Dear Neighbor,
As summer begins, I hope you can spend quality time with your loved ones enjoying the warm Michigan weather. With summer festivals and events popping up throughout the district, hopefully I will get to see some of you out and about! As June comes to an end, I wanted to share some updates from Lansing with you.
Featured in this newsletter:
- Legislative Updates
- Community Updates
- Upcoming Coffee Hours
- Resources
As always, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact our officeor by phone at (517) 373-7670.
Veronica Klinefelt
State Senator
District 11
Legislative Updates
Banning Child Marriage
Senate Bills 209-217 passed through the Senate and would require Michiganders to be at minimum 18 years old to be legally married, stop probate judges from marrying minors, and ban a parent from authorizing the marriage of an underage child.
Senator Klinefelt sponsored Senate Bill 212, which would amend the Estates and Protected Individuals Code to remove language allowing a guardian to consent to a minor ward’s marriage.
ACA Codification
Senate Bills 356-358 codify consumer protections to mirror federal law and guidelines in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These bills have passed through the Michigan Senate.
Senator Klinefelt sponsored Senate Bill 358, would codify the Affordable Care Act actuarial levels into law and would require plans to continue to provide the same coverage levels they are currently required to under the ACA. This legislation will ensure consumers can continue to compare plan options and make informed decisions based on their needs more.
Proposition 2
In November, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, which is now part of the state constitution. We are aligning our state laws with the constitution thanks to the passage of Senate Bills 367-374.
These bills would also allow military members deployed overseas to vote in elections with more ease. This package of bills updates our state election law to comply with Proposal 2, including early voting, drop box, precinct size, postage for absentee ballots and other requirements now in our Constitution.
Preventing Sexual Assault and Empower Survivors
Senate Bills 66-73 have passed through both chambers and now head to the Governor. This bipartisan package of bills strengthens state laws regarding sexual assault and survivor support.
Community Updates
Senator Klinefelt was so excited to attend Cruisin’ Gratiot on June 17 and meet many of you while getting to check out some cool historic cars.
Even as Pride Month wraps up, the Michigan Senate continues to celebrate the expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. No matter how you identify or who you love, there is a place for you here in Michigan!
Coffee Hours
Thank you to everyone who came to our joint coffee hour with Senator Hertel in Clinton Township! If you haven’t made it out yet, we hope to see you at an upcoming coffee hour. As we continue to schedule events, we plan to add weekend and evening options so everyone can have an opportunity to attend.
WHEN: Monday, July 17, 2023, at 12:30 pm
WHERE: Peace Manor, 17275 Fifteen Mile Rd, Clinton Twp, MI 48035
WHEN: Monday, August 14, 2023, at 10 am
WHERE: Macomb Township Waldenburg Park, 19225 21 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI, 48044
Resources
Project Health – CVS
No-cost, no-catch health checkups. Select stores, most Thursdays–Sundays. From blood pressure readings to mental health assessments, they are here to support your whole health. Learn more about offerings at CVS.com/ProjectHealth
WHEN: Sunday, August 6, 2023, from 11 am – 3 pm
WHERE: Covenant Missionary Temple, 28491 Utica Rd, Roseville, MI 48066
WHEN: Thursday, August 10, 2023, from 2 – 6 pm
WHERE: CVS, 15455 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48205
WHEN: Friday, August 11, 2023, from 2 – 6 pm
WHERE: CVS, 15455 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48205
Michigan Public Service Commission: Help with Home Energy Bills
Help is available for Michigan households struggling with home energy bills. The MPSC’s one-stop webpage on utility assistance is at www.michigan.gov/mpsc/gethelp.
Residential utility and propane customers in financial distress can contact their utility for help or seek assistance by calling 211 or applying for State Emergency Relief. Income-eligible Michiganders also may apply for the Home Heating Credit.
Visit www.michigan.gov/mpsc for additional consumer tips and utility contact information.
Comcast RISE
Comcast RISE is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objective of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as community investment. The program is built to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth. This year, Comcast RISE will award 500 recipients in five cities with a grant package that includes business consultation services, education resources, monetary grants, creative production, media, and technology makeovers.
Comcast RISE is one of several programs that Comcast has overseen as a part of Project UP that are aimed at closing the digital divide and achieving digital equity.
Program Details
500 awards will be distributed as follows:
- 100 small businesses in each city
Each business will receive:
- $5,000 monetary grant
- Creative production, media, and technology makeovers
- Education resources
- Business consultation services
Application period is June 1 – 30, 2023
Grants will be announced at the end of August and awarded in September 2023. Applications are available online here.
Program Eligibility
- Businesses must be established for three or more years,
- Have 100 or less full-time or part-time employees,
- Independently owned and operated,
- Be in the following geographic locations:
- Detroit (Macomb County, Oakland County, Wayne County, Washtenaw County)
Resources & Support for Small Businesses
- Support small businesses disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,
- Strengthen and/or establish locally relevant, regionally based ecosystems to cultivate a more inclusive, accessible and effective entrepreneurial ecosystem,
- Position small business support hubs to increase the number of businesses served through new and scaled programming, technical assistance and other support services,
- Increase access to regional, statewide and national small business support resources,
- Expand geographic reach of network partners into underserved and rural areas,
- Raise the national profile of Michigan’s small business ecosystem.
Small Business Support Hub Eligibility
Eligible applicants are entities that identify as an entrepreneurial hub. For the purposes of this program, an entrepreneurial hub is defined as an entity that has a physical space that provides training and resources to entrepreneurs through a combination of direct service (i.e. on-site through staff, contractors, or strategic partnerships), remote service (i.e. off-site through field staff, contractors, or strategic partnerships), and referral relationships (i.e. organizations, entities or individuals with distinct or complementary technical or culturally competent expertise) to support the launch, sustainability and/or growth of entrepreneurs. The types of training and resources provided to entrepreneurs through Hubs might include one-on-one coaching, consultations, workshops, seminars, cohort-based learning, incubation activities, accelerator activities, networking and mentorship opportunities and events.
Eligible applicants must be:
- Self-identified as an entrepreneurial hub,
- A non-profit organization,
- Headquartered in Michigan,
- In good standing with the State of Michigan,
- Registered or could register for a federal UIE number,
- Eligible to do business with the federal government.
Examples of eligible applicants include, but are not limited to:
- MEDC SmartZones,
- Business Service Organizations,
- Entrepreneurial hubs, business accelerators, or business incubators,
- Tribal entities,
- Other entities serving small business owners in diverse, rural and other underrepresented communities,
- Eligible applicants may also contract with third parties to plan, execute, and manage the deployment of small business support services. Any contracted entity shall be subject to all applicable federal requirements.
Timeline
- Application Window: July 10, 2023 – September 8, 2023
- Application Review: September – October
- Awardees Announced: November – December
Webinar Registration
The Small Business Support Hubs Program will allow entrepreneurial hubs to apply for funding to invest in regional operations, to deploy a variety of business support services, and to provide direct funding to small businesses who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.