Senate District 7 Updates

The bipartisan budget agreement combines state and federal funds to provide an investment in our future. These dollars will allow us to rebuild Michigan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Putting state residents first, it by fully funding numerous programs to help workers get the skills they need to earn good-paying jobs, increasing the number of children eligible for quality and affordable childcare, and investing in our roads and bridges across the state. 

 

The budget also adds a historic $500 million deposit into Michigan’s “rainy day fund,” for a total balance of $1.4 billion, ensuring Michigan is prepared for future crises. This fiscally responsible investment is the largest one-time deposit in state history and illustrates the commitment of the governor and legislature working together and remaining focused on the state’s future success. 

The legislature will continue to build upon this progress in the days ahead and work with the governor to allocate and invest billions in federal funding the state has received through the American Rescue Plan, in addition to more funding Michigan is anticipated to receive from the federal infrastructure bill. 

MORE THAN 178,600 MICHIGAN HOUSEHOLDS TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL HOME HEATING CREDIT PAYMENT 

On Monday, Sept. 27, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced more than 178,600 Michigan households that received Home Heating Credits for the 2020 tax year will receive an additional one-time payment this month to help keep their homes warm. 

Households with seniors, disabled individuals or children under 5 years old are receiving $200. Other eligible households are receiving $100. Treasury has mailed checks to all households that are eligible for the supplemental Home Heating Credit. Recipients are expected to apply the LIHEAP payment to their household heating costs.   

Individuals who have not yet applied for Michigan’s Home Heating Credit have until Sept. 30 each year to submit their application. The Home Heating Credit application form can be obtained at Michigan.gov/Taxes. Additional information can be found on the Home Heating Credit website.  

Anyone with questions about their Home Heating Credit can contact Treasury at: Michigan Department of Treasury, Customer Contact Section, P.O. Box 30058, Lansing, MI 48909, or call 517-636-4486. 

SECRETARY OF STATE MOBILE OFFICE WILL BRING GOVERNMENT SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE 

On Wednesday, Sept. 22, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that she is launching a mobile office in October to serve Michiganders with limited access to Secretary of State offices and the internet, including senior centers, homeless shelters, foster care facilities, and other community organizations. 

The new Secretary of State Mobile Office will travel to and operate out of the lobbies and gathering places of partner organizations to offer most Secretary of State services, including processing driver’s license and state ID applications, corrections and renewals; disability parking placard applications, renewals and replacements; and vehicle title and registration transactions. 

The mobile office will be based in Southeast Michigan, where the population is greatest, but funds have been requested from the state legislature for additional mobile offices to serve residents in other urban and rural regions of the state. 

Community organizations that would like to host the mobile office can get more information and apply at Michigan.gov/SOSMobile. 

BEGINNING OCT. 24: 10-DIGIT DIALING NEEDED FOR THOSE IN 616, 810, 906, 989 AREA CODES 

On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted an Order (FCC 20-100) approving the designation of 988 as the 3-digit abbreviated dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, requiring all telecommunications carriers, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and one-way VoIP providers (covered providers) to make any network changes necessary to ensure users can dial 988 to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) starting July 16, 2022.  

As a result, and in order for 988 to work, all providers will implement mandatory 10-digit local dialing nationwide.  

Beginning Oct. 24, callers who live in Michigan area codes 616, 810, 906, and 989 must dial 10 digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only seven digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must hang up and dial again using the 10-digit number. 

Callers within these area codes should also ensure all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment programmed to complete calls to 7-digit local numbers will be reprogrammed to complete calls to 10-digit numbers.  

Some examples of equipment that may be programmed to dial 7 digits include life safety systems or medical monitoring devices, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, fire or burglar alarms, security systems or gates, speed dialers, mobile or other wireless phone contact lists, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, and other similar functions. Also be sure to check your website, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, your personal or pet ID tags, and other such items to ensure the area code is included. 

SPOTLIGHT ON MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING: SEPT. 26-OCT. 2 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 26 to Oct. 2 as Manufacturing Week to recognize Michigan’s more than 11,000 unique manufacturing firms, which account for over 600,000 jobs and more than $98 billion of total output annually.  

Michigan has long served as a national leader in manufacturing job creation, with those jobs significantly impacting the state’s economy.  As the heart and soul of manufacturing in the U.S. for decades, the state has diverse manufacturing sectors in automotive, metals, machinery, chemical product, food and beverage, computer and electronic, natural resource, furniture, and many others.      

There are numerous resources available to support Michiganders who are interested in exploring high-tech, high-skilled and well-paid career options in the manufacturing industry, whether it’s using the state’s career exploration tool, Pathfinder (Pathfinder.MiTalent.org), searching for open manufacturing jobs on Pure Michigan Talent Connect (MiTalent.org), or researching information about industry-specific careers at Going PRO (Going-PRO.com).    

There are also resources available for manufacturing employers to support their immediate and long-term workforce needs; including the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Back to Work: Employer Resources website (Michigan.gov/BackToWork), the Michigan Works! network, and Pure Michigan Talent Connect.   

To learn more about resources available for employers, sign up for the upcoming Employer Engagement webinar focused on the manufacturing industry, scheduled for Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. To register for this free event, visit https://bit.ly/3hA2rbl.   

NEW PROTECTIONS IN PLACE FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS 

Vulnerable adults in Michigan have new protections in place after the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act took effect. The statute enacts new requirements on financial institutions to ensure they have training and procedures in place to better recognize the signs of financial exploitation and take action to protect those who are unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, or exploitation because of a mental or physical impairment, or because of advanced age.  

The law also allows financial institutions to freeze customer transactions or assets under certain circumstances; provides immunity from criminal, civil, or administrative liability to financial institutions for actions taken in good faith under the Act; and provides for the powers and duties of certain governmental officers and entities to enforce the Act.   

The Department of Attorney General offers an educational presentation on the Act and elder financial exploitation prevention to interested groups. Eligible groups include but are not limited to elder abuse coalitions, area agencies on aging, law enforcement, and financial institution professionals.  

Groups interested in attending a presentation are asked to email AG-PA@michigan.gov with the following information:  

• Subject line that states “FEPA Presentation Request.”  
• A brief description of the professional background of potential attendees.  
• The number of people likely to attend.   
• potential dates and times that will work well for the group (flexibility is encouraged). 
• The format of the presentation (virtual presentations are recommended).  

If the group is less than 50 attendees, the Department of Attorney General asks, to preserve time and resources, that the interested group allow another group to join their event upon request.