Dear Neighbor,
As your State Senator, I take seriously the responsibility to ensure you have access to all the resources available to you during this COVID-19 pandemic. In this newsletter, you’ll find helpful resources as well as information on legislation I’ve introduced to ensure residents and workers are protected and critical services remain available. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out directly to my office. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Working for you,
Jeremy Moss
State Senator
Toll-free: (855) DIST011 or (855) 347-8011
Website: SenatorMoss.com
Email: SenJMoss@senate.michigan.gov
Click the link to review the PDF version of newsletter
COVID-19 RESOURCES
| SENATE DISTRICT 11 RESOURCES Information from my office about COVID-19 SenatorMoss.com | 1- 855-347-8011 | AREA AGENCY ON AGING 1-B Coronavirus resources for seniors aaa1b.org/coronavirus 1-800-852-7795 |
| SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES Michigan Economic Development Corporation michiganbusiness.org 1-888-522-0103 | CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL How to protect yourself and what to do if you are sick cdc.gov | 1-800-232-4636 |
| REPORT CONSUMER SCAMS Michigan Attorney General Consumer Protection 1-877-765-8388 | TESTING LOCATIONS and more information on Michigan’s response: michigan.gov/coronavirus 1-888-535-6136 |
| MI HELP LINE For health-related questions Available every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-888-535-6136 | OAKLAND COUNTY COVID RESOURCES Local COVID-19 resources www.oakgov.com/covid/Pages/default.aspx | 248-858-1000 |
Extending Driver’s License
and State ID Renewals
I introduced a package of bills that would grant the Secretary of State the option of extending the expiration dates of Michigan driver’s licenses and state ID cards during a state of emergency.
This pandemic has been disruptive in many ways. Drivers who were unable to renew their licenses inside shuttered Secretary of State branch offices should be granted some relief, and I am pleased to have been able to partner with Secretary of State Benson to provide a needed solution to a problem many Michiganders will face. This legislation also ensures that there is no question about the license renewal process during a future emergency that may shut down branch offices.
Senate Bills 902-904 and House Bills 5755- 5757 would allow the Secretary of State to extend license expiration dates 60 days after the end of a state of emergency, along with licenses that expired within a week of the beginning of a state of emergency.
The bills would also grant the Secretary of State the authority to waive any penalties associated with an expired driver’s license.
RE-ENGAGING MICHIGAN’S ECONOMY SAFELY
I was a member of the Senate Safe Behaviors for Safe Workplaces workgroup, which was tasked with gathering information from businesses, medical professionals, and residents to create recommendations for best practices in the workplace in preparation of the workforce responsibly, and safely, transitioning back to their places of employment. My Democratic colleagues on the workgroup and I released our recommendations to the Governor on how to safely re-engage Michigan’s economy.
As you know, I represent a community that, in normal times, is an economic hub in Southeast
Senate Bills 902-904 and House Bills 5755- 5757 would allow the Secretary of State to extend license expiration dates 60 days after the end of a state of emergency, along with licenses that expired within a week of the beginning of a state of emergency.
The bills would also grant the Secretary of State the authority to waive any penalties associated with an expired driver’s license.
Michigan and, in these abnormal times, has been one of the hardest hit areas of the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations we made aim to ensure vulnerable workers are protected when the economy comes back online and takes into consideration workers’ individual conditions — such as underlying chronic health issues, lack of access to safe transit, and other barriers — as we emerge from this public health crisis together.
As the leading Democrats on the workgroup, we backed the recommendations to keep the public’s health at the forefront of the conversation, including the need to:
- Adopt a COVID-19 resurgence plan, so the state is ready to respond immediately if cases start increasing again after a period of sustained reduction.
- Require employers obtain a list of testing sites from their local public health department and make it readily available to employees.
- Release guidelines clarifying types of PPE and disinfecting products that are proven to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 most effectively.
- Create a Statewide COVID-19 Safety Standard for businesses and local governments.
- Establish mandatory screening protocols, social distancing policies, and robust sanitation policies.
- Support increased funding for the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration to hire and train staff that can adequately respond to COVID-19 workplace complaints.
- Expand paid sick leave coverage to all workers, regardless of company size and employment status, such that workers can accrue at least 72 hours of paid sick leave per year.