Dear Neighbor,

I would like to invite you to my upcoming coffee hour, Friday, Aug. 27, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. These events provide an excellent opportunity to receive updates on my work at the Capitol and discuss any other questions or concerns you may have.

We have begun to meet in-person, and this month’s Coffee with Christine will be held at the Portage Senior Center located at 320 Library Lane.

**Due to construction at the Portage District Library, the Currier Drive entrance to the parking lot is closed. When driving to the Portage Senior Center, please access the parking lot via Library Lane.**

This month I will also host “Mingle with Morse.” This virtual happy hour is held once a month on Wednesday evenings for those who are unable to join my Friday coffee hours. This month, we will meet via Zoom and Facebook Live on Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 6-7 p.m.

To sign up for this event, click here.

COVID-19 Update

As the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to surge, community members are encouraged to get vaccinated and take precautions. Last week, Gov. Whitmer said the state of Michigan will defer to local municipalities and school districts on mask mandates moving forward.

If you’re eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, go to the Kalamazoo County Health Department’s website to learn more or check out other vaccination sites. If you need help navigating the vaccine scheduling process, call the COVID-19 hotline at (888) 535-6136 (press 1).

MI Shot to Win

The State of Michigan, along with Meijer and the Michigan Association of United Ways, have created a sweepstakes where vaccinated Michiganders can win up to $2 million.

Feeling lucky? Submit your information here for a chance to win!

Know Your Rights: Expungement Town Hall

State Rep. Julie Rogers and state Sen. Sean McCann joined me as special guests at my town hall on Michigan’s Clean Slate Act expanding criminal expungement eligibility. We were honored to have Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with a team of dedicated experts, join us to help inform our community.

If you were unable to attend, you can view this recording of the event.

If you believe you may be eligible for expungement, contact Michigan Works! Southwest at (800) 285-WORKS (9675) or complete the form below for further assistance.

Clean Slate | Michigan Works! Southwest (michiganworkssouthwest.org)

Unemployment Insurance

Updates:

Following recent U.S Department of Labor guidance, the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has changed the qualifications necessary to receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). UIA is now required to reevaluate people’s eligibility based on a new list of approved reasons. There are four reasons that no longer qualify, and claimants who selected one of those reasons during certification will need to go back and reestablish their eligibility for PUA.

If you received the letter “Notice of Expanded Eligibility Reasons for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ” and have been paid PUA benefits, you must submit a new reason (“self-attestation”) for unemployment within 20 days in order to continue to be eligible for those benefits.

To resubmit your self-attestation, log into your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) and click on the “Requalify for PUA” link under the Alerts tab. When providing your self-attestation, you can select more than one COVID-19 related reason. Select as many reasons as apply to your situation. Do not select reasons that do not directly apply to you.

Need an Appointment?

You may schedule an in-person, phone or virtual appointment to speak with a UIA representative.

Schedule a PHONE APPOINTMENT

Customers can schedule a phone appointment for the following issues:

  • I filed under the wrong Social Security Number.
  • My claim is inactive.
  • I am unable to certify for all weeks needed.
  • I need to file a claim, but one is already filed in my name.
  • I do not have the link in MiWAM to file a claim.

Schedule a VIRTUAL APPOINTMENT

You will receive an email with a link to join a video call on Google Meet on your appointment date. You will need to have a Gmail account to join from a mobile device. You do not need to have a Gmail account to join from a computer. Virtual appointments may be scheduled for the following issues:

  • I filed under the wrong Social Security Number.
  • My claim is inactive.
  • I am unable to certify for all weeks needed.
  • I need to file a claim, but one is already filed in my name.
  • I do not have the link in MiWAM to file a claim.

Schedule your appointment here.

Legislative Updates

Unlock Michigan

Although the July 1, deadline for Michigan’s fiscal year 2022 Budget has come and gone, Republicans called the Legislature back to session to vote on the Unlock Michigan petition. Back in December 2020, the House voted on Senate Bill 857, which would have repealed the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945. All Democratic members present voted no, and while it did pass the House, the governor vetoed it.

Unlock Michigan is a ballot initiative designed to be decided upon by Michigan voters, however as is allowed under Michigan law, it made its way to the House Floor in mid-July. With this petition, the Legislature repealed the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 without Gov. Whitmer having the ability to veto.

The law Unlock Michigan sought to remove had already been ruled invalid by the Michigan Supreme Court. 

I voted no because given the law had already been found unconstitutional, this was a wasted effort that means nothing for Michiganders. We could be doing what the people of Michigan sent us to Lansing to do and focusing on things like passing a final budget, vaccine distribution and providing flood relief, but instead, Republicans have chosen to continue to play political games.

Helpful Resources

Assistance for Renters and Landlords:

If you’re a renter having trouble paying your rent, utilities or other housing costs — or if you’re a landlord trying to stay afloat with tenants in this situation — help may be available. State and local programs are distributing billions of dollars in rental assistance to help renters stay housed during the pandemic.

Visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Rental Assistance Finder to find out what this means for you and what you can do. The CFPB’s site also includes resources to help renters and landlords understand other resources to help navigate various financial hardships related to the pandemic.

Volunteer With Team Morse!

My staff and I are starting to knock doors and make phone calls to check in on the House District 61 community and learn about their concerns and top priorities. Can you join us this summer?

If you are interested in volunteering with my office to help us connect with constituents, sign up here.

We’d love for you to join us!

Sincerely,

Christine Morse

State Representative, 61st House District