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Dear Friends,
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of my monthly e-newsletter. I hope you had a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend.
As schools prepare to start the 2020-2021 school year, I want to wish all students, parents, teachers and staff the best of luck. Thank you to school staff and administrators for your dedication to your students throughout this difficult year.
As our state continues to navigate these challenging times, please continue to share your thoughts with me at [email protected] or at 517-373-1777. My office is here for you. I will do whatever I can to help and do my best to get you answers.
Sincerely,
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Kevin Daley
State Senator
31st District
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Daley supports Return to Learn plan
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COVID-19 has drastically affected our health, our economy and our educational system. Because education shouldn’t be a partisan matter, Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass the Return to Learn plan to get our kids back to school safely.
This plan recognizes that different parts of our state have had different experiences with COVID-19. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the bills empower each school district — working with their local health department — to determine what model of learning is best and safest for their students. That could be in-person learning, distance learning, or a hybrid of both.
Regardless of the mode of learning, the plan requires regular two-way interaction between teachers and students. Additionally, students will receive benchmark tests to determine their education needs after the extraordinary events of this year. The results will be shared with parents, and schools will use the cumulative data to set academic goals.
The Return to Learn plan provides schools greater flexibility and financial certainty. Mandates regarding the total number of instructional hours and days will be lifted temporarily, while districts will still be required to provide a full year of grade level content. And school funding will be based largely on 2019 student counts, making budgeting more reliable and predictable for schools.
I understand the new school year brings many questions and concerns. It is our hope that the bipartisan Return to Learn plan will address many of them by empowering local schools to make decisions in the best interest of their students.
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SOS branch offices offering special appointments and extended hours for ID renewals
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Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently announced branch offices will now offer special appointments and extended hours for Michigan residents to renew driver’s licenses or state ID cards that expire between Jan. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020.
Customers can make an appointment between 4 and 7 p.m., Monday-Friday, from now until Sept. 30. These special appointments are specifically for renewing a Michigan driver’s license or state ID that expires between Jan. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020 and must be renewed in person.
Because of COVID-19, the state previously extended the renewal dates to Sept. 30 for driver’s licenses, IDs and vehicle registrations expiring after March 1.
For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit www.Michigan.gov/SOSAppointments or call 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).
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Unemployment benefits update
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The United States Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) approved the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency’s (UIA) application for funding that would provide an additional $300 per week payment to Michiganders receiving unemployment benefits.
Eligible claimants will be paid benefits retroactive to Aug. 1. It is unclear at this time how long funding for the program will last. At this time, claimants do not have to take any action to receive the additional benefit amount provided by the program. The additional benefits will be added automatically for all claimants who are eligible to receive at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefit payments. This includes claimants receiving any type of regular unemployment insurance benefits as well as those receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
If you or someone you know is struggling to get answers from the UIA, is locked out of your account, or you think you’ve been wrongfully denied benefits, please visit the website address below and fill out the required information at your earliest convenience: https://www.senatorkevindaley.com/unemployment-assistance/.
Please note that when the UIA does follow up with you, they will call from a phone number with an “866” area code. They will only call twice to the phone number you provided on the form.
I understand this has been a difficult time for many, and I’m frustrated by the UIA’s slow response time and back-log of cases. Right now, the average wait time for a response from the UIA is 5-8 weeks. My team and I will continue to do our best to help in any way we can during this difficult time.
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House committee considers Daley legislation to help secure Michigan elections
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The House Elections and Ethics Committee recently took testimony on my legislation to help protect the integrity of elections in Michigan.
Senate Bills 977 and 978 would make it a felony for someone to knowingly fill out and submit or cause to be submitted an absent voter ballot application with another person’s name or personal identity information, knowingly fill out and submit or cause to be submitted an absent voter ballot application with the intent to attempt to obtain multiple ballots, or knowingly submit an absent voter ballot application containing false information or a forged signature.
Our government is based on the notion that people get to choose their elected voices. People need to have confidence that their elections are being conducted honestly, and that they can trust the results. With the secretary of state’s recent decision to mail absentee ballot request forms to every name on their lists, we need to increase efforts that ensure our elections are not compromised.
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Daley supports U.S. Department of Justice inquiry into governor’s nursing home policy
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The decision to place COVID-19-positive patients into our state’s nursing homes was a horrible policy from the start, and I joined many of my colleagues in calling on the governor to stop this life-threatening practice back in April after it became clear that healthy nursing home residents were being put at risk.
That’s why I was happy to see the U.S. Department of Justice announce it wants to review COVID-19 data from the governor as it examines executive orders during the pandemic that may have resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents.
Despite the fact that over a third of all COVID-19 deaths in Michigan occurred among nursing home patients, the governor has continued the practice in the face of objections of health care professionals and bipartisan legislation that would have banned it.
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Auto insurance reform resources
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As you know, Michigan has implemented historic, bipartisan auto insurance reform for all policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020. As you look to renew your insurance and consider which changes will be best for you, I wanted to make you aware the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) has several resources available to you.
DIFS dedicated auto insurance reform website is www.michigan.gov/autoinsurance. The website includes resources, sample forms, videos and more.
DIFS is also available to answer your specific questions via 833-ASK-DIFS (275-3437) or [email protected].
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Getting to Know Michigan coloring book
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The Getting to Know Michigan coloring book is a great activity book for young children. It’s filled with information on Michigan’s history, folklore, and state symbols.
Call or email my office to request a copy of the Getting to Know Michigan coloring book!
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While the coronavirus pandemic is improving, it is certainly not over. 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.
General information, resources, testing locations and more on Michigan’s response
www.Michigan.gov/coronavirus.
Coronavirus hotline for health-related questions, available every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1-888-535-6136
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov
1-800-232-4636
Michigan PEER Warmline, for mental health support and substance abuse challenges, available every day from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
1-888-733-7753
National suicide prevention lifeline, available 24/7
1-800-273-8255
Text TALK to 741741
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Small business resources
www.Michiganbusiness.org
1-888-522-0103
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Celebrating a special occasion?
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My office is happy to offer legislative tributes in honor of noteworthy events such as retirement, anniversaries of businesses in our community, awards and public recognitions.
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State government resources
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Michigan's 31st Senate District
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The 31th state Senate District includes all of Bay, Lapeer, and Tuscola counties.
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Senator Kevin Daley
5200 Connie B. Binsfeld Office Building
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Phone: 517-373-1777
FAX: 517-373-5871
E-Mail: [email protected]
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| Visit my website at: SenatorKevinDaley.com |
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Thank you for subscribing to my electronic newsletter! Please feel free to forward this on to others who may be interested in receiving the 31st District E-news. You may sign up for it at my website.
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