Dear friends,

The governor has failed our seniors again. First, she put our seniors in harm's way by moving COVID-19-infected patients into nursing homes with vulnerable patients. Then the administration stopped even safe visits from family members, while at the same time permitting contract employees, delivery drivers, and others into facilities.

Now the governor has vetoed this bipartisan, common-sense legislation to protect our seniors from abuse and isolation. This veto is outrageous and inexcusable.

Read more about the governor’s appalling nursing home policy in this Jan. 6 MLive article.

In your service,

Senator Jim Runestad
Serving the 15th State Senate District

By Samuel Dodge

LANSING, MI - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opted not to sign a bill allowing nursing home residents to install surveillance cameras in their own rooms.

Senate Bill 77, sponsored by Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, would have allowed electronic monitoring in a residents’ room with their permission, or shared permission if the room is shared. Runestad and other Republican co-sponsors pushed the bill so residents could have a check against potential abuse.

The resident would have been on the hook for the installation costs of the camera, and the facility would have had to put into effect an “electronic monitoring” consent form within 60 days of the bill.

In a statement opposing Whitmer’s pocket veto, Runestad mentioned the story of 75-year-old Norman Bledsoe, who was severely beaten in May by a 20-year-old patient receiving COVID-19 treatment. Bledsoe suffered four broken fingers, broken ribs, and a broken jaw after the attack.

“Without the benefit of video, no one would have known the truth of how Mr. Bledsoe was injured,” Runestad said in a statement. “The governor had a chance to sign this bill and help stop the type of abuse we’ve seen in nursing homes for years. Instead she chose to turn a blind eye, and now seniors pay the price.”

Read the rest of this article on MLive.com

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