Dear Neighbor,
With warmer weather just around the corner, I hope you and your family are able to get outside, soak up the sunlight, and enjoy the fresh spring air. I know I’m looking forward to making the most of all our lakeshore district has to offer this season, including fishing on Lake St. Clair with my two sons.
While we’ve been busy in Lansing advancing a number of our legislative priorities to lower costs and increase government transparency, our team has made it a priority to stay in touch with District 12 residents through coffee hours and other events. In this newsletter, I want to take a moment to recap some of the work we’ve done in our lakeshore district over the past month and share exciting information about investments coming to our community.
As always, I’d love to hear from you about the topics you’re interested in. Please feel free to reach out to my office to share your perspective or seek assistance with any challenges you may be facing with state departments — we are here to serve you. You can reach my office by calling (517) 373-7315 or emailing SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov. I also invite you to join me at an upcoming coffee hour or district event — more details can be found here.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this newsletter — I appreciate you staying connected with our work, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Kevin Hertel
State Senator
District 12
Included in This Newsletter
- Community Connections
- Investments in Our Community
- Helpful Resources
- Upcoming Events
- Contact Us
Community Connections
Connecting with Constituents Over Coffee
Thank you to everyone who came to our March coffee hour! I always enjoy the opportunity to connect with folks from the community and hear about the issues impacting them most.
We have a couple coffee hours planned throughout the spring that I hope you can join us for. Find more information below in the “Upcoming Events” section of our newsletter or visit our Facebook page here. These events are a great opportunity for you to ask questions and share your ideas with me while also receiving a firsthand update on what we’ve been working on in Lansing.
Visiting Classrooms During March is Reading Month
Throughout March, I had the pleasure of visiting classrooms throughout our lakeshore district. From Harper Woods to Algonac — the students were excited about reading and full of questions about our state legislature. One of my favorite books to read during these visits was One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote by Dr. Seuss, which talks about the importance of participating in our democracy and teaches students that many voices combined together have the power to make the world a better place.
Even though March is over, you can still dive into a good book all year long. Check out the special Reading Month edition of our newsletter which includes resources to help you foster a love of reading in your children, take advantage of the many services local libraries provide and more!
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in New Baltimore and St. Clair Shores
The St. Patrick’s Day spirit was alive and well throughout our community this year! There was no better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend than by kicking off the sixth annual Strev Strut in New Baltimore with Mayor Semaan. Our team then headed down to Blossom Heath for an event benefiting the St. Clair Shores Hockey Association’s scholarship program.
Stopping by Fish Fries in St. Clair Shores and Ira Township
Over the past few weeks, I had the pleasure of stopping by fish fries throughout the district. It was great to see so many folks from the community come together over delicious food, conversation and fellowship.
Providing Chesterfield Township Officials with a Legislative Update
Up in Lansing, we’ve been working to lower costs for Michiganders, expand access to healthcare and craft our 2025 state budget. I recently had the opportunity to join a few of my Legislative colleagues in Chesterfield to speak with township officials and provide an update on this work.
Welcoming Total Health System to New Baltimore
Total Health Systems recently opened an office in New Baltimore, making it their sixth office in Macomb County. Team Hertel had a great time celebrating their grand opening with the Anchor Bay Chamber of Commerce. Thank you, Dr. Lundgaard and Terrence Gallagher, for investing in our community and boosting job opportunities here in District 12!
Investments in Our Community
$2 Million Community Center Grants Awarded to Harper Woods and Mount Clemens
Thanks to funding from our 2024 budget supplemental, the city of Harper Woods and the Macomb Foster Closet in Mount Clemens are set to receive $2 million to expand their programming and provide essential services to our community.
Currently, Harper Woods lacks a community center and has limited facilities where residents and organizations can gather indoors. This funding will go towards building a community center that will be available for a wide range of uses, including after-school activities, career and workforce development services, programming for seniors, meeting spaces for neighborhood and community organizations, and recreational and athletic activities.
Additionally, the Macomb Foster Closet, a nonprofit organization which provides free clothing and essential items to over 2,000 children in foster care every year, is set to receive $500,000 to renovate a new space and expand services to better meet the community’s growing needs. Once finished, this will be the first dedicated community center for foster, adoptive, and kinship families in the state.
Read more about these grants here.
Main Street Grant Awarded to Grosse Pointe
Lively downtowns are catalysts for job growth, helping to anchor local economies and engage communities. Recently, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced that Grosse Pointe is set to receive a $25,000 Main Street Vibrancy Grant that will help the community launch their “Get to the Pointes” placemaking initiative — a series of small projects that are purposely woven together to grow the downtown area. The funding will go towards enhancing plaza areas with additional seating options, providing games and public art, and adding new Loop social district signage in order to create welcoming spaces for all to enjoy.
Read more about this exciting investment here.
Transportation Grants Helping Improve Access to Substance Use Treatment
The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across Michigan, including many individuals throughout our lakeshore district which spans across Macomb, Wayne and St. Clair Counties.
After years of grappling with this crisis, our state is set to receive nearly $1.6 billion from national opioid settlements by 2040. Using some of its initial funding, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provided seventeen organizations more than $2.7 million last November to help increase access to services for economically disadvantaged individuals seeking or engaging in treatment, harm reduction or recovery support services.
