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Dear Neighbors and Friends, Happy August! This summer has flown by, and soon our children will be heading back to school, and the Legislature will be back in session. The break has been a great opportunity for my staff and me to get out into House District 10 and hear from many of you personally through canvassing, community events, cleanups and more! As we gear up for the fall, I carry your priorities and concerns to Lansing so I can fight for our community. Between rising cases of COVID-19 and the devastating floods of last month, my top priority in office is helping my constituents persevere through these tough times. As your state representative, I am the most effective when acting on your input. I encourage you to reach out to my office with any concerns, questions or comments you may have. Not only can you reach out to my office for help, but if you’d like to highlight a small business, community activist or just an incredible resident of HD10, I would love to feature them in our e-news, Community Conversation, social media pages and more! You can contact me by phone at (517) 373-0857, by email at MaryCavanagh@house.mi.gov or by visiting my website. With gratitude, Mary Cavanagh State Representative House District 10 (Redford Twp. & NW Detroit)
Upcoming Events Community Conversation
The NEXT Cavanagh Community Conversation will be live on Facebook on AUG. 30 @ 6 p.m! I will be joined by special guest Rep. Joe Tate, the Democratic vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He will be presenting the latest updates on the state budget and answering your questions on where the state is appropriating federal relief money. You don’t want to miss this one! We are moving our monthly Community Conversations from the 3rd Monday to the 4th Monday of the month, so please mark your calendars, every fourth Monday from 6-7 p.m, as I host HD10’s Community Conversations, to check in with me about what is going on in Lansing. Legislative Update HOUSE PASSES OPTION FOR 2-YEAR VEHICLE REGISTRATION The House passed HB 4026 and 4117, which provides the option for Michigan residents to apply for two-year recreation passports and vehicle registrations instead of the traditional yearly renewal. I was proud to vote YES on both bills, which received overwhelming bipartisan support. These bills offer common-sense, creative solutions to alleviate the heavy workload currently facing SOS branch office staff with added convenience for Michigan drivers. DACA PROGRAM IN JEOPARDY What is DACA?
Why is the program in danger?
What is being done?
SUPPLEMENTAL FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ENDING SEPT. 4 The federal program providing an additional unemployment benefit of $300 per week to Michigan residents who lost their jobs during the pandemic is set to expire on Sept. 4.
Unemployment Updates REPAYMENT REQUIREMENTS WAIVED The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced last month that anyone who applied in good faith to receive PUA will not have to repay their benefits.
STATUS UPDATE ON PROTEST PROCESS If you have filed a protest against a decision made by the UIA about receiving benefits, the agency has estimated that the protest process will take several months. While you await the results of the protest, be sure to assemble as much additional documentation as possible. At this time, protests are being handled in the order they were received and cannot be expedited or flagged. CUSTOMER SERVICE AVAILABILITY Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) Offices are OPEN to appointments. Each appointment slot is 15 minutes and may be scheduled up to a week in advance. Appointments are available from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Customers must schedule an appointment online to be seen by a UIA representative. To schedule an in-person appointment, visit Michigan.gov/uia and click on Schedule an Appointment. Resources Still need a COVID-19 Vaccine? Please find your shot at Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine. FLOOD ASSISTANCE
If your home or business was impacted by the recent flooding, several programs are available to assist you. In addition to the programs offered by FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA), Gov. Whitmer recently approved an additional $10 million for anyone whose claim was denied by FEMA or SBA or who still needs further assistance. To be eligible for these funds, residents must make a claim through FEMA or SBA first. Apply for FEMA relief at disasterassistance.gov or by calling (800) 621-3362. Applications for disaster loans through SBA are found at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/. For more information about local resources, please dial 2-1-1. Wayne and Washtenaw County residents can apply for emergency assistance from FEMA, the SBA and MDHHS at any of the four Disaster Recovery Centers in Wayne County. These Disaster Recovery Centers are staffed with representatives from all three agencies to answer questions you have about the relief process and are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Disaster Recovery Centers in SE Michigan Henry Ford Centennial Library 16301 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn Eton Senior Recreation Center 4900 Pardee Ave. in Dearborn Heights Kemeny Recreation Center 2260 S. Fort St. in Detroit Maplewood Community Center 31735 Maplewood St. in Garden City If you have not done so already, you should document your losses with photos of the flood damage and keep receipts related to cleaning out your basement and repairs. If you have insurance, you should file a claim with your insurance company immediately. Please contact my office if you need assistance cleaning up the damages. Community Update
I was honored to award tributes to four officers of the Redford Township Police Department as they were sworn in to their new ranks at Redford Night Out on Aug. 3. Join me in congratulating Lt. Jennifer Mansfield, Lt. Mike Cracchiolo, Sgt. Emily Fitzsimmons and Sgt. Michelle Crandall on their promotions! We are so thankful for your dedication to protecting and defending our community.
Expungement Event On April 11, new legislation took effect that more than doubled the number of those eligible for expungement. To help prepare those who qualify, the Detroit Caucus hosted an expungement event on Saturday, Aug. 21. Free consultations were available to low-income residents, and the event was staffed by attorneys who prepared participants for the expungement process. The event also honored the late Rep. Isaac Robinson, who passed away last year. Helping people get their fresh start was a beautiful way to honor his memory, and I am so thankful to all of the volunteers, staff and participants who made this event a success. Special shoutout to Attorney General Dana Nessel for stopping by! Guardians of HD 10 Earlier this month, we launched the Facebook group for Guardians of HD10! This is a group for residents, community activists, leaders and business owners of House District 10 who are passionate about improving our community. It’s a place for conversation, brainstorming, collaboration and creativity, where all are welcome to find their voice as we shape our “House District” into a “Home District.” Above all, this group is a commitment among neighbors to be the change we want to see in Northwest Detroit and Redford. Join our private group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1314030308999893. Anti-Gun Violence Rally at O’Hair Park Join the CWR Community Help Center at their rally to end gun violence this Sunday, Aug. 29, from 3-6 p.m. at O’Hair Park! The rally will also feature a back-to-school backpack drive, where they are collecting school supplies and basic hygiene items for kids as they begin the school year. This rally is meant to build a sense of community, inspire hope, offer encouragement and spread the CWR’s message of gun violence prevention. There will be speakers, resources, food and fellowship! The event will take place on the Vassar side of O’Hair Park at 29500 Pembrook Ave. in Detroit. Redford Farmers Market Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, please stop by 15145 Beech Daly in Redford to support small and local businesses. They have amazing fresh fruit and vegetables plus a very friendly atmosphere, paw-friends included! You never know who you might see. For more information, follow them on Facebook @Redfordmarketatthemarquee. I Want to Hear from You! During this challenging time, it is more important than ever to stay in touch. I want to hear from you! My office is here to assist you or answer any questions you may have. Please look out for my team and I on the streets in the months of August and September! We are going door-to-door for check-ins, resources and to hear straight from HD10 on priorities and what our community needs. In addition, please don’t hesitate to reach me via email at MaryCavanagh@house.mi.gov. You can also stay up-to-date about what’s going on in Lansing and find community events by following me on social media. You can ‘like’ my Facebook page here. I hope you found this information useful and look out for the next newsletter coming out in September! Again, feel free to contact my office if we can ever be of any assistance. |
