E-Newsletter, June 26, 2009
SENATOR HUNTER’S SLOW-BURN CIGARETTE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
Senator Hunter’s bill to require the sale of slow-burn cigarettes in Michigan was signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm this week. Public Act 56 of 2009 (Senate Bill 264) fines retailers if they sell cigarettes that do not meet fire safety slow-burn standards, and creates a new fund for fire safety programs.
The new law creates a fine of not more than $100 per pack if a manufacturer, wholesaler, dealer or agent sells or offers to sell anything other than slow-burn cigarettes. Any fines collected will be deposited into “The Cigarette Fire Safety Standard and Firefighter Protection Act Fund” that will be created in the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth. This money may only be used to support fire safety and prevention programs.
The U.S. Fire Administration encourages the use of slow-burn cigarettes because at least 1,000 smokers and nonsmokers die every year in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials. To read more about this agency’s fire safety campaign on smoking visit their website at: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/campaigns/smoking/.
LEGISLATURE APPROVES COBO BILLS
The Senate and House of Representatives this week approved a package of bills that would allow for improvements at Cobo Hall to help keep the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Senator Hunter was on the House/Senate Conference Committee that worked out the final deal on the package of bills: House Bill 4998 and Senate Bills 586, 587, and 588. Under the plan, the City of Detroit would lease the Cobo facility back to a regional authority for 30 years. A backup plan included in the legislation would give Oakland County a chance to attract the show if the Detroit City Council rejects this plan. Other facilities would also have a chance to submit proposals to a ttract the auto show under the backup plan. The legislation includes the creation of a Citizen Advisory Council and a clause requiring the authority to do its best to hire workers and do business with companies from the metro Detroit area. If the Detroit City Council rejects the plan, then Mayor Dave Bing has veto power over their vote.
SENATOR HUNTER JOINS DEMOCRATS IN BATTLE TO SAVE CRITICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Senator Hunter joined his Democratic colleagues this week and worked to save school programs benefiting Michigan’s youngest pupils—including early childhood programs—to high school students as Senate Republicans eliminated funding for critical programs from the state K-12 budget, House Bill 4447.
The Senate Republicans’ version of the legislation calls for more than $400 million in cuts including an across-the-board reduction of $110 per pupil statewide, crippling schools across Michigan that depend on that funding for survival. It also removes all funding for early childhood and preschool readiness programs, middle college programs, and successful math and science programs including the highly successful Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program.
Senate Democrats offered the following amendments to the Senate Republicans’ version of House Bill 4447:
• Restore the $110 per pupil funding cut, funding critical to school budgets around the state.
• Restore 90% of funding for declining enrollment grants to help lessen the devastating impact to school districts of the loss of students.
• Restore 90% of funding for small high schools with a focus on personal attention and engaging and real-world applicable curriculum.
• Restore 90% of funding for early childhood programs like school readiness, 0-3 and great start programs.
• Restore 90% of funding for the Pre-College Engineering Programs.
• Restore 90% of funding for health science middle college.
• Uphold essential funding for special education and vocational education.
The Senate Republican Majority defeated all of the Democratic-introduced amendments and maintained their $400 million in cuts to K-12 education. To read the press release on this issue go to http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1374.
SENATE DEMOCRATS FIGHT TO SECURE NEARLY $140 MILLION FOR MICHIGAN’S UNEMPLOYED WORKERS
Senate Democrats this week continued to fight for Michigan workers as they moved to take up the House-passed unemployment modernization legislation to receive $138.9 million from federal funds. Senate Republicans opposed this effort to provide assistance for displaced workers throughout Michigan.
Included in the two-bill modernization package, House Bill 4785 would allow individuals enrolled in a state-approved jobs training program to receive unemployment insurance benefits for an extra 26 weeks. House Bill 4786 would allow individuals working between 16 and 40 hours per week to become eligible for unemployment insurance benefits beginning after January 1, 2011. Senator Hunter and his colleague Senator Deb Cherry (D-Burton) have introduced identical Senate bills that have not been acted upon by the Republican majority. Senator Hunter has argued that many workers have only been able to secure part-time jobs, and then are laid off from those jobs as well. He believes that it is time that Michigan’s unemployment laws recognize that all workers contribute to the economy and deserve unemployment benefits.
According to recent figures released by the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, Michigan’s unemployment rate jumped 1.2 percentage points in May, making Michigan’s unemployment rate 14.1 percent, the highest in the nation. Michigan has lost 121,000 manufacturing jobs since the beginning of the year and many unemployed workers do not even show up on the unemployment rolls anymore because they have exhausted existing benefits.
