Dear Neighbor,
I want to make sure you’re informed about what has been going on in our state government and update you on what I’ve been working on.
Featured in this newsletter:
- Coffee Hour
- Legislative Updates
- Resources
As always, you can reach my office at (517) 373-2406 or by replying to this email.
WHEN: Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 9 amWHERE: Musgrove + Company, 135 E Chicago Blvd, Tecumseh, MI 49286
Since it is this week, don’t forget to click on “Going” on the Facebook event page to get a reminder the day before and the day of.
If you have any questions, please contact my office at (517)-373-2406 or by responding to this email.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
100 Days of Action
The first 100 days of working in this new majority have been full of major successes that protect, advocate, and uplift Michiganders! Our #MajorityForThePeople has wasted no time making progress on 40 years of pent-up policy ideas that will lift people up, protect freedoms, and save lives.
From securing protections for LGBTQ Michiganders to passing gun violence prevention measures to restoring workers’ rights, we have prioritized safety at school, at work, and in our communities in our first 100 days – and we’re just getting started.
Clean Slate- Automatic expungements for 1 in 10 Michiganians
When the Legislature passed new Clean Slate legislation in 2020, one of the main priorities we had was to replace the extraordinarily difficult process for clearing old criminal convictions off of public records. These old convictions are a barrier to employment and housing, and they make it harder for people to be productive members of their communities. The law set up a streamlined method for applying for expungement, but it took longer to set up the systems needed to automatically expunge records without requiring people to petition for it. As of Tuesday, the automatic expungement process has finally started. About 1 million Michigan residents will have old convictions automatically removed from their records, enabling a fresh start for 10% of our state.
There are limits on the types and number of convictions that are eligible to be cleared automatically, so some people will still have to use the petition process to clear their records. The Attorney General and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office offer free assistance and information about how to get an expungement.
Continued progress on legislative priorities
I am happy to report that this Legislature is still moving quickly after passing historic legislation on civil rights, workers’ rights to bargain, and fairer tax policy.
The Firearms Legislative Package, Senate Bills 76-86, to implement universal background checks, safe storage requirements, and extreme risk protection orders, passed the Legislature quickly and are expected to be signed into law today. I am proud to have a bill in that package, SB 81, which would remove sales tax on gun safes and safe storage devices.
The Guardianship Assistance Program bills I sponsored with a Republican colleague, SB 137 and 138, have now passed the Senate and are in the House Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors. These bills ensure that tribal children have equal access to guardianship assistance funds to enable them to avoid being placed in foster care with strangers. The guardianship assistance program supports permanent placements for children when they are not able to live with their parents, helping them to maintain connections to their families and communities. But without this legislation, children placed in a guardianship by tribal courts will not be eligible.
Bill Introductions
I have continued to introduce legislation on a wide range of issues affecting our state, and I have many more bills in development. I am hopeful that the new legislative environment will enable many of these to become law. Here is a synopsis of bills I have introduced recently:
SB 172 is part of a package of legislation, SB 169-172, to remove restrictions on workers’ collective bargaining and political advocacy rights. This bill would restore the right to union members to use automatic payroll deductions for campaign contributions.
SB 179 and SB 180 are a bipartisan effort to enable tribal marijuana businesses to interface with Michigan’s legal marijuana businesses and to enable tribes to collect local marijuana taxes for businesses on Indian Lands on the same basis as local governments.
SB 185 would remove a Snyder-era law that prohibits graduate student research assistants from being considered employees with bargaining rights. Graduate student research assistants have long fought for recognition of their labor rights, and this unfair law was passed after the University of Michigan voluntarily agreed to recognize them and bargain with them. GSRAs’ labor is vital to research labs at Michigan’s world-renowned universities. They should not be barred from bargaining over compensation and conditions. SB 185 is scheduled for a hearing today in the Senate Labor Committee.
SB 207 would prohibit housing discrimination based on source of income, as part of a bill package (SB 205-207). Currently, it is legal and common for landlords to discriminate against renters who have income from child support, service-related disability payments, or housing assistance. This unfair practice leads to housing insecurity and segregation as families that rely on benefits are systematically excluded from certain areas. These bills forbid such discrimination against veterans, single parents, and low-income individuals in all real estate transactions, protecting renters and those seeking to buy or sell a home. The bills have been referred to the Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services, which I chair, and I plan to hold hearings on them in the near future.
