LANSING — Today, the House Appropriations Committee approved House Bill 5901 extending the sunset on funding for the Statewide Trauma System. State Rep. Henry Yanez (D-Sterling Heights), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, voted no on the bill and issued the following statement:
“I voted no today on HB 5901, a bill that extends the sunset on funding for the Statewide Trauma System. As a former firefighter and paramedic, I understand that a fully funded trauma system is critical to our state, unfortunately this legislation is another example of leadership in Lansing kicking the can down the road. Trauma is the number one cause of death for many Michiganders, yet this legislation only provides short-term answers to long-term problems. A strong trauma response system enables our communities and hospitals to coordinate care, reducing the incidence and severity of traumatic injuries and ensuring that patients get the right care in the right hospital, at the right time. That is why I introduced HB 5459, which eliminates the sunset entirely and ensures that our trauma system is properly funded for years to come.”