What's New with Senator Basham?
Basham Urges Swift Action on Smokefree Workplace Legislation
Senator Basham has called on the Senate to act quickly in appointing its members to the conference committee formed by the House of Representatives to further negotiate House Bill 4163, the House version of Senator Basham’s smokefree workplace legislation. Representatives Brenda Clack (D-Flint), Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) and Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell) were appointed as the House conferees by Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township).
Since 2000, Senator Basham has been championing an effort in the Michigan Legislature to make Michigan workplaces, including bars and restaurants, smokefree. The current law won't change unless both chambers agree on the same version of legislation, and ongoing discussions center around possible exemptions. If the legislation is not passed by the end of the year, it will have to be reintroduced next year and will begin the entire legislative process all over.
Every day, thousands of Michigan residents who work in bars, restaurants, offices and factories are involuntarily subjected to secondhand smoke. According to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing 38,000 to 65,000 nonsmokers every year. A study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley found that food service workers are approximately 50% more likely to develop lung cancer than the general public, because many are exposed to secondhand smoke at work. Thirty-three states have already passed similar legislation to protect their workers from deadly exposure to secondhand smoke, including Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
Basham Applauds House Action on Passport Fee Resolution
Senator Basham recently applauded the House’s passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 31, which he sponsored alongside Representative Paul Opsommer (R-Dewitt). SCR 31 urges Congress to reduce the price of traditional passports by directly lowering the cost to consumers or by offering fully refundable federal income tax deductions.
SCR 31 was introduced in response to the pending June 2009 implementation of federal law requiring a passport for all ground crossings, including re-entry into the United States from Canada or Mexico. In addition, a Congressional investigation into passport costs has indicated that the U.S. State Department is overcharging more than $100 million a year for these passports.
Basham and Opsommer have been working on this issue and other Western Hemisphere Trade Initiative issues for some time and recently worked together to successfully pass a similar resolution at the National Conference of State Legislators annual policy conference this summer.
Senator Basham Proposes Legislation to Crack Down on Illegal Activity at Adult Entertainment Establishments
Senator Basham recently introduced legislation to address the community’s concerns with the hiring process of adult entertainment establishments. A local family from Wyandotte alerted Basham to this problem as they prepared to file a lawsuit against an establishment for hiring their underage granddaughter, high school student Stephanie Brown.
Senate Bill 1612 would allow local municipalities to require employees of adult establishments to obtain a local work permit to ensure that they are of legal age to be employed there. The second bill, SB 1613, creates an adult entertainment facility tax of $3 per customer that would be deposited into the state domestic violence prevention and treatment fund.
In March 2007, Atlantis, a strip club in Lincoln Park, Michigan, employed Stephanie Brown although she was only 17 years old and did not carry an adult cabaret employee license, which is required by the Lincoln Park Code of Ordinances. On her second night working at Atlantis, who has a reputation for hiring minors and encouraging underage drinking, drug use, and prostitution, Brown died when club patrons provided her with a lethal dose of cocaine. Before this incident, Brown had no criminal record or history of using drugs and planned to attend college. Brown's family filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against Atlantis today citing negligence and a sexually hostile work environment. For more information about the lawsuit, contact attorney Jennifer Salvatore at (734) 663-7550 or jsalvatore@nachtlaw.com.
Senate Passes Basham’s Bill to Protect Driver’s Privacy
In a recent session, the Michigan State Senate voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 1572, which was introduced by Senator Basham to amend the penal code to make it a misdemeanor for a person to install a tracking device in another individual's vehicle without their knowledge and consent.
Law enforcement agents brought the need for this legislation to Basham’s attention after they were contacted by an elected official who took her vehicle in for repairs and a mechanic discovered that a tracking device had been installed. Both the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Sheriffs Association support the bill.
The proposed legislation includes exemptions for police officers, professional investigators and bail agents, as well as for devices that track vehicles to provide mechanical, directional, stolen vehicle assistance, and weather or traffic information. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives. Final passage in the House is expected during lame duck session.
Tune Into The Basham Report
December Topic:
Senator Basham interviews Dr. Dan O’Brien, Wildlife Veterinarian with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), on Chronic Wasting Disease, Baiting Bans and other issues facing the DNR.
Schedule:
Wyandotte Cable – Channel 15 on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Comcast Cable (Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Riverview, Southgate & Taylor) – Channel 20 on Mondays at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Comcast Cable (Wayne & Romulus) – Channel 25 on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.
Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday, December 24: Christmas Eve Holiday – State Offices Closed
Thursday, December 25: Christmas Holiday – State Offices Closed
Wednesday, December 31: New Year’s Eve Holiday – State Offices Closed
Thursday, January 1: New Year’s Day Holiday – State Offices Closed
News You Can Use
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK
Now is a wonderful time to help those in our community who may be struggling to put food on the table. The Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) gathers food and funds to help stock Michigan's member food banks which serve people in all 83 counties of the state. FBCM and its food bank members help ensure there is a unified system in place to serve the pantries, kitchens and shelters that are the front line in feeding and nourishing individuals on a daily basis.
To learn how you can support your local food bank this holiday season, visit: www.fbcmich.org.
PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM TOXIC TOYS
The Ecology Center is pleased to announce that it has released the new and improved www.HealthyToys.org website. Thanks to the overwhelming media attention and support for this site from tens of thousands of concerned consumers, HealthyToys.org's 2nd Annual Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys includes more test results and new features. Our research team has been busy testing over 1,500 children's toys for lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and other toxic chemicals in order to provide you with information that will help keep your kids safe.
This year's site is newly-redesigned, easier than ever to use, and includes new features. Visitors to www.HealthyToys.org can now create their own personalized holiday wish lists that can be e-mailed to family and friends. You can buy toys directly through links on www.HealthyToys.org, with a portion of the sale going to fund our work to test more toys. A new widget can be posted to your blog or website for quick searches of toy ratings for lead. And, of course, we've updated our Take Action page so you can contact your Congress Member, the largest toy manufacturers, and the organization in your state to urge full protection for children from toxic toys.
The new website is full of features to explore. Please take the time to visit the site at www.HealthyToys.org.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE KICKS OFF FRESH CHRISTMAS TREE SEASON
The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) recently celebrated the start of the fresh Christmas tree season in Michigan. Michigan produces and sells more than a dozen tree varieties on a wholesale level—more varieties than any other state. Our state has approximately 42,000 acres in commercial Christmas tree production, with an annual farm gate value of over $41 million. The industry also generates an additional $1.3 million in sales of wreaths, cut boughs, garland, and other cut greens. I encourage residents to select a real Michigan Christmas tree—a fresh, high quality tree benefits the environment, supports local farmers, and boosts Michigan’s economy.
After the holidays, there are many uses for recycled real Christmas trees. Many communities chip the trees and use the chippings for mulch, hiking trails, playground areas, animal stalls, or landscaping. Whole trees are recycled for an even greater variety of uses: river shoreline stabilization, sand dune erosion prevention, marshland sedimentation, fish habitat, winter garden decorations, wild bird feeders, even hazardous chemical clean-ups.
For more information on Michigan’s Christmas tree industry or to find a Christmas tree farm in your area, visit MDA’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/mda or contact the Michigan Christmas Tree Association at 800-589-TREE or at www.mcta.org.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Chances are, you’ll be doing some holiday shopping in the next few weeks. Our stores and shopping malls may be filled with decorations and holiday joy, but that doesn’t mean that identity theft crimes come to a halt. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the busiest shopping season of the year and with more shoppers frequenting stores and making online purchases, it’s important to take extra precaution to be sure your personal information is kept safe.
Here are five easy steps consumers can use to prevent identity theft during the holiday shopping season:
- Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals.
- Track what mail you receive or don’t receive. Failing to receive bills or other mail may signal an address change by an identity thief, as does receiving credit cards for which you did not apply.
- Order credit reports from the three major credit reporting bureaus. The new federal law allows consumers to get one free credit report a year and to purchase their credit scores fro a reasonable price.
- Guard the use of your Social Security number. When asked for it, ask why you need to provide it and how it will be used. Don’t give it out if you don’t have to.
- Invest in a cross-cut or diamond-cut paper shredder. Destroy credit card applications, expired credit cards, checks, receipts, and insurance documents you don’t need to keep. Shred any document that lists any identifying information about you.
MICHIGAN CONSUMERS CAN SHOP AND SAVE ON HOME INSURANCE
Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) Commissioner Ken Ross announced recently that the 2008 Buyers' Guide to Home and Renters Insurance is available online and in hard copy.
The guide contains information and tips about purchasing homeowners and renters insurance. It also includes the results of an annual survey of insurers offering home, rental and condominium insurance in different areas of the state. This information provides consumers with information about rates charged by these insurers. It is an important part of the overall effort of the Granholm Administration to help protect and aid consumers.
OFIR constantly stressed that consumers shop around to receive the best price for home insurance. Consumers who renew insurance, or purchase insurance for the first time, should not assume that the first quote they receive is the best price they can get. Shopping around to many different insurance companies will allow them to choose the best available premium rate.
Because discounts can drastically affect the premiums consumers pay, the guide now includes an example of how various discounts can reduce the final premium. The guide also lists commonly used discounts and which companies provide them. Discounts listed include smoke detectors, deadbolts, fire extinguishers, and mature homeowners.
Another important resource for consumers is the interactive version of the buyers' guide, which also can be found on the OFIR website. It allows users to choose a profile that most closely fits their situation and location to get a general idea of rates for home insurance. The user can review sample rates for a select list of companies or review rates for all home insurance companies in Michigan.
The 2008 Buyers' Guide to Home Insurance can be reviewed and downloaded on the Internet at www.michigan.gov/ofir under Publications / Guides / Homeowners/ Renters Insurance. Hard copies
of the guide also are available by contacting OFIR toll free at (877) 999-6442.
IT’S SOONER THAN YOU THINK: TV CONVERTER BOX DEALS
As you’ve probably heard by now, the nationwide change to digital television will take place on February 17, 2009. That’s a problem for many folks, because anyone using an old-style antenna — and doesn’t have a TV set fed by cable service, satellite dish, or telephone provider — won’t get a signal unless they buy a new television or a converter box that attaches to the antenna. Converter boxes will cost $50-$70, but every household can receive two coupons — good for a $40 discount. These coupons take time to process, so it’s important to get your order in by December 15, 2008. For details and coupons, call the info line sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters at (toll-free) 888/388-2009, or go to http://www.dtvanswers.com. It’s sooner than you think!
