Dear Neighbors,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. I hope some of you were able to enjoy an eventful weekend in Detroit with the Pride celebrations and Taylor Swift’s performance at Ford Field. What a way to kick off summer!
Featured in this newsletter:
- Senate Bill 32 Signed into Law
- EGLE Air Quality Index
- Fire Danger is High across Michigan; Practice Fire Safety Outside
- 2023 Michigan Environmental Justice Conference
- End of Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Brings Changes to Insurance Coverage for Michiganders
- MDARD Encourages Owners to Help Keep Their Animals Cool and Safe as Temperatures Rise
Please do not hesitate to call my office at (517) 373-0990 or reply to this email if you have any questions or need assistance.
Working for you,
Sylvia Santana
State Senator
District 2
Senate Bill 32 Signed into Law
I’m proud to report that my bill, Senate Bill 32, was signed into law by Gov. Whitmer. This bill allows the Detroit Police Department (DPD) and other police departments to enter tuition contracts with recruits, enabling the department to better retain talented, well-trained officers.
Currently, DPD recruits and trains officers through their very own police academy, which the taxpayers of Detroit pay for, but current state law does not allow the City of Detroit to retain those recruits once they receive their Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification. This means Detroiters pay for training officers that may never work a day in the city.
With SB 32, law enforcement agencies could recruit and pay for training in return for a guaranteed four years of service to the city. If a law enforcement officer wants to leave within those four years, they may have to pay back the city for the training, or the department or agency the officer is transferring to may have to compensate the city. The new law also gives the department some discretion in this decision, and if DPD believes it is in the best interest of everyone, they may waive the payback. If the officer decides to leave law enforcement, there is no requirement to compensate the department for the training.
This has been a significant concern for the City of Detroit and its residents for some time, and after six years of hard work and persistence, I am proud to finally be able to deliver this important change. Passing this law makes financial sense for the department and taxpayers, will keep quality, trained officers in our city, and will not only uphold but improve public safety.
EGLE Air Quality Index
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a color-coded way for residents to see what the levels of some types of air pollution are in their area. The higher the AQI, the worse the air quality is and the more cause for concern. Due to the recent fires in northern Michigan and Canada the past couple weeks, the AQI for particulate matter (PM) is high in many parts of Michigan and the eastern US. EPA’s Smoke and Fire map can be helpful in locating fires near you and seeing how smoke is moving.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has advised:
- For current health and safety information, follow social media at:
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services | Facebook
- Michigan HHS Dept (@MichiganHHS) / Twitter
- For people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens it is suggested to take the following steps to reduce exposure:
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activities;
- Keep outdoor activities short;
- Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
- For everyone else:
- Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard;
- Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors;
- Be active outdoors when air quality is better.
Fire Danger is High across Michigan; Practice Fire Safety Outside
Safety tips to keep fires under control:
- Contain your campfire or bonfire in a pit or ring and make sure you put it out thoroughly before leaving for the night. Douse the fire with water, stir the ashes and douse again.
- Never leave any fire — including hot coals — unattended.
- Keep a hose or other water source nearby when burning.
- Prevent sparks. Keep trailer chains from dragging when you’re on the road; don’t park hot equipment on dry grass.
- Never shoot fireworks into the woods, dry grass or shrubs.
- Get more fire safety tips at Michigan.gov/FireManagement.
- It’s illegal to burn plastic, hazardous materials, foam or other household trash. This can release dangerous chemicals into the air.
- You can use a burn barrel with a screen on top to burn paper, leaves and natural materials.
WHERE: Detroit, Michigan
The 2023 Michigan Environmental Justice Conference will focus on the theme of Advancing Environmental Justice: Working Together toward Progress. Conference attendees can learn about and engage with environmental justice related resources and programs from various state of Michigan departments and other organizations at the Resource Fair. There will also be a Poster Gallery to hear from presenters about their environmental justice research and projects. The goal of this 2-day, in-person conference is to convene conversations, explore actions, present research and continue progress toward achieving environmental justice in Michigan.
The conference is intended for anyone interested in environmental justice, including front-line communities, business and industry, labor, local, tribal, state, and federal government, policy makers, public health practitioners, academic and community-based researchers, community and environmental organizations, and environmental justice and community advocates.
End of Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Brings Changes to Insurance Coverage for Michiganders
At-Home and Laboratory COVID Tests:
- Private Insurers: The federal mandate requiring health insurers to provide no-cost coverage for COVID-19 testing, including at-home tests, has ended. Most people with health insurance will continue to have coverage for laboratory COVID-19 tests, subject to the plan’s cost sharing. At-home testing for COVID-19 is an eligible medical expense for flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs). Michiganders should check with their plan for more details.
- Medicare: Medicare is no longer required to provide coverage for at-home COVID-19 testing. Medicare Part B participants can still obtain laboratory COVID-19 testing, with authorization by a medical provider, without out-of-pocket cost. Medicare Advantage participants may have additional flexibility regarding COVID-19 testing. Michiganders should check with their plan for more details.
- Medicaid: Under federal law, Medicaid and MIChild participants can obtain at-home and laboratory COVID-19 tests through September 30, 2024.
COVID-19 Treatments:
- Private insurers: Treatment for COVID-19 will continue to be covered but insurers are now able to apply cost sharing, such as deductibles and coinsurance, and require prior approval for these treatments. Michiganders should confirm coverage with their insurer or plan before seeking treatment.
- Medicare: Medicare beneficiaries may have to pay for a portion of their COVID-19 care as required by their plan.
- Medicaid: Medicaid and MIChild are required to cover all drugs for the treatment or prevention of COVID–19 with no cost sharing for enrollees through September 30, 2024.
- COVID-19 vaccinations continue to be supplied with no out-of-pocket cost by the federal government.
MDARD Encourages Owners to Help Keep Their Animals Cool and Safe as Temperatures Rise
As temperatures rise into the 90s in many parts of the state, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reminding owners of some of the best ways to keep animals cool and safe.
Keep animals safe from the heat by following these tips:
Know Their Limits: An animal’s ability to tolerate heat varies
- An animal’s age, breed, type of coat, and health history can all play a role in their ability to tolerate the heat. Keep an eye on them for signs of heat stress—like increased panting or drooling and being more lethargic. If they are showing these signs, it is time to immediately move them to a cooler area. Also, consider talking to your veterinarian. They will have a greater knowledge of your animal(s) and be able to give more specific guidance on how to best handle them in hot weather.
Happy Paws: Test surfaces to make sure they won’t burn paws
- Surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and sand can really heat up in the sun, which can burn paws— or at least make a walk very uncomfortable. To test if a surface is too hot, touch it with the palm of your hand. If it is too hot for you, consider taking a different route that is mostly grass or waiting until the evening when everything has had a chance to cool.
Get in Gear: Parked vehicles are not places to park pets
- Even when temperatures feel more moderate, vehicles can heat up very quickly, creating dangerous conditions for the animals left inside. Leaving windows cracked open and/or parking in the shade does little to improve the situation. In these conditions, it is best to leave pets at home when you need to go out and about.
A Place to Chill: Make sure animals have a place to cool down
- Animals know when they are too hot and will usually try to find a place where they can cool down. Make sure they have access to shade, fans, misters, pools, cooling mats, and/or air-conditioned spaces to help them stay comfortable.