Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! It is and continues to be a privilege to represent Livonia, Redford Township and Detroit, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in Lansing. I encourage you to stay up to date on what is going on in Lansing and continue to let me know about the issues that matter to you.
If there is anything I can do to help you and your family, please do not hesitate to call my office at (517) 373-1530, or email me at LauriePohutsky@house.mi.gov. You can also catch me on Facebook.
Legislative Update
Vote Post
Follow this link to see what we voted on over the last couple of weeks. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at (517) 373-1530 or LauriePohutsky@house.mi.gov.
Constituent Resources
UIA Claimant Alert
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has issued a warning about thieves stealing benefits from jobless workers. The criminals illicitly gain access to cell phones and then use the stolen personal data to change banking information.
Once a thief has mirrored a victim’s cell phone, they can read email notifications, get into financial accounts, or change information such as bank routing numbers. In the case of unemployment claims, just before a worker must certify for biweekly jobless benefits, criminals will change direct deposit information to a bank account they control. Money is then automatically sent to the criminal’s account instead of the bank the worker uses. While anyone can be a victim of mirroring, security experts say older phones running an outdated version of Android software may be most vulnerable to criminal activity.
When UIA fraud investigators notice bank routing information on a Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account has been changed to an online banking app or a bank that does not have branches in Michigan — both tip-offs to criminal activity — they alert the claimant to verify the change is legitimate.
UIA offers these tips to protect banking and personal information:
- Every time you certify for benefits, verify the banking information that you entered when you filed your claim.
- Do not click on links in texts or emails from unknown sources. If you get an email purporting to be from UIA, contact the agency to confirm its validity.
- Change your MiWAM account password, using a strong combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numerals and special characters.
- Find information and resources about fighting fraud at UIA’s official public website at Michigan.gov/UIA.
- Closely monitor bank statements for any suspicious transactions or withdrawals.
- Watch for unusual activity on your phone or added charges on your bill. If data usage goes up or your battery drains much more quickly, it could be a sign that someone has access to your phone.
- Look for and delete any phone apps you did not download.
- Make sure phones and laptops have the latest security updates installed.
If you believe you are the victim of fraud or identity theft, you can report it through your MiWAM account or call UIA’s Customer Service hotline at (866) 500-0017.
Michigan Department of Education: Summer Meal Programs
Michigan children will have access to healthy food all summer, even as they are on summer break from school.
The Summer Food Service Program provides free, nutritious meals to low-income children via a congregate meal service at locations within local communities across Michigan. In eligible locations where congregate meal service sites are not available, families can participate in the Rural Non-Congregate Summer Food Service Program. Non-congregate meal service is a food service in which meals are made available for children to enjoy in non-group settings. Non-congregate meal service may be operated only at sites designated as rural and with no congregate meal service.
To find a Summer Food Service Program site in their community, people can visit the Meet Up and Eat Up locator map at www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup. All information, including meal service times and serving dates, will be available once school is out for summer recess. The locator map website is updated regularly throughout the summer months.
For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, go to www.michigan.gov/sfsp. For more information about how to help with Meet Up and Eat Up this summer, contact the Michigan Department of Education at (517) 241-5374 or mde-sfsp@michigan.gov.
Community Update
Protect Your Crown
Detroit City Council President Pro Tem James Tate is launching “Protect Your Crown,” a campaign alongside the Mayor’s Office and the Health Department, that highlights the importance of maintaining one’s overall mental health and addressing any concerns without shame or fear.
There is a clear call for help from residents when it comes to mental health. Mental health challenges do not discriminate, whether by age, gender or neighborhood. The best way to understand what is happening in our communities is to hear directly from them. The Community Mental Health Attitudes Survey is the city’s first online mental health data tool built on resident participation. This will help lay the foundation of what resources, programming and advocacy Detroiters want and can benefit from.
The city encourages folks to take the survey here and to share it with friends and family. The Community Mental Health Attitudes survey has been designed alongside the Health Department to be short and confidential.
Detroit Senior Citizen Solid Waste Discount Information
New for the 2024 tax year, Detroit homeowners who are at least 65 years old and have a Principal Residence Exemption on file may be eligible for a discount. The solid waste fee is $250. Qualifying seniors will receive a discount of $125. If you continue to own and occupy the home, you do not need to reapply each year.
Instructions
You can file the Senior Citizen Application for Solid Waste Discount with the Detroit Treasurer’s Office. You must file your request for a discount between July 1 and Sept. 15.
- Email: Please send completed application and supporting documents to DTSC@detroitmi.gov.
- In person or by mail: Visit or mail to the Detroit Taxpayer Center, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Suite 130.
What You Will Need
Along with the application, please provide a copy of the following:
- Proof of your identity, address and age (valid driver’s license, passport or other government-issued photo ID).
Filing this form is voluntary. The discount will not be processed unless the form has been filed. The Treasurer’s Office may require additional documentation to verify your claim. You can find a copy of the application here.
Events
Coffee Hours
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I hope you can join me for one of my upcoming coffee hours! I look forward to having an informal conversation with you about the issues families face in our community. I host two coffee hours a month, one in-person and one virtual. The location for in-person coffee hours will rotate throughout the year between Livonia, Redford Township, and Detroit. My in-person June Coffee Hour will be in Redford Township at Michno’s Cafe (25524 Five Mile Road, Redford, MI 48239). You can join the livestream for my virtual coffee hours on my Facebook page.
In-Person: Sunday, June 2, from 2-3 p.m.
Virtual: Monday, June 17, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Never hesitate to reach out to me or my staff, if you have any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Laurie Pohutsky
Speaker Pro Tempore
17th House District