SB 208 would restore the ability of local governments to decide whether firearms should be allowed in their facilities and public meetings. Current Michigan law bars counties and municipalities from regulating firearms, which means that they are not allowed to make most public buildings firearm-free spaces. This bill would allow local governments to treat city council or township board chambers the same way we treat courtrooms so that members of the public can participate in local government affairs without threats or intimidation.
SB 220 would update an oil and gas production monitoring fee so that it once again covers the costs of the program it is meant to fund. The fee has not been adjusted over time, and the shortfall now costs the taxpayers $4 million a year to subsidize the Michigan Oil and Gas Program. This bill would increase the “surveillance fee” cap on oil and gas production from 1% to 2% to keep up with the cost of the program. Increasing this cap allows the Michigan Oil and Gas Program to focus on protecting public health, safety, and the environment without having to ask the taxpayers every year for a bailout. By passing SB 220, we can free up $4M every year to use for other budget priorities like schools, roads, or mental health.
SB 236 would fix a loophole in the current law that lets perpetrators get away with sexually assaulting an incapacitated victim if their incapacitation resulted from a substance they deliberately consumed. Appallingly, under current law it is not illegal to assault someone who is too drunk or high to consent, as long as they were not drugged against their will. SB 236 would change the definition of mental incapacitation such that anyone who is under the influence of a mind-altering substance, to the extent that they can no longer knowingly consent to sexual activity, is considered mentally incapacitated whether that substance was used voluntarily or not. This would include situations wherein the victim is unconscious, experiencing a so-called “blackout,” or otherwise rendered incapable of appraising or controlling their conduct. Changing this law is crucial in enabling those who are sexually assaulted while under the influence of drugs or alcohol to seek justice.
SB 262 would amend Michigan’s Fire Prevention Code to eliminate the flame-resistant requirement for recreational camping tents sold in our state. In 1975, when tents were made from waxed or oiled cotton, Michigan adopted the Canvas Products Association International (CPAI) flammability standard, or CPAI-84, which in effect requires the use of toxic and bioaccumulative flame retardant chemicals. Tents are now made of completely different materials than they were almost 50 years ago, making these flame retardant requirements counterproductive. My bill modernizes our standards and ensures an equivalent level of safety, while eliminating unnecessary exposures of recreational campers to hazardous and carcinogenic flame retardants in these products. The bill would also update standards for large event tents and indoor exposition tents to the most recent standards.
RESOURCESTax Deadline: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Tax Day is this upcoming Tuesday, April 18th. Michigan taxpayers can use the Treasury eServices to answer questions about their individual income tax returns or refunds, change addresses, view estimated tax payments, calculate penalty and interest, and view and respond to letters. If you need additional time to file past the April 18 deadline, you can request an extension to Oct. 16, 2023. If you or someone you now plans to request additional time to file, you are encouraged to estimate your tax liability and pay any taxes owed by April 18, 2023, to avoid additional interest and penalties. Any outstanding tax balance can be payed check, money order, eCheck, debit or credit card.
Individuals with low income, disabilities or are 60 years of age or older may qualify for free tax preparation help from IRS-certified volunteers. For information about free tax help, go to irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep or dial 2-1-1. To learn more about Michigan’s individual income tax or to download forms, go to www.michigan.gov/incometax.
Keep your Medicaid Coverage
Michigan will restart Medicaid eligibility renewals in June, and amend certain waived policies that were in place during the pandemic. Monthly renewal notifications will be sent by mail in the beginning of May.
To determine if you still qualify:
- Make sure your contact information is up to date
- Check your mail or text messages for a letter
- Complete your renewal form (only if you receive one)
For more information about the 2023 changes, visit this link.
Great Lakes Water Authority’s Water Assistance Program
The Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) provides assistance to eligible low-income households for water bills and water conservation efforts. To learn more about the program, and to find out if you are eligible and reside in a GLWA partnered community, visit this link.
Weekly Road Work Schedule
If you want to avoid construction and road closures, you can view current road closures and construction projects by township here.
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
The Michigan Achievement Scholarship application has opened for all high school seniors! This scholarship will provide:
- Up to $2,750 if you attend a community college per year
- Up to $5,500 if you attend a public university, per year
- Up to $4,000 if you attend a private college or university, per year
There is no deadline for this scholarship. Students have 15 months from either their high school graduation or high school equivalency completion to enter college and use the funds they are awarded.
High school seniors can get started by following these steps:
- File your FAFSA
- Create a MiSSG Student Portal account three to five business days after filing your FAFSA