Traverse City Record-Eagle. March 3, 2024.
Editorial: Court action needed to break through no-fault no-fix logjam
We wonder how the members of our Michigan House of Representatives can sleep at night.
Thanks to their inaction, Senate Bills 530, 531 and 575 are languishing in the state House Committee on Insurance and Financial Services.
Radio reports from Michigan Public in Ann Arbor said recently that activists, who’ve been fighting to restore long-term care for catastrophically injured car crash survivors, have mounted a campaign calling attention to state Rep. Brenda Carter, D-Pontiac, and her inaction on bills that would restore access to care for these crash survivors.
Carter is in charge of the House Insurance and Financial Services Committee and she has declined to schedule the Senate bills for a hearing before her committee. Those bills would establish statewide reimbursement rates for long-term care services for crash victims and – finally – honor the court’s ruling to restore what the state had pledged to provide.
But Carter told Bridge Michigan she does not think the Senate bills are the right answer. “We must be cautious with drafting legislation for such a complicated system,” she said, adding that a “narrow fix” was needed that would not raise rates for those who could least afford it.
Carter has indicated she is working to develop alternate bills that would address the problem of long-term care access for survivors. No alternate plan has been made public, of course.
However, that’s beside the point.
Here’s the point: The state Supreme Court ruled on July 31, 2023, in the Andary v. USAA Casualty Insurance Co. case that the changes lawmakers enacted in 2019 to Michigan’s auto no-fault system do not apply retroactively.
So it has been made quite clear, under the law, that crash survivors – like Brittney Ruckle of Traverse City who was 9 when she was catastrophically injured – have a pre-existing contract for insurance coverage and the care they require every day. Period.
As a result of this flawed legislation, people have suffered and some have died because they did not receive the care they had paid for – care that the state had promised them.
Lawsuits were filed. Insurance companies fought these claims. The courts considered all the arguments and came back with a final ruling. The insurance companies lost. It took years to resolve.
Nearly a year ago now, the state Supreme Court ruled. The decision has been handed down. And yet state legislators still fail to act. This is unacceptable on so many levels — from the human price being paid to the realization of how badly state governance can go wrong.
The dysfunction even rises to the executive branch with the governor, who signed the original bills into law. At that time, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer even acknowledged the problems with this legislation and assured the people that fixes would be made.
So we ask: When?
And then we wonder why. Why are lawmakers so reluctant to fix laws requiring insurance companies to honor the promises that were made? Perhaps those insurance industry contributors, who support Carter’s re-election campaign with generous donations, are advising her? Does that account for the inability of legislators to act?
The next obvious question is what. What can be done?
We have an idea: The state Supreme Court could hold each and every legislator on the House Insurance and Financial Services Committee in contempt of court for failing to perform their duty to uphold the law.
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Detroit News. February 29, 2024.
Editorial: School safety bills deserve hearing
Michigan is not doing enough to prepare for and prevent another school shooting despite a bipartisan school safety bill package lingering in the Legislature now for more than a year.
It’s been two-and-a-half years since the shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead, and more than a year since the shooting at Michigan State University in which three people died.
Lawmakers and policy leaders have been sounding the alarm on vulnerabilities in the K-12 school systems and the skyrocketing mental health crisis among Michigan’s youth.
Yet Democrats continue to hold back bipartisan legislation that would organize a more unified approach to school safety and student mental health.
House Bills 4088-4100 were assigned to the House Education Committee after their introduction more than a year ago on Feb. 14, 2023, coincidentally the day after the MSU shooting.
The comprehensive school safety plan is the result of the Bipartisan School Safety Task Force, which was formed in response to the Oxford High School shooting and is based on its findings and other best practices.
It should have moved through the House committee process already, especially considering it has support from both parties.
Two weeks ago, House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Twp., introduced discharge petitions for the bill package to remove them from their current committee and move them toward a floor vote.
The motion was rejected on a voice vote. Rep. Matthew Koleszar, D-Plymouth, chair of the Education Committee, did not support their discharge.
“Safety is a top priority of this committee and I look forward to future dates,” he said. “We will give these bills a hearing after they’re ready to go as recommended by the task force.”
That’s a poor excuse. The task force completed its recommendations. Lawmakers and experts could air out issues with the bills by scheduling a committee hearing on them.
Two Democrats would need to join the five Republican members to authorize a committee meeting without approval from the chair.
But the delay calls into question whether it is a priority for Democrats to do all they can to keep kids safe at school.
The 13-bill package would establish the School Safety and Mental Health Commission to identify best practices for schools to address behavioral, physical and mental health needs through a comprehensive statewide approach.
It would dedicate school staff to student safety and mental health and require each intermediate school district (ISD) in Michigan to hire a safety and security staff to serve as points of contact for school safety plans, grant opportunities and strategies. The state would fund the positions.
The bill package would also require Michigan public schools to have safety plans and review them every three years with the ISD coordinator and to implement modern security measures.
In addition, the package would improve the OK2SAY program. Information from a confidential tip line would be placed on school ID cards for students, and reporting and tips would be passed on to coordinators and local law enforcement.
The school safety plan would require Michigan State Police to provide uniform, comprehensive security training for resource officers and all staff at Michigan schools. It would also streamline school safety terms for better communication during a crisis and require more active-shooter drills.
These are common sense protections Michigan kids deserve to have in place. Democrats are playing a reckless game by holding the legislation back.
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Iron Mountain Daily News. February 27, 2024.
Editorial: Nominations sought for Governor’s Service Awards in Michigan
The Governor’s Service Awards ceremony is an annual statewide recognition event acknowledging the contributions made by Michigan volunteers.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Community Service Commission are encouraging Michiganders to nominate individuals, businesses and organizations that have made a difference for others.
The awards honor organizations, individuals and businesses in several categories, including volunteerism, national service and philanthropy. To recognize those who go above and beyond, Michigan’s governors have presented the Governor’s Service Awards since 1994.
“Michigan has a long tradition of service and helping others,” said Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director Ginna Holmes. “We ask that you share the stories of those around you serving others and making a difference in people’s lives.”
The deadline to submit a nomination is April 5. To learn more about the awards and how to apply, go to Michigan.gov/GovernorsServiceAwards.
“The Governor’s Service Awards honor exceptional Michiganders who make Michigan a better place to live, work, and play,” said Whitmer. “By recognizing volunteers who go above and beyond, we can all be inspired by the power of their example and give back in our own ways, too. I encourage every Michigander to find a way to serve their community and submit nominations of exemplary Michiganders for these awards.”
The Michigan Community Service Commission supports Michigan volunteers, organizations and businesses that are committed to service and play a critical role in improving the lives of people and our communities.
The MCSC is also leveraging more than $21 million in federal funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities. Go to www.michigan.gov/volunteer for more information.
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