Hello from Lansing,
This week, my first bill was passed by the House of Representatives! Also this week, the governor signed firearm safety legislation into law, I spoke at a health care advocacy day, and I got a chance to visit with the University of Michigan’s Survival Flight in Lansing.
As always, you can contact my team via email at CarrieRheingans@house.mi.gov or by phone at (517) 373-8835 with any questions, comments or concerns.
In Service,
Carrie Rheingans
State Representative
House District 47
House Bill 4125 Passed by the House of Representatives
After being unanimously voted out of the House Judiciary Committee on April 19, HB 4125, with its companion bills HBs 4120, 4121, 4122, 4123 and 4124, were passed by the House of Representatives this Wednesday. My bill, HB 4125, passed with 97 votes in its favor.
As part of a bill package addressing sexual misconduct in educational settings, my bill prevents schools from expelling a student who reports being a victim of sexual assault.
These bills have been transmitted to the Senate and will most likely be referred to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.
Extreme Risk Protection Orders Signed into Law
On Monday, Gov. Whitmer signed extreme risk protection order (ERPO) bills into law. The bills, HBs 4146, 4147 and 4148, and Senate Bill 83, were introduced by state Reps. Kelly Breen, Julie Brixie and Stephanie Young and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
The enacted legislation allows specified individuals — law enforcement or an immediate family member — to file an action requesting a circuit court enter an ERPO. HB 4146 would prohibit an individual subject to an ERPO from qualifying for a pistol license and a concealed pistol license, and the other two bills would add sentencing guidelines for felonies proposed under the ERPO Act and exempt the serving of an ERPO from specified service requirements.
These bills allow a family member to step up to keep firearms from the hands of individuals that may harm themselves or others. Since more than half of firearm deaths in Michigan are suicides, I am glad we will have another tool to reduce these deaths when these laws go into effect in early 2024.
Multiple Sclerosis Advocacy Day
On Wednesday, I had the honor of addressing Michigan residents who were in Lansing with the Multiple Sclerosis Society on their advocacy day.
 |
As I told the members present, my passion for healthcare began when I was studying HIV at the University of Michigan. While studying HIV, I began to realize that the pattern for those who were suffering from HIV mirrored disparities found in public policy. The more a group was excluded or ignored by public policy, the more likely the disease was to be prevalent.
This realization caused me to apply for a position in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, where I could work with experts to alleviate disparities in public health.
Once I was at the department, it became clear that Michigan’s elected officials were not using historical health data to make public health decisions on behalf of Michigan residents. If they were, they would have come to drastically different outcomes than the ones that were chosen.
I ran for this office and became the single member of the Legislature with a master’s in public health. I hope we can ensure that public health policies reflect public health realities. It is people like the members of the Multiple Sclerosis Society that help advocate for better, patient-first policies that make such a large difference in the legislature.
University of Michigan Survival Flight Visit in Lansing
On Wednesday, the University of Michigan Survival Flight came to Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital to host legislators and staff on an up-close tour of one of their helicopters.
I was joined by state Rep. Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) as we went up to Sparrow’s helipad to speak to Sparrow Hospital’s leadership on the regional significance of programs like these. If you are a longtime resident of the 47th house district, I am sure you have seen at least one of the three university helicopters.
 |
Survival Flight helicopters fly at an average speed of 175 miles per hour and serve an air mile radius around Ann Arbor of about 350 nautical miles, which is about 403 miles. If their services are needed farther than that, they operate a small jet aircraft to reach destinations as far away as Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean! |
Survival Flight helicopters are capable of carrying a patient and a small medical crew, with whom we got to speak with as well.
And yes, they did let us go inside!
 |
 |
 |
Next Constituent Contact Meeting
My next constituent coffee hour will be hosted on Monday, June 5, from 9-10 a.m., at the Dexter Senior Center (located at 7720 Ann Arbor St., Dexter, MI 48130).
 |
I will be hosting a constituent happy hour on Friday, June 23, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Dexter Pub (located at 8114 Main St., Dexter, MI 48130).
Social Media Accounts
I am active on the following platforms:
Please follow me for behind-the-scenes perspectives on the happenings in the legislature.