousands of Michiganders without electricity after recent ice and snowstorms across the Lower Peninsula.
The MPSC will hold two in-person town halls in areas hard hit by the ice storm on March 20. Details are below:
WHEN: March 20, 2023, from 12 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: American 1 Credit Union Event Center, 128 W. Ganson St, Jackson, MI 49201
WHEN: March 20, 2023, from 5:30 – 8 p.m.
WHERE: Fordson High School’s auditorium, 13800 Ford Road, Dearborn, MI 48126
The MPSC also will hold a virtual town hall meeting, livestreamed over Microsoft Teams, March 21, 6-8 p.m. A link to participate through Microsoft Teams will be posted closer to the day of the virtual town hall at the event’s webpage.
In addition to attending the in-person or virtual town halls, written comments also may be submitted to the MPSC by mail to Executive Secretary, Michigan Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 30221, Lansing, MI 48909, or by email to mpscedockets@michigan.gov.
MARCH IS READING MONTH
It’s been great to spend time these past few weeks visiting elementary schools and libraries to share my love for reading with future scholars throughout our district. I will be visiting three libraries this Saturday, March 18, to continue celebrating March is Reading Month. I hope to see you there!
WHEN: March 18, 2023, from 10:30 – 11 am
WHERE: Bowen Detroit Public Library, 3648 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI 48216
WHEN: March, 18 2023, from 11:30 am – 12 pm
WHERE: Campbell Detroit Public Library, 8733 W Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI 48209
WHEN: March 18, 2023, from 12:45 – 1:15 pm
WHERE: Taylor Community Library, 12303 Pardee Rd, Taylor, MI 48180
