Hello Friend,
It has been a difficult week as we all mourn the loss of so many lives in the attack in Las Vegas on Sunday night. As survivors struggle to recover and move forward from that horrific event, and as families grieve for their loved ones who were lost, I am hopeful that we state lawmakers, and our federal lawmakers, think deeply about how we can act to prevent such tragedies from taking place in the future.
This has been a busy week in Lansing, and I have also included an update about what’s going on in Lansing and how it could affect you.
Please know that you can always contact my staff and me at (517) 373-0828, by email at DonnaLasinski@house.mi.gov or by visiting my website at RepLasinski.com, with any questions, thoughts, or suggestions.
Coffee Hours
Thanks to everyone who joined me at the end of last month for my "Protect MI Health Care Town Hall” and on Monday for my coffee hour at the Chelsea Senior Center. It is always such an honor to be joined at these events by so many engaged constituents who ask thoughtful questions and share their opinions.
If you couldn’t make either of those, don’t worry! We have more events coming up:
Manchester Coffee Hour
Saturday, Oct. 21
9:30-10:30 a.m.
Manchester Village Municipal Building, Village Room
912 City Road in Manchester
Energy Town Hall
Thursday, Nov. 9
6:30-8 p.m.
Saline District Library, Brecon Room
555 N. Maple Road in Saline
Whitmore Lake Coffee Hour
Thursday, Nov. 30
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Peaberry Bean & Beats
152 Barker Road in Whitmore Lake
Scio Township Coffee Hour
Monday, Dec. 18
8-9 a.m.
Coffee House Creamery
3780 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor
Legislative Update
Auto No-Fault Insurance
You may have noticed that this has been a theme in my last couple of e-newsletters! As I said before, and as I’m sure you’re all aware from your own pocketbooks, we Michiganders pay extremely high auto insurance rates. We also, however, provide life-saving, and life-changing, coverage to victims of auto accidents that allows people to continue to lead their lives without going into bankruptcy or shifting millions of dollars of medical costs onto our state.
Rep. Lana Theis, along with House Speaker Tom Leonard and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, are pushing for a package that would, among other things, allow drivers to choose other levels of personal injury protection ($250,000 or $500,000 instead of unlimited). While this may sound appealing, many of my colleagues and I have grave concerns about the impact this legislation. Accident victims who are not at fault, but are without other forms of comprehensive health insurance, would shift an estimated $150 million per year onto our Medicaid system, as estimated by the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. Additionally, this bill does nothing to address the many other methods insurance companies use to raise rates, such as using credit scores and ZIP codes in their calculation instead of just driving record.
That’s why I’m proud to continue to champion my fair and affordable auto insurance reform plan with colleagues from both sides of the aisle. Our bipartisan, comprehensive plan would protect auto accident survivors by ensuring their care while reducing costs for Michigan drivers by addressing all the ways in which insurance companies can raise our rates. This package includes a reasonable fee schedule for medical care to prevent hospitals from overcharging insurance companies, establishes a fraud authority, makes the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association more transparent, and allows seniors who have Medicare or other full medical coverage to opt out of the personal injury protection coverage they are currently required to have.
I am hopeful that the Michigan Legislature will support our plan for auto insurance in Michigan so that we can all pay less for our insurance while resting assured that we will have good care should we fall victim to an auto accident.
If you have any thoughts or questions on no-fault and auto insurance, please do not hesitate to call or email my office and me.
What To Do In HD 52
Concerts in Chelsea
There are a number of free musical performances coming up in Chelsea. The Chelsea First United Methodist Church kicks off its Community Concert Series on Saturday, Oct. 7. Join them from 7-8 p.m. at the church, located at 128 Park St., to hear Mark Loring on piano and organ. He’ll be joined by the Chelsea Ballet, the Bows Up! String Ensemble, and organist Kyle Webber.
On Sunday, you can head over to the Chelsea Alehouse Brewery, located at 420 N. Main St., Suite 100, for more live music! The Wes Frizemeier Jazz Experience will be performing from 6-8 p.m.
Cranes, Colors, and Cabernet Festival
This family-friendly festival celebrates autumn in The Big 400. Stop by the area on Oct. 21 to watch Sandhill Cranes begin their migration. Contact my office for more details.
Helpful Resources:
Emergency Alerts
As we all know, our nation has withstood some heavy and devastating natural disasters, as well as some horrible attacks by humans, this year. The Washtenaw County website offers information about a variety of tools you can use to ensure that you know about what’s happening in our communities and how best to keep your family safe. To learn about wireless emergency alerts, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office community alerts, and more, visit their website here: http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/emergency_management
Recycling
Doing some fall cleaning? You may be able to recycle some of the waste in your house at the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority. To learn what you can drop off, visit their site here:
http://www.wwrarecycles.org/what-can-i-recycle/
I hope you have found this information useful. Please contact my office if we can be of any assistance.
Sincerely,
State Representative Donna Lasinski
52nd House District