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Dear neighbor,
Thank you for taking the time to read my latest newsletter!
As fall settles in across Michigan, I remain optimistic about the great opportunities that lay ahead of us. On Sept. 21, I voted for a bipartisan state budget that invests in our infrastructure, our communities, our most vulnerable residents and our future.
I hope you will take some time to get out and see the spectacular colors of this season and take in some of the unique beauty of our magnificent state (more information about the Pure Michigan fall color map can be found below). I also hope you will find the updates below to be helpful and informative about what is happening at your state Capitol.
Every day I am working to make a difference for families and the most vulnerable in our community! Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if there is anything that my team or myself can do to help.
Working with and for you,
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Senator Jim Runestad
Serving the 15th State Senate District
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Legislature passes budget to get our economy back on track
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Last month, I voted to pass a fiscal year 2022 budget plan that funds high-priority projects for OUR COMMUNITIES, puts money away for the future, protects natural resources and does not raise taxes on our hardworking families.
Senate Bill 82, now Public Act 87 of 2021, is the general state budget bill and includes:
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Last month, I voted to pass a fiscal year 2022 budget plan that funds high-priority projects for OUR COMMUNITIES, puts money away for the future, protects natural resources and does not raise taxes on our hardworking families.
Senate Bill 82, now Public Act 87 of 2021, is the general state budget bill and includes:
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• $40 million for the Going Pro program to support employee training;
• $190 million to repair or replace local bridges;
• $19 million to repair or replace local dams;
• $414.5 million to permanently increase wages for direct care workers;
• $55 million for the Michigan Reconnect program;
• $33 million to train new state police troopers and corrections officers;
• $14.5 million to local governments to remove PFAS from the water; and
• $1.4 billion to lower rates and recruit more childcare workers.
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Additionally, the bill deposits $500 million in the state’s rainy-day fund and $150 million in the unemployment trust fund to recover from heavy caseloads.
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Locally, I am happy to share that we were able to secure a grant to support acquisition of a new facility for our Western Oakland and Livingston Meals on Wheels programs. This program is funded through the Area Agency on Aging 1B and serves 1,500 meals a day to seniors in need in both Livingston County and Western Oakland County. The program has been working out of a high school cafeteria and renting storage space at multiple locations. Staff and 450 volunteers have had to prepare meals in multiple batches, starting at 3:30 a.m., and stage packaging of meals on tables set up throughout the school’s hallways to get these meals ready to deliver as well as clean up prior to the start of the school day. This funding will mean that our Meals on Wheels program will now have its own kitchen space to prepare food in one batch and have a dedicated space for the administration of the program and storage space for food products and packaging materials. This funding will make a difference for seniors in need by helping this important program grow and continue serving meals without adding these vulnerable members of our community to long waiting lists.
The budget also includes $14.5 million for local governments to remove PFAS from the water, $190 million to repair or replace local bridges and $19 million to repair or replace local dams. The plan also invests $3 million in the state’s 75 conservation districts, including $40,000 for the Oakland County Conservation District.
The 2022 budget was signed into law on Sept. 29 for the state’s fiscal year that began on Oct. 1.
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Senator Jim Runestad visits Meals on Wheels in Hartland to learn how they've been impacted by the pandemic.
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Senate unanimously approves Runestad bill to prevent financial exploitation
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According to an elder financial exploitation report by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the majority of incidents of elder financial exploitation go unreported to authorities. The same report said some studies have found elder financial exploitation is emerging as the most prevalent form of elder abuse.
My legislation to help protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation was unanimously passed by the Senate last month. This bill will help protect many of Michigan’s most vulnerable residents. This crime often happens without the victim’s knowledge and is perpetrated by someone they trusted or who was appointed to protect them. As a result, it often goes unreported and undetected until consequences surface.
Senate Bill 315 would allow financial advisors and broker-dealers to place a hold on disbursements from a specified adult’s account under certain conditions. The bill would also establish specific procedures to be followed and limit the initial hold up to 15 days, which could be extended if warranted after further review of the facts.
The bill now is in the House for its consideration.
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Committee approves Runestad bill to restore integrity to the work of court process servers
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The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved my bill to restore integrity to the work of court process servers.
Senate Bill 244 would require process servers to sign a declaration that the proof of service has been examined and that its contents are true under penalty of perjury. The court system depends on its process servers and such fraud undermines our confidence in the justice system. More importantly, an individual’s welfare can be at stake. The victims are often invisible and vulnerable. I’ve collected stories from a multitude of individuals who claim they were never served. However, only a few of these have a solid alibi, such as being in jail at the time they were allegedly served.
The bill is supported by a growing body of stakeholders including court officers and debt collectors and now moves on for consideration by the full Senate.
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Pure Michigan fall color map
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Fall in Michigan is magical. The temperatures drop, local farms and orchards display their bounty and the trees begin to change color. Across the state the leaves transform from green to red, orange and yellow - first slowly and quietly then suddenly in a final explosion of color.
To help you plan your color tour through the state, check out the Pure Michigan fall color map. This interactive tool gives fall color seekers information to find the best locations for fall foliage throughout the state!
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Free PPE Available for Schools
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The state of Michigan currently has personal protective equipment available at no cost for schools and ISDs in Michigan. Items are designated for use in protecting against COVID-19 and will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis. Available items include:
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• Face Coverings/Protective Masks
• Disposable Gowns (adult size S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL and one size fits all)
• Gloves – (Small, Medium, or Large)
• Face Shields
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For questions or to request additional PPE, please email the Department of Technology, Management and Budget with quantities desired at [email protected].
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My office continues to receive daily contacts regarding our elections processes
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Confidence in our elections is a hallmark and requirement of our constitutional republic. To that end, I have supported the establishment of a bipartisan, independent audit to look at how to improve our elections going forward. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for more information or to provide further recommendations. I consider your input to be incredibly valuable. If you require a response, please note your address so I may prioritize responding to those emails received from my district.
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Forward this email to a friend
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If you know of someone who would like to know about what’s going on in Lansing, please forward this email on to a friend! And if you know of anyone who could use help with a state matter, please don’t hesitate to have them reach out to my office at any time!
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Subscribe to my email newsletter
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If you are not already subscribed, you can sign up to receive my email newsletter here. And please feel free to share this newsletter with your friends, neighbors and anyone else who would like to stay up to date on the COVID-19 response and what is happening with state government.
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The 15th District includes the cities of Northville, Novi, Orchard Lake, South Lyon, Walled Lake and Wixom, the townships of Commerce, Lyon, Milford, Novi, West Bloomfield and White Lake, and the villages of Milford and Wolverine Lake.
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If you wish to unsubscribe, please do so below.
Thank you for taking the time to read this legislative update and please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance on any matter pertaining to state government.
Best Regards,
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Senator Jim Runestad
7500 Connie B. Binsfeld Office Building
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
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