Voter Suppression, Crisis Intervention, and More
Secure MI Vote Petition
Decline to sign! Many of you are aware of the Secure MI Vote Petition initiative circulating across the state. This is an effort to enact stricter voter ID laws that would make it harder for our seniors, disabled persons, students, low-income people, and naturalized citizens to vote. We should instead be focused on guaranteeing equitable access to the polls. When people in one community have to wait four hours to vote, and people in another can walk in and out in 10 minutes, that is not equitable access. We should be fixing this, not making it worse. If you see someone circulating one of these petitions, always ask to read the language before signing. It is unfortunately not illegal for a petition circulator to provide inaccurate or misleading information in their attempts to gain signatures. .Please be assured that I will continue to fight back against efforts to restrict the freedom to vote in Michigan. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: our elections are secure. We must uphold our democracy.
Community Crisis Response Bills Signed into Law
I was pleased to join my colleague, Sen. Rick Outman, to pass Senate Bills 637 and 638 to create a community crisis response fund and behavioral health jail diversion fund, respectively. Both bills passed the Senate and House and were signed by Governor Whitmer during the holidays. When these bills go into effect, it will make a big difference for vulnerable residents and public safety in our state. Our bills will change the way we respond to behavioral health emergencies in Michigan by ensuring people facing mental health crises get the help they need and are directed to services rather than unnecessarily spending time in jail. We know this legislation will improve public safety by helping people in crisis more effectively and with the ultimate goal of saving lives.
RESOURCES
Wayne County COVID-19 Vaccines, Boosters, and Flu Shots:
Appointments for Wayne County residents 1-866-610-3885 between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM or text "WAYNE VAX" to 48355 to make an appointment. A parent or guardian must accompany the child (18 and under) to the vaccine clinic. The parent or guardian must sign a consent form for the child to receive the vaccine. Vaccines are provided at no cost to residents. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines, and flu shots are available at all Wayne County Public Health locations.
https://www.waynecounty.com/covid19/vaccination.aspx
Warming Centers
As the weather gets colder, the City of Detroit would like to remind residents of warming centers in operation during the day. Below are 3 warming centers that are open in Senate District 1. Those seeking shelter or warming center placements should call the Coordinated Assessment Model (CAM) to explore available shelter options. Due to COVID-19, the CAM access points have moved from in-person to a call line. Please contact CAM at (313) 305-0311 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Wednesday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. CAM staff will explore alternatives to shelters or make a shelter placement referral. Both Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries warming centers will be open during CAM business hours and on holidays.
