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Friends, I hope you have all been doing well lately. I know the past few weeks of news have not been easy to digest, but please know that I am working hard in Lansing to ensure that you are being prioritized in this legislature so that we can all feel happy, healthy, and safe in our home state. Featured in this newsletter:
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, |
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Buying food is expensive right now, especially for our neighbors who already struggle to put food on the table. This is where Double Up Food Bucks can help. For those who shop for groceries with a SNAP/Michigan Bridge Card, they can double their benefits to purchase fresh, Michigan-grown fruits and veggies using Double Up Food Bucks. The program is available at 260+ participating farmers markets and grocery stores across Michigan. And, with farmer’s market season around the corner, it’s a great time to use it! Learn how the program works and find a participating location near you at DoubleUpFoodBucks.org.
TIPS ON STAYING SAFE IN THE WATER THIS SUMMER The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encouraging residents to maximize the health benefits of swimming while practicing safe and healthy habits. Each of us has a role in preventing illnesses and injuries when we swim, play, and relax in the water — during the summer and year-round. As part of these efforts, MDHHS is recognizing May 23-29 as Healthy and Safe Swimming Week. Here’s what you can do to keep your family safe and healthy this swimming season: Keep germs out of the water and out of your body.
Keep swimmers and boaters safe in the water.
Use chemicals safely in your pools.
For more information and safety tips on preventing swimming illness and injury, visit CDC.gov/HealthyWater/Swimming.
PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS Earlier this month, POLITICO published a draft SCOTUS opinion by Justice Alito indicating that the U.S. Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade, bucking nearly 50 years of precedent and gutting women’s rights to their own bodies and self-determination to control if, and when, to get pregnant. Even more damning, the draft opinion indicates that the conservative majority may be open to reversing other landmark decisions, such as Obergfell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage, and supports the theory from Justice Amy Coney Barrett that “safe haven” laws diminish the need for abortion by allowing parents to relinquish their child lawfully. What This Means Right Now in Michigan As of right now, abortion in this country and in Michigan is still legal. Nonetheless, the current Supreme Court draft is an assault on the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies. While the ruling has not yet officially been handed down by the Supreme Court, many experts believe this document is authentic. What This Will Mean in Michigan Should the Supreme Court move forward in issuing this ruling to overturn Roe, abortion access will immediately become illegal in Michigan. This is because of a 1931 law still on our state’s books. When Roe was decided in 1973, the federal ruling superseded state law. But if Roe falls, the determination comes back to the states. Nancy Kaffer at the Detroit Free Press offers a thorough explanation of what this means for Michigan. What’s Happening to Protect Reproductive Rights in Michigan Efforts are underway to protect reproductive rights on multiple fronts. In the legislature, bills have been introduced to repeal the 1931 law and codify reproductive rights into law. In the Senate, I’m a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 732, the Reproductive Health Act, that was introduced by my colleague, Sen. Mallory McMorrow from Royal Oak. The bill seeks to codify reproductive rights and access to abortion into state law. Similar legislation has also been introduced in the House. At the state level, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has filed a lawsuit leveraging her executive authority to ask the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately resolve whether the state constitution can, and should, protect access to abortion and reproductive rights. On Friday, May 20, the court unanimously granted the motion for immediate consideration regarding the governor’s legal fight to uphold abortion access in Michigan if Roe v. W While the fight to protect reproductive freedoms continues at all levels of government, trust that I will continue my advocacy to protect and preserve every Michigander’s right to choose.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: BUDGET 2023 Senate Moves Budget Bills Along Party Lines Earlier this month, on Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4, the Senate passed 17 budget bills targeting key state priorities, continuing our work on the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget. Several Democratic amendments were proposed but most failed, largely along party lines. While there were some areas in which the Senate agreed with the Governor’s proposal, I simply could not vote for a budget that didn’t solve some of our most pertinent problems for Michiganders. The budget bills that the Republican-led Senate passed do not solve the lack of investments made in education and do little to support our local communities, both of which are areas I know are of importance to Wayne County residents. Many of the remaining federal dollars that were appropriated to Michigan are still unallocated and should not continue to sit in the state’s bank account. Although the Senate fell short this time, planning the state budget is a lengthy process and negotiations are currently underway, on both sides of the aisle in the Senate and in the House. I remain hopeful that we can work together in a bipartisan way to reconcile our differences so that we can successfully address the most critical issues facing Michigan – and fund them appropriately. Michigan Projects $6B Surplus to End 2022 On Friday, May 20, the Michigan Department of Treasury, House Fiscal Agency, and Senate Fiscal Agency met for their Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference during which they projected the state will end 2022 with a $6 billion surplus. Approximately $1.7 billion was added to the General Fund revenue forecast from January and $1.26 billion was added to the School Aid Fund forecast for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, which ends Sept. 30. Negotiations between legislative leadership and the State Budget Office on the FY 2023 budget have begun. |
