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Dear Neighbor, As your State Senator, I want to make sure you’re informed about state and local issues affecting our community and our state. To that end, in the edition below, you can find information about:
As always, you can reach my office at (517) 373-2406 or by replying to this email. |
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Oxford Tragedy By now, we all know what happened in Oxford. This tragedy was something no teacher, parent or child should ever have to experience. My heart and support are with the entire Oxford community. Gun violence and school shootings should not be the “norm”. There should not be a “school shooting generation”. I strongly believe that our schools should be a safe place where children are able to grow and thrive; not be fearful. It should also be a place where our teachers are safe and able to thrive. I have been in close communication with the AAPS School Board and AAPS faculty regarding this issue that has led to many school closures. No child should fear for their life going to school. We can and must do better ensuring our schools have access to proper mental health resources to detect and prevent another senseless tragedy like this from happening again. That’s why my colleague Sen. Rosemary Bayer and I introduced Senate Bills 550 and 551. SB 550 would criminalize leaving a firearm where a minor can access it, and, my bill, SB 551 would remove the taxes on gun safety equipment such as trigger locks, encouraging people to safely store their firearms and removing a cost barrier. These bills, among others, would help prevent tragedies like last week. It’s imperative that we take precautions and implement red flag laws, universal background checks, and require the safe storage of all firearms in homes. We also had a press conference about the Oxford tragedy and the lack of action on gun safety legislation. You can watch that here. We passed Senate Bill 565 which provides $3.3 billion to rebuild our water infrastructure. This bill will put thousands of people to work building long-term improvements. The bill still needs to pass the House and earn the support of the Governor but today’s vote in the Senate shows bipartisan support for reducing flooding and making our state more resilient to a changing climate. This bill provides for several important and longstanding needs including:
We hear so much about “liberty and freedom” when it comes to corporations spending unlimited amounts of money in campaigns or protecting the gun rights of domestic abusers. But when it comes to health care, big-government conservatives have no issue regulating people’s bodies and throwing away their rights. On Wednesday, Dec. 1st, the Republican-packed U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case in which Mississippi is asking the court to completely overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to choose. In over 50 years of Supreme Court decisions, the justices have held that there is a constitutional right to an abortion in the first two trimesters of pregnancy (about 24 weeks). From oral arguments, the ultra-extremist conservative majority sounded ready to overturn Roe and other decisions based on the right to privacy. This threat to our rights is why my colleagues in the House and Senate have introduced legislation to protect our rights should Roe v. Wade be overturned. In response to Michigan’s Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission (ICRC) having closed door meetings to discuss the Voting Rights Act and how discrimination in Michigan has affected voting, my colleague Sen. Ed McBroom and I requested that Attorney General Dana Nessel issue an opinion on if those closed-door meetings violated our state constitution. We asked because our state constitution requires the commission to conduct its business at open meetings. Attorney General Nessel issued her opinion stating that the ICRC’s closed door sessions did in fact violate our state constitution. I completely agreed with her. A few weeks ago, I was honored to join Governor Whitmer to celebrate Public Act 361 of 2020. This allows for juvenile court records to be expunged automatically for non-assaultive crimes and provides greater opportunities for a judge to review a request for the record to be set aside. I want to share a special thank you to Gabrielle Dresner from the Michigan Center for Youth Justice and my constituent Linda Edwards-Brown for their tireless advocacy to give juveniles a second chance! |
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Pictured Left to Right: Annie Somerville, Me (Jeff Irwin), Governor Whitmer, Linda Edwards-Brown and Gabrielle Dresner
DISTRICT HAPPENINGS Hope Clinic Before Thanksgiving, my team and I volunteered at Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti. They do great work in the Ypsi and Ann Arbor communities feeding and providing a fresh food pantry and health care services to those in need. If you or someone you know needs help, please refer them to Hope Clinic to see how they can assist. |
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Pictured Left to Right: Erinn Williamson, Me (Jeff Irwin), Emmeline Weinert and Leaha Dotson
ENERGY BILL ASSISTANCE AND SHUTOFF PROTECTION (MEAP) As winter and cold weather season is upon us, so is the need for heat, which is one of the reasons why the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) was created. MEAP is a statewide program that provides energy assistance to eligible low-income households. You can get more information here. Winter Protection Plan Michigan Public Service Commission rules and state laws require all utility providers and some electric cooperatives to provide shutoff protection for senior citizens and low-income customers who are enrolled in a Winter Protection Plan. You must contact your heat and energy provider: Check here for more info on other programs that can help with utility payments, and heating and energy bill payments.
WASHTENAW COUNTY WARMING CENTERS Daytime Warming Centers Daytime and overnight warming centers are open around Washtenaw County. If you have any questions, please contact the Delonis Center at 734-662-2829, or visit Washtenaw.org.
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Need help with rent, utilities, and/or internet bills? Apply for help today at Michigan.gov/CERA. You can also access the CERA online application, links to paper applications, and new user guides to walk tenants and landlords through the application process at Washtenaw.org.
WASHTENAW COUNTY VACCINE INFO General Vaccination Info The Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD) has an ongoing vaccination site located at 555 Towner in Ypsilanti. Appointments are required. You can request the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The site is open every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Please check the WCHD website for more info about additional doses for immunocompromised people and/or schedule an appointment online at Washtenaw.org. The Washtenaw County Health Department is offering Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson booster doses at their clinic at 555 Towner in Ypsilanti. They ask that you please bring your vaccination card and identification, if possible. With the CDC approval of COVID-19 vaccines for 5-11 years, the WCHD is scheduling vaccination appointments for this age group. You can schedule an appointment here.
UPCOMING COFFEE HOUR ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18TH AT 11 AM Please join me at my upcoming virtual coffee hour on Saturday, December 18th at 11:00 a.m. on Zoom or Facebook Live.
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Please use this form to RSVP to the coffee hour and to receive information and the Zoom access code about how to join the meeting, which you can also watch on my Facebook page. Since it is next week, don’t forget to click “Going” on the Facebook event to get a reminder the day before and day of. If you are unable to access the form or have any problems with the link, please contact my office at (517) 373-2406 or by responding to this email.
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As an elected representative, I believe in being readily available and transparent because my office is your office. Email is a great way to share updates, and hear from you on the issues you care about. If you want to alter your email preferences, click here to unsubscribe. |