Michigan Senate Democrats recently launched a website calling for action on this plan that eleven other states have already approved to receive the funding allocated to them. The site, www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/helpmiworkers, encourages visitors to sign a petition and contact Republican Senators to demand support for the legislation.
To read the press release on this issue go to http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1376.
SENATOR HUNTER JOINS FIGHT TO SAVE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
Senator Hunter and his Senate Democratic colleagues tried to protect essential funding this week for programs that educate the state’s workforce and diversify Michigan’s economy as Senate Republicans slashed scholarships and grants for higher education. The Senate Republicans’ most severe move was to cut all funding for the Michigan Promise Grants program except for a $100 placeholder for the statewide scholarships.
Senate Republicans introduced and passed their versions of the Community College, Department of Education, and Higher Education budgets. They included significant cuts that undermine Michigan’s ability to prepare students for the economy of the future, and Senate Democrats sought to combat them with amendments that would:
• Protect funding for the Michigan Promise Grants program that offers $4,000 scholarships to qualified high school and college students to pursue a college education.
• Restore $89.8 million for the Michigan College Access Grants and other state-funded scholarship programs that Michigan families depend on to send their kids to college.
• Preserve $1.9 million in nursing grant money to help train students for nursing jobs--one of the few growing fields in the state.
• Restore renaissance zone reimbursement funding that returns local dollars that are mandated for community colleges as part of the Community College budget.
The health care and nursing fields are one of the few industries that are growing in Michigan. Senate Republican cuts to these programs are making it increasingly difficult to retain Michigan workers and attract new workers to the state. To read the press release on this issue go to http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1371.
SENATE DEMOCRATS FIGHT FOR VITAL SERVICES FOR MICHIGAN’S STRUGGLING WORKERS AND FAMILIES
Senator Hunter joined his Democratic colleagues recently and fought against drastic cuts to the Department of Human Services budget. The cuts, introduced by Senate Republicans, would deplete funding for child care and early childhood education and important support services for struggling workers and their families. Senate Democrats introduced eight amendments to restore funding for vital programs, all of which were defeated on a party line vote.
The funding that Democrats tried to restore would have helped save programs that help Michigan families with clothing, shelter and food, and would have saved programs that assist those looking for work with training and support services. More than 20% of Michigan's population now gets some form of assistance from the Department of Human Services (DHS). DHS caseloads are overwhelming, having gone from just over 300 per worker to almost 600 per worker in the current year. Unemployment levels continue to rise significantly, recently reaching over 14 %, and about 90,000 people are expected to lose their unemployment benefits by the end of this year.
Senate Democrats sought to protect some of the most important initiatives supported by the Department of Human Services budget, including:
• Restoring $13.5 million to train laid off workers for the new economy jobs and to fund clothing, transportation, and other support for people looking for jobs. This program would help people get off of assistance and get back in to the workforce.
• Protecting for Local Office Emergency Funds that help keep children in their homes and assist families in paying their bills, especially as unemployment funds begin to run out on tens of thousands of residents.
• Restoring almost $54 million to avoid severe cuts to child care, before and after school programs, and early childhood education programs, which make it harder for parents to find steady work and endangers early education opportunities that have proven critical to a child’s development and ultimate success. These cuts also jeopardize $58 million in federal stimulus and another $200 million in federal funding that support these DHS services.
• Fighting for $29 million to provide $14 per month to assist disabled individuals living independently with the costs associated with paying rent, buying food and purchasing medical supplies.
• Restoring $3.9 million to continue the Clothing Allowance at $75 per child per year to allow families to provide for their children.
• Preserving funding to avoid laying off 100 DHS workers and upholding FIP grant funding to offer modest support for Michigan’s most vulnerable families.
To read the release on this budget go to http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1364.
SENATE DEMOCRATS FIGHT TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY, CREATE MUCH-NEEDED JOBS
Senate Democrats voted in opposition recently to the Senate Republicans’ proposal to cut $20.55 million from the 21st Century Jobs Fund and 12% from local revenue sharing as part of the General Government budget. The 21st Century Jobs Fund helps entrepreneurs start small businesses, fund scientific research, support alternative energy development, and promote collaborative partnerships among growing industries. Our cities, townships and counties rely heavily on local revenue sharing funding for public safety and infrastructure improvements.
