Dear Neighbor,
I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy New Year! I hope you and your loved ones had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. It has been an honor to serve you as your State Senator in Lansing, and I look forward to continuing to represent you this year!
Featured in this newsletter:
- Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services reminds Michiganders to Review Insurance Documents Amid Winter Weather
- Drug Immunity Repealed in Michigan
- Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential and Gov. Whitmer Announces Before and After School Programs Grant Funding
- FASFA 2024-25 Form Now Available
- Governor Gretchen Whitmer Announces State of the State Address
- Working Families Tax Credit
- Michigan State Police National Missing Children’s Poster Contest
- Safety History of Michigan School Buses is Easy to Access
If you have any questions, want to comment on pending legislation, or resolve any issues in state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office by phone at (517) 373-8360 or by email at SenPWojno@senate.michigan.gov.
Sincerely,
Paul Wojno
State Senator
District 10
Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Reminds Michiganders to Review Insurance Documents Amid Winter Weather
As the winter weather and storms have returned, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services reminds Michigan residents to review their auto, home, and renters’ insurance policies. It is important to do so to ensure you understand your benefits and terms in case of damage to your property during winter weather or a storm. Heavy snow fall, cold weather, and strong winds can cause damage to your
home, vehicle, or other property.
Tips for Homeowners:
Winter weather can cost thousands of dollars or more in repairs. Homeowners’ insurance will many times cover things such as pipe bursts, ice dams, wind, or a building collapse caused by the weight caused by ice or snow. Policies oftentimes exclude things such as damages caused by power outages. To help prevent damages from storms, it is important to keep your home heated to no less than 65 degrees, keep gutters clean, and remove trees that have died or are rotting.
Tips for Automobile Owners:
Driving in winter weather can be hazardous due to snow and slippery, icy roads. It is important you drive carefully and at moderate speed. You may also want to consider purchasing coverages such as collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, and property protection. Collision coverage provides coverage for damage to your vehicle while driving, comprehensive coverage provides coverage to your vehicle that did not result from a collision, and property protection provides coverage for damage unintentionally caused to another person’s property.
To learn more please click here.
Drug Immunity Repealed in Michigan
This month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 410, repealing drug immunity in the state of Michigan. Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Irwin, the new law eliminates legal provisions that have shielded pharmaceutical companies from certain lawsuits brought by consumers.
In 1995, Michigan passed legislation that made the state the only one in the nation that protected drug manufacturers and sellers from liability stemming from the safety and efficacy of their products. The 1995 legislation left the state of Michigan and its residents unable to address the conduct of certain companies in the context of the opioid epidemic and recovery of taxpayer dollars paid out from the Medicaid program due to fraud.
Now with this legislation repealed, Michigan and its residents are now on an even playing field with the rest of the country in terms of drug industry liability.
Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential and Gov. Whitmer Announces Before and After School Programs Grant Funding
On December 1, Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially launched the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, or MiLEAP. The new department, established by executive order in July, is tasked with improving outcomes from preschool through postsecondary.
On December 18, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential in announcing $50 million in grants to before and after school programs. These grants will increase access to before- and after-school and summer learning programs — helping more youth engage in enrichment activities outside of the regular school hours while providing homework help and accelerated learning opportunities in literacy, math, and science.
For more information, click here.
FAFSA 2024-25 Form Now Available
The redesigned 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is now open. This new application is simplified and shorter than the previous version, making the application process burdensome and stressful for families. This form will remain open until June 30, 2024, however there may be additional deadlines set by your college or university. It is important to check these deadlines to ensure you do not lose out on any financial aid opportunities. To learn more about the latest FAFSA form, please visit the website.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer Announces State of the State Address
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced her 2024 State of the State address will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24. In this address, the governor will outline her agenda for the upcoming year.
She gives her sixth State of the State address in the Michigan House Chambers in front of a joint session of the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate. It will also be broadcast live throughout the state on local television channels, online at Michigan.gov/StateOfTheState, YouTube, and Gov. Whitmer’s official Facebook.
Working Families Tax Credit
Recently, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Working Families Tax Credit checks will start being mailed to homes beginning February 13, 2024. An average of $550 will be mailed to approximately 700,000 Michigan households. This relief is part of the $1 billion dollars in tax relief signed into law by the governor last March. The legislation also repealed the retirement tax.
House Bill 4001 increases Michigan’s match of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit to 30%, up from 6%. This effort puts money back into the hands of families who need it the most, often those living paycheck to paycheck. Michigan residents who are eligible for the tax credit do not need to amend their 2022 tax returns. For more information, please visit Michigan.gov/taxes/iit/eitc.
Michigan State Police National Missing Children’s Poster Contest
The Michigan State Police (MSP) Missing Children’s Clearinghouse invites fifth-grade students statewide to participate in the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. The annual contest creates an opportunity to promote child safety while discussing the issue of missing and/or exploited children. There are over 670 missing children in the state of Michigan currently.
Michigan’s winning artist will have a shot at the national contest, which includes a free trip to Washington, D.C. and their artwork featured as the National Missing Children’s Day poster. The 2018 national winner was a Michigan student from Clinton Township.
Contest rules:
- Applicants must be in the fifth grade.
- Original artwork should reflect the theme “Bringing Our Missing Children Home” and the phrase must appear somewhere on the poster.
- Digitally produced images, collages, cut-outs, and stamping will not be eligible for consideration.
- The finished poster must measure 8.5 x 14 inches.
The poster must be submitted with a completed application, which includes a description of the artwork and a brief biography of the artist, either written or typed. Submissions must be postmarked by Friday, February 2, 2024, and must be mailed to:
Michigan State Police
Missing Children’s Clearinghouse
Attn: Ms. Jolene Hardesty
7150 Harris Drive
Dimondale, MI 48821
Safety History of Michigan School Buses is Easy to Access
The Michigan State Police (MSP) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) is reminding parents and guardians that checking the safety record of your child’s school bus is as simple as scanning a QR code.
Under the School Bus Inspection Program, all vehicles transporting children to or from school events must undergo annual inspection by MSP CVED members. Once inspected, a bright green sticker showing the MSP shield and school calendar year is placed on the front windshield. Inspection results are available to anyone by scanning the QR code displayed on the bus service door where students enter the bus.