Dear Neighbors,

As your state representative, I strive each day to serve the needs of the 28th House District. I am eager to continue to work to enact policies that will help us innovate in our economy and deliver support for our public schools to provide a world-class education to every child.

If you need assistance or resources, please reach out to me and my staff. To learn more about resources, events and recent efforts in Lansing, go to my website at Stone.housedems.com. I can be contacted at my office phone number (517) 373-1772 and my official email is LoriStone@house.mi.gov.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Lori M. Stone

State Representative, 28th House District

In This Issue:

  •     Upcoming in District Events
    • Community Conversations in the Parks
  • Legislative Update
    • Kratom Consumer Protection Act
    • Education COVID Relief Policy Package
    • Homeless Youth Legislation
    • Retired Public School Employees
    • Donor Registry
  • Help Make Macomb County a Healthier Place for Families
  • Michigan Education Trust (MET)
  • Pathfinder Helps Students Make Informed Career Decisions
  • Health Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period
  • The 2022 Eat Safe Fish guides
  •  Learn About Child Care Assistance for Your Employees

 

Upcoming In-District Events

Information for future Community Conversations and events can be found on my Facebook Page or sign up for email updates at stone.housedems.com.

Community Conversations in the Park

Last year’s Community Summer Picnics were so successful that I plan to host two more this summer. You are welcome to join any or all of them from 11 a.m. to noon. Food and drinks will be provided.

  • July 16: Wiegand’s Park, 8700 Toepfer Road in Warren
  • Aug. 20: Owen Jax Park, 8207 E. 9 Mile Road in Warren

Next Community Conversations:

Stone- July Community 1/2

Stone community 2/2

Legislative Update

  • My Kratom Consumer Protection Act, House Bill 5477, was unanimously voted out of the Rules and Competitiveness and Regulatory Reform committees and has now passed out of the House. It is waiting for a Senate Regulatory Reform Committee hearing.
  • I introduced a bipartisan Education COVID Relief Policy Package that would waive punitive measures resulting from standardized testing scores during COVID-19, including a reprieve from third-grade student retention, teacher and administrator evaluations, and school grade rankings.
  •   I introduced an amendment increasing child care service for homeless youth and testified in the House Families, Children, and Seniors Committee on HB 5756. This bill seeks to give homeless youth more and better options to seek care when they need it. The Homeless Youth Legislation does the following:
    • Extends the window of time youth shelter personnel have to secure permission from a parent or guardian of a homeless minor.
    • HB 5756 provides a greater opportunity for youth shelter staff to contact parents or guardians of homeless youth providing time for de-escalation of crisis situations. Determining the guardianship of homeless youth can be complex and difficult. Raising the time to 72 hours gives facilities more time to gain permission to support homeless youth in crisis.
  •  HB 5536, for retired public school employees, provides reporting requirements regarding retiree rehire. This bill passed the Education Committee and the House in May. It recently passed the Senate Committee Hearing in Education and Career Readiness Committee and was referred to the Senate Committee of the Whole.
  •   HB 6068 focuses on Donor Registry and seeks to provide the patient the opportunity for more education and information when placing their name on the donor registry, along with the steps to become a donor.
    • The bone marrow, organ and tissue donor registries have declined significantly over the past few years.
    • Michigan has a current goal to have at least 70% of their population be on the organ donor registry — we currently are at 58%.
    • Michigan currently has 2,500 organ recipients on their waiting list.

Help Make Macomb County a Healthier Place for Families

I would like to ask for your time to set aside a few minutes to take the Macomb County Community Health Survey at https://bit.ly/3CQOejq. This survey will help the Macomb County Health Department and its partner organizations identify and address the most important health concerns in our county. Every bit of feedback helps the county determine how to make Macomb County a healthier place for families.

Michigan Education Trust (MET)

In celebration of the Michigan Education Trust’s (MET) 35-year anniversary, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the launch of the MET 35th Anniversary $1.5 Million Giveaway, a random, statewide drawing that friends and family can enter on behalf of a child for a chance to win one of 100 $15,000 prepaid tuition prizes.

