Capitol Update from Rep. Roberts

Dear Friends,

Happy winter! We have felt the cold and seen the snow, and unfortunately the rain. The good news is this means the holidays are near. For me it is a time to be with my family and friends and reflect on what I want to do in the coming year. I hope it is an enjoyable time for you as well. I also would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy holidays.

With the end of the legislative year I want to provide you with some brief legislative highlights, which you will find below. I also provided information on home weatherization and want to let you know myJan. 4, 2014 Coffee Hour is cancelled. Hope to see you at my next one on Jan. 20.

Stay warm!

Representative Sarah Roberts

District 18

Legislative Highlights

Rep. Roberts Calls on Congress to Extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program

I recently introduced a resolution calling on Congress to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program (EUCP). This is a federal program providing additional unemployment benefits to individuals who have exhausted their regular benefits provided under the unemployment insurance system. Unless Congress acts, 44,000 unemployed Michigan workers will lose their unemployment checks at the end of this year, and by next June, another 86,500 Michiganders will lose their unemployment benefits after 20 weeks. Michigan’s unemployment rate was 9 percent in October, making us third in the nation behind Nevada and Rhode Island. I don’t believe that Congress should let this program expire when so many of our neighbors, friends and family members are still trying to find work, especially when Michigan has cut its unemployment benefits from 26 to 20 weeks.

Breast, Cervical Cancer Fundraising Plate Legislation Passes House

I was pleased to support passage of House Bill 5138 in the House of Representatives, which creates a fundraising license plate to raise money for breast cancer and cervical cancer testing.

Student Safety Act: ‘OKAY to SAY’ Moves through Legislature

I supported Senate Bill 374 which establishes a new hotline geared towards school-aged children and teenagers to provide a way for them to anonymously text, call, or email the threat of potential self-harm and potential harm or criminal acts at schools. The program would be overseen by the Department of Attorney General (DAG) in consultation with the Michigan Departments of State Police (MSP), Community Health (DCH), and Education (MDE).

Mental Health Courts Established in Michigan

HB 4694, 4695 and 4696 establish mental health courts in Michigan. These bill passed unanimously in the House. Creating mental health courts will help the judicial system to properly respond to individuals with mental illness that come into the criminal justice system. These courts will move defendants into judicially-supervised, community-based treatment. These defendants must go through a specialized screening and assessment, and they may choose to decline participation. For those who agree to the terms and conditions of community-based supervision, a team of court staff and mental health professionals works together to develop treatment plans and supervise participants in the community.

Individuals Principal Residence Exemption

HB 4810, which I supported, allows a person residing in a nursing home or assisted living facility and intending to return to his or her principal residence to maintain a principal residence exemption even if the property is for sale.

Enhancement of Penalties for the use of Skimming Devices

On Dec. 12, the House of Representative passed a series of bills (5051-5054) that establish and enhance penalties for the use of “skimming devices.” “Skimming devices” are often realistic-looking card readers or small hidden cameras placed on ATMs. They are used to gather a user’s account information from their bank card. Criminals download the stolen account information and encode it onto blank cards. The cards are then used to make withdrawals from victims’ accounts at other ATMs.

The practice of skimming comes in many different ways, but the result is always the same: stolen personal identifying information from consumers. These bills update Michigan’s laws to provide more consumer protection by prohibiting a person from knowingly possessing or using a skimming device and enhancing penalties for those that do. The bills also update sentencing guidelines to reflect the prohibition against selling or possessing a skimming device to the “Code of Criminal Procedures.”

Medical Marihuana to be Regulated

I voted for House Bill 4271 concerning medical marihuana. Voters approved the use of medical marihuana in Michigan in 2008. HB 4271 would give local units of government the ability to regulate provisioning centers that distribute marihuana and centers that test the drug.

Two Bills the Legislature Did Not Take Up Before Break

The Legislature did not act on two controversial bills. We did not vote on SB 636, which would allow utilities to phase out use of landlines. I do not support this legislation and it seems the majority of the members in the House don’t support it either.

The second bill, HB 4369 would expand the state’s Education Achievement Authority (EAA). The EAA currently operates 15 of the lowest performing schools in the Detroit School District. Since taking over these schools, a number of parents, teachers and students in these schools have registered complaints about the way the schools are run.

Weatherize Your Home this Winter to Stay Warm and Conserve Energy

Now that winter is here, we are all looking for the best way to stay warm while keeping our heating bill affordable and conserving energy. There are a number of ways to winterize your home and help with the heating bill, but if you can’t afford those ways Macomb County offers a weatherization program through the Macomb County Community Services Agency (MCCSA) for families that meet certain income eligibility guidelines. To apply for the weatherization program, call one of the community action centers. The staff at the centers will determine if you are eligible and let you know what you need to do to apply. The community action centers serving House District 18 communities are:

Central Action Center - (586) 469-6964

South Action Center - (586) 759-9150

For more information about MCCSA’s Home Preservation/Energy Group contact MCCSA Home Preservation/Energy (Weatherization) at (586) 469-6329, TDD (586) 469-5962.

Coffee with Sarah

My coffee hours are held the first Saturday and the third Monday of every month.

My January coffee hours will be held on:

• CANCELLED: Saturday, Jan. 4, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Luna Café, 23415 Greater Mack Ave., in St. Clair Shores.

• Monday, Jan. 20, from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Coffee Break, 19156 E. 10 Mile Road in Eastpointe.

These coffee hours provide you with an opportunity to have an informal conversation about improving state government and to give me the opportunity to listen to your concerns. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

State Representative Sarah Roberts
18th House District