Dear Neighbors,
It is an honor to continue to serve as your representative during such a pivotal moment in history. I am eager to continue to work to enact policies that will help us defeat COVID-19, rebuild our economy and deliver the necessary support for our public schools to provide a world-class education to every child.
You can visit my website at stone.housedems.com for many more resources – including access to numerous state publications and information about my recent efforts in Lansing. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by phone at (517) 373-1772 or email at LoriStone@house.mi.gov for questions about this or any other state-level issue.
Sincerely,
Lori Stone
State Representative, 28th House District
In this issue:
- Upcoming Community Conversations
- April Town Hall: State Budget 101
- March is Reading Month
- Health Policy Committee Update
- Free Dental Care for Veterans
- Student Recovery Advisory Council
- Federal Stimulus Package
Community Conversation
As your state legislator, I cherish your input and ideas on how to make our community and our state better. That’s why I am looking forward to my community conversations coming up. I hope to see you at one or both of these events but don’t hesitate to reach out to my office by phone at (517) 373-1772 or email at LoriStone@house.mi.gov in the meantime.
- Saturday, April 24 at 11 a.m. You can join Zoom by clicking here
- Saturday, May 22 at 11 a.m. You can join Zoom by clicking here
You can also find more information and a link to join on my Facebook Page.
Town Hall – State Budget 101
In that spirit, I hope you will join me on Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. to provide an update on the State Budget. The month of April is also Financial Literacy Month. You can join the Town Hall on Zoom or on my Facebook Page.
March is Reading Month
I was very eager to share my enthusiasm for reading with students again this year. As a former teacher, education and literacy are personal priorities for me. I had the opportunity to share a book and celebrate March is Reading Month and virtually visit the students and staff at Peck, Roose, Lincoln, Crothers, Mound Park, Carlson, Schofield and Westview Elementary Schools, where I read to 2,983 students.
This year, I also partnered with other members of the legislator to celebrate March is Reading Month. By paying tribute to Michigan’s talented writers of children’s literature by showcasing authors at the Michigan Capitol. Children’s literature inspires creativity, captures imaginations, takes children on adventures, and delights minds with wonderous information. The contribution to children’s literature deserves to be celebrated.
Health Policy Committee Update
Transparency, Affordability, Accountability, and Accessibility are the four solutions to affordable prescriptions. According to AARP, studies show one in three Michiganders do not take all the medications they need because they can’t afford them. The price of drugs prescribed to treat diabetes, heart disease, depression, and other common conditions has continued to rise and more than doubled since 2015. I continue to support affordable prescriptions and have access to the required medicine.
Some of the other Health Policy Bills that I am working on are HB 4348 – PBM Regulation that removes reimbursement provisions that will significantly increase health insurance costs, and I helped introduce the Oral Anti-Cancer Medication fairness legislation. As things stand today, insurance companies are charging cancer patients more money for taking a chemotherapy pill at home instead of going into an expensive doctor’s office or health clinic to get their treatment through an IV, and many cancer patients can’t afford that higher cost. I will continue to work for my constituents to make improvements in Health Care.
Student Recovery Advisory Council Update
In early February, Governor Whitmer created the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan. As Michigan continues to work around the clock to eliminate COVID-19, the Student Recovery Council will provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track. I am honored to be a member of this advisory body. I have been working with Governor Whitmer and my fellow members to find the right solutions to support our students and teachers for success.
Federal Stimulus Package
A COVID-19 stimulus bill signed into law by President Biden continues federal unemployment insurance programs, which were set to expire on March 13, 2021.
Unemployment provisions under the federal American Rescue Plan are extended from March 13 to Sept. 4, 2021:
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides coverage to the self-employed, gig workers and others in non-traditional employment.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program (PEUC), which provides additional weeks of benefits to those who exhaust their regular state benefits.
- Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC), which provides all unemployment recipients with an additional $300 per week.
- Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides an additional $100 per week to claimants on some benefits programs who have self-employment income of at least $5,000.
The relief package also includes the extension of 100% federal financing for the use of the Work Share program.