Senate Democrats fought against the severe cuts in the General Government budget unveiled by Senate Republicans last week. Senate Republicans slashed funding to the 21st Century Jobs Fund by $20.55 million, and a Democratic sponsored amendment was offered to restore that funding to $52.95 million, which is the amount of funding allotted after the Governor’s Executive Order cuts. This funding is essential to diversifying Michigan’s economy and creating thousands of new jobs in Michigan, but the amendment was voted down by the Senate Republican Majority.
Senate Democrats also opposed the Republican-led 12% cut to local revenue sharing. This is revenue distributed to local communities for local police, firefighters, water systems, road maintenance and other vital services. The Legislature has already cut billions in local revenue sharing over the past few years, and many of these communities are already feeling the effects of this difficult economy through job losses and foreclosed homes. Senate Democrats sought to amend the General Government budget to secure vital funding for local communities, but that effort also failed at the hands of the Senate Republican Majority.
To read the press release on this issue visit the website at
http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1359.
STATE WARNS UNEMPLOYED WORKERS TO AVOID SCAM UNEMPLOYMENT WEBSITES
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is warning unemployed workers against using websites that charge fees to file their unemployment benefits claims. Officials also are telling workers to be wary of e-mails from websites that offer to set up direct deposit accounts for unemployment benefits. The UIA does not charge any fees to those filing claims for unemployment benefits, and it already offers direct deposit and debit cards as payment options for benefit payments.
The only website unemployed workers should use is the site that belongs to the state's Unemployment Insurance Agency at www.michigan.gov/uia. The agency is aware of at least one website that is offering a pre-paid Visa card for those who have their unemployment benefit payments directly deposited onto the card. Michigan’s website is fee free, and the state works closely with the well-know Chase Bank, which administers the direct deposit and debit card payment options. These filing sites show up when an individual searches for information on how to file for unemployment benefits, and charge up to $20 to file an individual's unemployment claim. Many of these unofficial and fraudulent sites look official and may have a ".us" domain in their web add ress. Using these sites can delay a person's benefits and also puts the user at risk for identity theft. Unemployed workers should never enter their personal information for unemployment benefits onto a non-state-sponsored website.
MAYOR PARTNERS WITH STATE TO HELP UNEMPLOYED WORKERS RETRAIN
Mayor Dave Bing and the Detroit Workforce Development Department have partnered to offer unemployed workers tuition assistance through the state’s No Worker Left Behind Program. Applicants who qualify could receive up to $10,000 in tuition assistance over two years at any Michigan community college, university or other approved training program for high-demand, high-growth jobs. The scholarships are offered to those who have been laid off in the last 18 months.
For more information, contact the Detroit Workforce Development Department (DWDD) today: call (313) 962-WORK (9675), or go to the website at:
http://www.detroitmi.gov/Departments/CommunicationsandCreativeServices/NewsReleases/tabid/576/ctl/Details/mid/1362/Default.aspx?NewsArticleId=580#1362.
DETROIT POLICE ANNOUNCE NEW COMMUNITY SAFETY INITIATIVE
The Detroit Police Department is launching its secure Web-based safety notification system called the Alert Network. This innovative crime prevention tool is an e-version of a neighborhood watch. The Network Alert will keep citizens updated on crime trends, missing persons, description of wanted persons, crime prevention tips, as well as additional alerts pertaining to businesses and the communities’ safety.
The Detroit Police Department’s Alert Network is designed to inform citizens through e-mails, text messages and Web-published public safety notifications. This new initiative will also enable the public to view alerts via Google Maps from the comfort of their homes or anywhere internet service is available. Citizens will be able to respond to law enforcement’s alerts anonymously by submitting tips that may assist in the prevention of a crime and /or apprehension of a wanted individual.
Citizens interested in signing up for the Alert Network, should go to the Detroit Police Department’s Web site at http://www.detroitmi.gov/police/. For additional information, please contact the Office of Public Information at 313-596-2200
HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM HELP HOMEOWNERS WITH WEATHERIZATION AND IMPROVEMENTS
Help with weatherization projects is available for qualified homeowners through the Community Development Block Grant Program, a federally funded Housing and Urban Development funded program offered through Wayne County. The program offers emergency and non-emergency assistance to homeowners. Residents who qualify (income eligibility guidelines apply) may obtain assistance for roof repairs, furnace replacement, plumbing repair and more. The cost of the repairs are placed in the form of a lien against the property which is payable upon sale or transfer of the property with zero interest. Eligible homeowners must be identified on the deed and all city taxes must be paid. Funding is limited. For more information visit the website at http://www.waynecounty.com/mygovt/edge/commdev/CommDevBlockGrant.aspx.