Five organizations that service communities across District 12 received over $760,000 to help transport residents struggling with substance use to and from treatment appointments and other supportive services.
- Blue Water Recovery & Outreach Center (St. Clair County) – $194,338
- CARE of Southeast Michigan (Macomb County) – $18,455
- Live Rite Structured Recovery Corp (Macomb County) – $200,000
- Quality Behavioral Health (Wayne County) – $200,000
- Sacred Heart (Macomb County) – $156,931
Since transportation was noted in a recent MDHHS survey as a significant barrier for patients completing services — this funding was projected to have a major impact on our recovery efforts, and the results from the program’s first four months are bearing that out. For example, Live Rite Structured Recovery Corp here in Macomb County has been able to provide 1,780 rides to 378 individuals since securing its funding.
As we continue to receive resources from the settlement, I am committed to doing whatever I can to keep up the fight against the opioid crisis and help our communities heal. This year, I am participating in the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Opioid Policy Fellows Program to work with other legislators and policy experts to explore emerging research, exchange ideas and identify innovative solutions. I look forward to learning more through this program and bringing some policy proposals back to Michigan to help us address this issue.
Read more about these grants and their impact here.
Helpful Resources
New Website Available to Help Track Your Status of Benefits
Last week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) launched MI Bridges, a new website designed to help Michiganders applying for assistance monitor their benefits status. The tool tracks five benefits programs: health care coverage, the food assistance program, cash assistance, child development and care, and state emergency relief.
When logged into the site, you can see when MDHHS received your application, if there are any scheduled appointments, if the department requires additional documents, and if MDHHS has made a decision.
Applicants can receive assistance through the MI Bridges virtual assistant chat or by calling the MI Bridges help desk at 844-799-9876. Visit newmibridges.michigan.gov for more information.
MDOT Urges Drivers to Utilize Zipper Merging to Reduce Construction Delays
Every Michigander’s favorite season — construction season — is almost upon us, which means it’s time to gear up for the usual lane closures, traffic shuffles and detours ahead. Amidst these changes, it’s important to stay focused on the road and stay tuned in to updates, changes, or any potential delays.
To help ease the flow of traffic and minimize headaches, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is urging Michigan drivers to embrace the “zipper merge” technique when navigating through construction zones. Like the zipper on your coat, this method encourages utilizing both lanes until the merger point, allowing vehicles to take turns merging politely and orderly. MDOT says that by employing this approach, we can cut down on delays from two miles to just one mile, making the journey smoother for everyone. See how the zipper merge works here.
Free Financial Workshop
Macomb Community Action, in partnership with Michigan State University Extension and Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, will be one of many community organizations throughout the state hosting a Show Me the Money Day event.
The event features free and low-cost financial assistance materials and financial workshops on how to shop on a budget, meal planning, predatory loans, energy conservation, establishing and maintaining your credit score, and more. There will also be a variety of vendors and giveaways.
WHEN: Friday, April 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Max Thompson Community Center, 11370 Hupp Ave., Warren, MI
For more information, please contact Macomb Community Action at (586) 469-7614 or MCA@macombgov.org.
Upcoming Events
It is one of my top goals as your State Senator to have myself and my office be as accessible to you as possible. To share your thoughts on legislation or seek assistance with an issue, please join me at one of our upcoming district events:
Small Business Town Hall
WHEN: Monday, April 15 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Doors open at 10:00 a.m.)
WHERE: Chesterfield Community Center, 48400 Sugarbush Road, Chesterfield Township 48047
Join us in Chesterfield for a Small Business Town Hall to learn about opportunities for small business owners and budding entrepreneurs in our area. Guest speakers include representatives from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, U.S. Small Business Administration, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, and the Anchor Bay and Macomb County Chambers of Commerce. Please RSVP here.
Coffee and Conversation
WHEN: Friday, April 19 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
Voting and Elections Town Hall
WHEN: Monday, April 22 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Grosse Pointe Public Library, Woods Branch, 20680 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
Please join me, Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie and State Rep. Veronica Paiz for a Voting and Elections Town Hall on Monday, April 22. During the event, we’ll break down some of the recent changes to our state’s election laws — including new options for early voting and a simplified absentee ballot application process — and discuss how they’ll impact Michigan voters during the 2024 elections.
Coffee and Conversation
WHEN: Monday, May 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Saint Clair Shores Senior Center, 20100 Stephens Street, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080
District Office Hours with Staff
WHEN: Every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment.
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
Contact Us
If You Need Help: If you have a problem dealing with any department of state government, such as accessing unemployment benefits, my office is available to help resolve it. While we usually cannot assist with local or federal issues, we will always do our best to help direct you to the appropriate person or organization for help.
You may always feel free to call my office at (517) 373-7315 or email me at SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov.
Keep Up to Date: Our bi-weekly newsletters are full of updates on what Team Hertel has been working on both in Lansing and District 12 to deliver results for Michiganders. To keep up to date with what we’ve been up to — sign up here to receive my bi-weekly newsletter, or access previous editions online here.