Under MET’s giveaway, Michigan residents 18 years or older on Aug. 31, 2022 are eligible to enter on behalf of beneficiaries ages birth to 5 by the same date for a chance to win $15,000 in prepaid tuition. A person may enter only once, but multiple people may enter on behalf of the same child. The prepaid tuition prize may be used to pay for future tuition and mandatory fees at a community college, college, university or trade school in accordance with MET terms and conditions.

Giveaway entry began May 26 and ends on Aug. 31. Winners will be announced in a series of drawings beginning Sept. 12. Michiganders can enter the giveaway and review rules and eligibility criteria at www.METgiveaway.com.

Parents, grandparents, or other family and friends can make MET contributions on behalf of beneficiaries. MET has flexible and convenient payment options that allow purchasers to pay as they go, pay all at once or make monthly payments.

Contributions to MET plans are tax-deductible on Michigan tax returns. Earnings are tax-exempt if they are used for qualified higher education expenses.

Pathfinder Helps Students Make Informed Career Decisions

The Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education (MDE-OCTE) has announced recent enhancements to Michigan’s education and career Pathfinder — the free online career exploration tool to support the state’s efforts to achieve key career readiness goals.

Pathfinder’s online career planning tool will help improve one of the state’s key career readiness goals — equity and access — ensuring that all students have meaningful access to high-quality career pathways information.

Pathfinder uses current information related to employment and the workforce, as well as data about the relationship between education and training programs. It allows visitors to better match skills to career paths and jobs and can be accessed at Pathfinder.MiTalent.org.

Health Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period

Michigan residents can take advantage of free or low-cost health insurance during a new Health Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period (SEP). The new SEP allows Michiganders the chance to enroll in Marketplace health coverage even if they don’t meet one of the traditional SEP qualifications. To qualify, consumers must have a household income below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is approximately $19,000 for an individual and $40,000 for a family of four. Once the application is completed and a plan is selected, coverage begins the first day of the following month. To determine SEP eligibility, review insurance options and enroll, visit the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at (800) 318-2596 (TTY: (855) 889-4325). For more information on special enrollment periods and other ways to get covered, visit Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance.  The last day to select a plan during this SEP is Nov. 30, 2022.

The 2022 Eat Safe Fish Guides

The Eat Safe Fish guides help plan fish consumption to minimize exposure to chemicals that can build up in fish, while still getting all the health benefits of eating fish.

  •   A ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory for bluegill and sunfish caught in the Lower Branch of the Rouge River and the Main Branch of the Rouge River from the Ford Estate Dam to the Detroit River. This is due to elevated levels of perfluoro octane sulfonate (PFOS), a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS).
  •   A lift of the ‘Do Not Eat’ fish advisory for most fish species from the stretch of the Huron River from where it crosses I-275 in Wayne County to the river mouth at Lake Erie, including the Flat Rock impoundment. Consumption guidelines are still in effect for some species. Please see the updated guides for more information.

The 2022 Eat Safe Fish guides can be found on the Eat Safe Fish website at: bit.ly/michigan-eatsafefish

Learn About Child Care Assistance for Your Employees

As a community partner, you can help increase employee retention and improve productivity by helping address child care challenges. More parents are now eligible for financial assistance to help find adequate child care through the Child Development and Care Program. Join the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Michigan Department of Education every Wednesday in June from 12-12:30 p.m. to learn about resources to help parents with the cost of childcare. Learn more about this program, including program eligibility, the application process and how parents can find childcare in their area.

As an employer, training provider or community partner you can support parents by:

  • Attending a 30-minute presentation to learn more about the program.
  • Posting fliers in break rooms or common areas (attached below).
  • Sharing information about the Child Development and Care Program in informational sessions or through internal communication.

Register for an informational session by clicking on the link below. Attendees will receive a copy of the presentation to share with their employees.

Early childhood is a community effort. Take a look at these additional resources that may be helpful to you or your employees: