Greetings Neighbors,
Happy Spring! I hope you have all had an opportunity to enjoy some sunshine in the recent weeks. We have been busy at the state Capitol, moving critical legislation on the health, safety and well-being of our state and communities. As we move into the state budget cycle, I want you to know that I keep your best interests at heart with every decision I make. We are here in Lansing working for you, the people.
Respectfully,
Rep. Kimberly L. Edwards
House District 12
Announcements
Community Events
In March, I was honored to host my first community events as state representative. These included a Community Conversation coffee hour and the town hall called “The Stigma.” The panelists for this event were insightful, and their words were moving. Our special guests, Faith Brown; Dr. Shaun Cooper; Kevin Fisher, director of Michigan’s Chapter for National Alliance Against Mental Illness and founder of Everybody vs. Stigma; Miracle Nored, founder of Building Beyond Barriers; and LWSC Community Circle all shared important perspectives, insights, and stories of their own struggles with mental illness. I am excited to continue with these events and invite you to join. I hope you’ll also consider stopping in for one of my coffee hours.
Events we will be holding in April include “The Stigma” on Monday, April 17, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center, 14061 Lappin St. in Detroit. April’s meeting is going to focus on the mental health of elderly populations and their caregivers.
There will be one Community Conversation coffee hour on Friday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to noon. at Tim Hortons, 17210 E. 9 Mile Road in Eastpointe. Please come with any questions or concerns you may have or to chat over a cup of coffee.
Legislative Update
In March, I sponsored a bill in two different bill packages alongside several of my colleagues to fight for the rights of Michiganders. I sponsored House Bill 4297 as part of a bill package introduced by Rep. Kara Hope and Sen. Sarah Anthony. This bill package will make all types of child marriage illegal. Currently, Michigan law does not have an age limit on how young a child can be to be married, as long as they have permission from a parent and a judge. This has led to over 5,000 child marriages since 2000, most of them being between 12- to14-year-old girls and older males. I am excited to co-sponsor this bill to protect our children from those who would use our state as a tourist destination for child marriages.
The other bill package I took part in was to make a pilot program that the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) already runs permanent. The program guarantees re-entering populations the opportunity to receive a photo ID or a driver’s license before leaving the system. This is important because often, not having the appropriate documentation upon re-entry can be severely restricting during an already disorienting process. These bills would create a solid and codified pathway through which MDOC, alongside the Michigan Department of State, would continue to provide these critical documents to our formerly-incarcerated population. Michigan Legislature – House Bill 4193 (2023)
Contact Information
Representative Contact Information:
Office Phone: (517) 373-0852
Email: KimberlyEdwards@house.mi.gov
Website: Rep. Kimberly L. Edwards – housedems.com
Resources
St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center 14061 Lappin St., Detroit, MI 48205, (313) 535-9200, children and adult educational services. Several volunteer opportunities are available.
Taxes
The tax filing deadline is April 18. Please feel free to contact my office if you have any difficulties receiving your Michigan income tax refund. E-file returns take approximately two weeks and paper returns take about eight weeks to process. You may check the status of your refund by using the Michigan Department of Treasury’s eServices page list here. If you have an issue with the IRS, please seek out assistance with your congressperson — which will be either the office of Congressman John James – (586) 498-7122 or the office of Congressman Shri Thanedar – (313) 880-2400.
Mental Health
Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network 24 Hour Helpline: (800) 241-4949
Home Page: dwihn.org
Macomb County Community Mental Health 24 Hour Helpline: (586) 307-9100, MCCMH: Macomb County Community Mental Health
Wayne County 11,000 to Zero in 2009
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s office discovered 11,341 untested rape kits dating from 1984-2009. With state funding through the Department of Justice, the prosecutor’s office was able to run all of the test kits. For more information or to find out the status of your case, please go to this link or call (313) 224-4111, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.