In this e-newsletter:
- Upcoming Coffee Hour on March 17th
- Legislation Introduced
- Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act Inclusion
- Gun Violence Prevention and Safety
- Workers’ Rights and Prevailing Wage
- Polar Plunge to Support Special Olympics
Upcoming Coffee Hour on March 17th
Please join me for an informal, in-person discussion of legislative and community issues at my next coffee hour:
WHEN: Friday, March 17, from 9-10 a.m.
WHERE: Factory Coffee – Downtown, 205 W. Lovell St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007
While advance registration is not required, anyone who would like to RSVP or submit questions in advance may do so by emailing JulieRogers@house.mi.gov.
We will be following all CDC guidelines related to COVID-19. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, we ask that you please stay home.
Legislation Introduced
The last month has been a busy one legislatively as I have introduced six bills on a variety of topics. A few of the most relevant are:
HB 4083 would phase out the use of perchloroethylene (PERC) in dry cleaning operations.
PERC is known to be a neurotoxin, a likely carcinogen, a reproductive and developmental toxicant, skin irritant, and particularly dangerous for liver and kidney health. It is also very difficult to clean up once released into the environment as it is a volatile organic compound that aerosolizes easily. It also seeps through concrete and, as it is heavier than water, it will settle into groundwater rather than floating to the surface. With a bare minimum of 1,720 former dry-cleaning sites identified by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, the potential cost to taxpayers to cleanup these contaminated locations is enormous. This bill will phase out the use of PERC in dry cleaning over five years and provide a fund to help dry cleaning businesses make the transition to safer and cleaner options.
I testified in support of this bill at a hearing on March 9th before the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee.
HB 4184 would restore adult supervision requirements for BB gun use by a minor.
I have reintroduced this important bill to restore the requirement that adults supervise a minor who is using a BB gun outside their home. There was a tragic incident in Kalamazoo County in 2021 where a 12-year-old boy, Deven Free, was shot in the head with a BB gun while playing with other young teens. My bill would restore the commonsense requirement that kids should not be using pellet and BB guns unsupervised. To prevent a future tragedy, this bill restores the ability to charge this negligence as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of not more than 90 days and/or a $500 fine.
HB 4224 would repeal unenforceable work requirements for individuals in order to qualify for Medicaid benefits.
In 2018, work requirement legislation was passed in Michigan that required individuals to jump through unnecessary hurdles causing them to lose their health care coverage in some circumstances. That law can no longer be enforced, as the federal government removed the waiver allowing Michigan to enforce these onerous provisions in April 2021. This bill simply brings Michigan in line with federal guidelines for the Medicaid program. At the end of the day, Medicaid provides vital health care, and everyone should have access to affordable and quality health care.
HBs 4120-4125
I coordinated with a bipartisan group of representatives to introduce a package of bills that were developed over hundreds of hours of discussions and consultation with survivors, experts, community organizations and advocacy groups arising from the MSU/Larry Nasser scandal. Most of these bills have passed the House through multiple terms but have not yet been adopted. They would go a long way toward protecting survivors and preventing future incidents.
- HB 4120 (Rep. Rogers) would require that comprehensive training materials be provided to individuals who are mandated to report child abuse and neglect unless their employer already provides substantially similar training.
- For more information on the other bills in the package, you can click the links below: HB 4121, HB 4122, HB 4123, HB 4124, HB 4125
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act Inclusion
I was thrilled to finally cast my vote with a bipartisan majority of my colleagues to ensure that all Michiganders, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, are protected from discrimination. On Wednesday, March 8, the House of Representatives, by a vote of 64 to 45, passed SB 4 and HB 4003, which amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression as protected classes from discrimination. As a result, SB 4 is headed to Gov.Whitmer’s desk, and we expect it will be signed into law very soon. It is long past time for our family and friends who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community to be free from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation and education.
Discrimination, hate and bigotry have no home in our great state, and our laws will finally reflect that intent. I was absolutely moved by the many speeches of members of the legislature who spoke to the discrimination they experienced growing up and their pride in supporting legislation that will protect our children from living through the same pain. It was also a special day for me as I was joined by my sister on the House Floor to witness this historic moment. Nothing makes me happier than being able to honestly say that Michigan is now a welcoming place for all that will not stand by and watch our fellow citizens be subject to discrimination. Pictured below is a photo of my sister who was able to join me on the House floor to witness this historic occasion.
Gun Violence Prevention and Safety Legislation
Gun violence has scarred our community time and time again. Just recently, we had a tragedy at MSU and, in 2016, our community in Kalamazoo was terrorized by the shootings conducted by an Uber driver. We have failed to take action repeatedly and, predictably, we have seen these incidents happen over and over again. The time for thoughts and prayers without action is over, and we are taking immediate, broadly supported, evidence-based steps to cut down on gun violence and promote safety with firearms.
On Wednesday, March 8th, we took the first steps on this path and the House passed three bills to ensure universal background checks on all firearm sales in Michigan. House Bills 4138, 4142, and 4143 were voted out of committee and then sent to the Senate in order to make sure firearms are not being sold to individuals who are not permitted to own them. Under current statute, only pistols require a background check and a license to purchase. These bills ensure that domestic abusers, criminals and dangerous individuals who could not pass a background check can no longer purchase rifles with impunity.
More bills have been introduced, including legislation to temporarily remove firearms from individuals a judge deems a risk to themselves or others, also known as extreme risk protection orders, and bills to require the safe storage of firearms in homes with minors present. We have waited far too long to implement these widely popular and commonsense gun safety laws, and I am proud to see movement on this important issue.
Workers’ Rights and Reinstating Prevailing Wage
Wednesday, March 8th was a busy, but excellent, day for the people of Michigan as the House also restored workers’ freedoms by repealing corporate-sponsored legislation that eviscerated employee’s rights to engage in collective bargaining and advocate for themselves. In 2012, during a lame-duck session, a previous administration signed the “right-to-work for less” bills into law, despite the bills not having received a single committee hearing, public comment period or offered a single amendment. Since then, Michigan workers have been forced to work under an anti-worker environment that has robbed them of the freedoms they had to organize and advocate for — freedoms like safe working conditions, adequate compensation and much more. With the passage of HB 4004 and 4005, the backbone of Michigan’s economy — our workers — will no longer be shackled by unfair bargaining practices and restrictions on their ability to advocate for themselves.
Relatedly, the House also passed HB 4007 to finally restore the requirement that a reasonable wage be offered to construction workers employed on taxpayer-funded projects. In 2018, this reasonable requirement was eliminated. I was proud to cast my vote in favor of restoring prevailing wage requirements to ensure that high quality construction projects are completed by highly skilled workers in a fair competitive bidding process.
Polar Plunge to Support Special Olympics
One of my favorite, though coldest, events took place on March 2nd — I participated in the 2023 Legislative Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics Michigan. I have had the incredible fortune to participate for the third time to bring attention and assistance to the amazing work they do to give differently abled children and adults a venue to engage in sports and cooperatively compete with each other. Every year, Special Olympics Michigan facilitates nearly 24,000 athletes to participate in sports programs at no cost. I am honored to have been invited to participate and am excited for the opportunities Michigan’s Special Olympians will have this year.