The Michigan Senate recently approved my legislation that would provide flexibility and access to student scholarships for Michigan’s Promise Zones.

These reforms would allow Promise Zone Authorities to make decisions that will benefit the individual needs of students within that zone. I think we’ve found that blanket policies simply don’t meet the unique needs of students in different areas of the state.

The Michigan Promise Zone Authority Act provides scholarships to students who live and graduate from a high school located within the boundaries of a Promise Zone. These scholarships allow students to pursue higher education while lessening their financial burden.

Promise Zones have three funding sources: the federal Pell Grant or other need-based aid, private contributions and revenues from the state tax capture mechanism. Michigan statute currently allows for 15 communities to have Promise Zones.

Currently, the Michigan Promise Zone Authority Act covers the cost of “qualified educational expenses” for students. Under the current definition, qualified educational expenses cover costs on top of tuition for expenses like books, supplies and equipment required for courses.

Senate Bill 1052 would modify what is considered a “qualified educational expense” and would make the cost of books, supplies and other equipment optional expenses that a Promise Zone Authority can cover if they choose to.

Current law includes mandates from Lansing that take away dollars that could be going toward giving more Muskegon and Newaygo County students tuition scholarships. Giving each Promise Zone Authority the choice to include additional costs covered on top of tuition allows each zone to be more autonomous and effective in meeting the needs of students in their community.

The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

After the House and Senate oversight committees voted to issue a subpoena to the Michigan Bureau of Elections for records regarding the elections process, I issued the following statement:

“I have heard from many of my constituents asking about possible election fraud. We have a responsibility as legislators to address these concerns.

“It is of utmost importance that we maintain the integrity of our elections. The House and Senate oversight committees convened with the purpose of reviewing state processes and pursuing opportunities for improvement, if necessary. Tensions are running high and people need a place to have their concerns heard. We worked with our partners in the House to quickly schedule a committee hearing to gather input from our constituents.

“We must do all we can to ensure voter ballots remain secure and are accurately counted. We will review concerns about the integrity of our elections, share information and consider changes in policy to help ensure confidence in our elections process.

“The people of Michigan deserve to know their ballots are secure and accurately counted, and that our state’s voting system is held to the highest standard. I look forward to working with legislators on both sides of the aisle regarding these concerns and reporting back to my constituents.”

My staff and I are working diligently to assist constituents with their unemployment claims.

I can be most helpful if I have all of the information about your claim, so I created a form on my website for you to submit all of your concerns at once. Please share this link with anyone in the 34th District who still needs help with the UIA.

You can find the form by visiting my website at: https://www.senatorjonbumstead.com/unemployment-assistance/.

Consumers Energy is recruiting military veterans with experience working with electricty to join its new Basic Electric Lineworker Apprentices program — earning up to $35 per hour following 10 days of free training.

Military veterans with documented electrical experience are encouraged to get more information and register for the Electric Lines Boot Camp at www.ElectricLinesBootCamp.com.

The Michigan Secretary of State has a form you can submit if you were charged a late fee on a license or registration renewal between Oct. 1 and Oct. 27. Fill out this form and email it to: [email protected].

Below is a list of resources available to you if you need any type of assistance. Additionally, you can contact my office at any time for more information.