The Property Improvement Program (PIP) is a Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) funded low interest loan program. Interest rates vary between four and eight percent. This program is available for single-family homeowners as well as landlords who rent to low-to-moderate income tenants. Eligible homeowners may borrow up to $50,000 and eligible landlords may borrow up to $25,000 per unit with a maximum outstanding limit of $100,000 per borrower. Eligible homeowners may spread repayment over 20 years. For more information visit the website at http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607,7-141-49317_49323-187374--,00.html.
STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS CAN HELP WITH JOB SEARCH AND FAMILY NEEDS
The Chrysler and General Motors bankruptcies have made a tough job situation even harder for our community. Because many people have had steady work over the years, they don’t necessarily know much about the programs that exist to help if they do lose their job.
There are many state and local programs out there that can help with a job search, job training, resume writing, and also with household expenses and mortgages. For information on programs that serve job seekers and their families in the Fifth Senate District please visit my website at http://www.senate.mi.gov/hunter/enews.php?page=3.
LIBRARIES SPONSOR PROGRAM TO HELP CHILDREN START SAVING FOR COLLEGE
All across Michigan, libraries are helping children be creative at their library with programs and events. Get Creative @ Saving for College gives parents a chance to win $1,500 that can be used toward their child's college education!
Here's how it works:
1. Sign up your child for the BE Creative @ Your Library summer reading program.
2. Fill out the entry card and return it to your librarian for the grand prize drawing of $1,500 that can be used toward your child's college tuition.
3. If your child wins a grand prize, your library will also win $1,000.
REMEMBER TO VOTE AUGUST 4
Remember to cast your ballot in the Tuesday, August 4 primary election. To find out more about elections in your community, visit the Secretary of State website at www.Michigan.gov/sos or check with your county clerk’s office. The Michigan Voter Information Center is another helpful resource. It helps you determine whether you’re registered to vote and it will direct you to your polling location. The website is www.Michigan.gov/vote.
The deadline for registering to vote in this election is Tuesday, July 7. Voters who need to have their absentee ballot mailed to them must apply no later than 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 1. Absentee ballots can be obtained in person anytime through 4 p.m. on Monday, August 3.
Please remember that Michigan has a voter identification requirement. You will be asked to present photo ID at the polls, such as a Michigan driver’s license or identification card. If you do not have an acceptable form of photo ID or didn’t bring it with you, you can still vote. You will just need to sign a brief affidavit stating that you’re not in possession of a photo ID. Your ballot will be included with all others and counted on Election Day.
FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS!
Kids throughout Michigan can enjoy free healthy meals this summer thanks to the Summer Food Service Program. Administered by the Michigan Department of Education, this federally-funded program fills the summer hunger gap for thousands of Michigan children. Last year, around 69,000 kids ate free meals or snacks at approved summer food program sites in their neighborhoods.
Research shows a direct relationship between good nutrition and learning. The Summer Food Service Program is a key building block in Michigan communities to develop healthy, happy kids who are ready to learn.
The Summer Food Service Program is targeted to all children up to age 18 living in eligible communities. To find the Summer Food Service Program site nearest you, log on to www.michigan.gov/sfsp and contact one of the 199 sponsors throughout the state for the dates, times, and locations of their free summer meals for kids.
The Summer Food Service Program, administered by the Michigan Department of Education through funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is available to children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
FORECLOSURE HELP AVAILABLE FOR DETROIT AREA RESIDENTS
The Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation offers Free Foreclosure Prevention Assistance. Call 313-841-9641 to make an appointment with a specially trained foreclosure assistance counselor. Counseling is available at several locations in Detroit. Additional information and application packets are available at Joy-Southfield Health and Education Center located at 18917 Joy Rd., Detroit, MI 48288.
“TALK TIME WITH TUPAC” COFFEE HOUR TIMES & LOCATIONS
Please Note: The July 3 Detroit Coffee Hour at Mary’s Grill is cancelled due to the July 4 holiday weekend.
Detroit Coffee Hour: Every First Friday, 10 - 11 a.m.
Mary's Grill, 20804 Plymouth Road
Dearborn Heights Coffee Hour: Every Third Friday, 10 - 11 a.m.
McDonald’s, 6412 North Telegraph Road
Inkster Coffee Hour: Every Second Friday, 10 - 11 a.m.
McDonald’s, 27125 Cherry Hill Road
You are invited to attend whichever coffee hours work best for your schedule. If you are interested in joining me, please call my office toll-free at 1-866-262-7305 in order to confirm your attendance. Please be sure to leave a message if you call after hours.
