Click here to schedule a COVID-19 booster shot appointment. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Tampon Tax Bills Re ceive Senate Passage Last week, bills to eliminate the sales and use tax on menstrual products, otherwise known as the “tampon tax,” passed out of the Senate Finance Committee. Today, Senate Bill 153 along with HB 5267 passed through the Senate chamber, with a final vote of 32-2. I voted yes. Click here to track these bills as they continue through the legislative process. This has been an issue Senator Winnie Brinks has been working on for years, going back to her time in the Michigan House of Representatives. I’ve continued that work since taking office in 2019 and have worked alongside Senator Brinks and many stakeholders over the past three years. >> You can watch my testimony on these bills here.
Bills to create the Mental Health Jail Diversion Fund here in the state of Michigan. These bills would establish funding for community crisis and jail intervention programs to help address our mental health response programs. They passed both chambers last week. Specifically, Senate Bill 637 would require DHHS to distribute grants to local units of government for the purpose of establishing or expanding community-based mobile crisis intervention services and give priority to grant applications that demonstrate a commitment to certain best practices. This bill works to empower mental health professionals to de-escalate, stabilize, or reduce harm in emergency situations involving an individual in a mental health crisis. Senate Bill 638 establishes those grants for local communities to create jail diversion programs for those who are experiencing a mental health crisis to be sent to an inpatient mental health facility, instead of jail. IN THE NEWS In 2019, auto no-fault reform legislation promised significant cost savings for drivers. Since it’s gone into effect, catastrophically injured Michiganders and their families are left without care options and on the brink of losing everything. As a member of the Senate Insurance & Banking committee, I saw this play out in real time and feared that the solution presented would merely shift healthcare costs to residents without guaranteeing significant savings. I talked with Michigan Radio about how we got here, the reality in the legislature, and the road ahead. >> You can listen to the interview here. |
