Dear neighbor,

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest newsletter! As so many students return to school and the summer comes to a close, I’m excited to share an update of what’s going on in your state Capitol.

I was part of the team that helped pass the record-setting school aid budget, which will finally close the school funding gap after so many years. I am also working to make a fix to our auto no-fault laws that will help healthcare providers stay in business, and help provide care to our most vulnerable auto accident victims. The Senate additionally passed my legislation to maximize road funding dollars, and I have been busy visiting with constituents all across our great district.

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,

Senator Jim Runestad
Serving the 15th State Senate District

Uncertainty and despair are on the rise amongst Michigan residents who have been catastrophically injured in auto accidents. And it’s all being brought about by an unintended consequence of the 2019 auto no-fault reform. As I recently wrote in The Detroit News:

“It has been well over a month since the implementation of a government-mandated ‘cap’ on what certain care service providers can be paid to deliver care for auto accident victims. Since July 1, funding for certain life-sustaining services by providers has been cut by 45% from what they charged in 2019… the result has been the demise of businesses that have provided this care and a nightmare scenario for accident victims and their families…

“That’s why I recently sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 28 to dedicate $25 million to help providers keep their doors open. This would only be a short-term fix, however. We need a long-term solution that keeps our contractual commitment to these patients, relieves this life-threatening loss of providers and protects catastrophic claims victims who paid their premiums for exactly this care.

“I ran for office to stand up for our most vulnerable, to empower the powerless and to be a voice for the voiceless. I have seen enough, and I hope it’s enough for my colleagues and the governor as well.”

Click here to read my full op-ed in The Detroit News.

After parts of our district were ravaged by storms, both DTE Energy and Consumers Energy have agreed to voluntarily credit their customers who suffered outages during this month's storms. The voluntary measure comes after leaders of both parties have come together to encourage utilities to do their customers a favor and save them a hassle during some difficult times.

For more information on resources available to help with the cleanup and recovery of these storms, contact my office at 517-373-1758.

In July the Senate passed the MI Safe Drive plan, a bill that would allow $1.3 billion in federal funding to be used for Michigan bridges listed in severe condition.

Fourteen bridges located in Oakland County are rated poorly and could be marked for repair under the MI Safe Drive plan. Six of those bridges cross the Novi-Lyons Drain and Huron River within the boundaries of the 15th District.

The plan, enacted through Senate Bill 529, which I cosponsored, would use $1.3 billion in federal recovery funds to repair locally managed bridges in severe condition through bundling, where the design and construction of multiple projects around the state are contracted at the same time. By cutting down on administrative costs, we can use taxpayer dollars more efficiently, and make a real difference in our public roads.

Click here for more information about the bill.

Data regarding education in Michigan is publicly available at the website www.MISchoolData.org. This website serves as the state of Michigan’s official public portal for education data, from preschool through post-secondary education and into the workforce. It is designed to help residents, educators and policymakers make data-driven decisions.

The site offers a great deal of information, including statewide testing information and results, college and career readiness programs, per-pupil funding trends and more. The data is presented in various easy-to-read graphs, charts, trend lines and spreadsheets to help parents and students stay informed, as well as make evaluations and comparisons before making important educational decisions. Parents can also sign into their child’s school’s dashboard and get specific information about their child’s school like teacher-to-student ratios, performance ratings and more.

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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