Dear Neighbor,
While it feels as if the summer just started, August is almost over and the first day of school is here for many students across our community. As we get ready to welcome a new season and a new academic year, I hope you and your family enjoy this time together and make the most of everything the Great Lakes state has to offer.
Before we officially say goodbye to the sunny days and warm weather, I want to take a moment to catch you up on some of the work our team has been up to recently. Over the last few months, we’ve been out and about in the community, connecting with constituents, while also staying busy in Lansing to deliver on your priorities — including recently passing my legislation to protect Michigan consumers. Learn about all of this and more below.
As always, please feel free to reach out to share your thoughts or seek assistance with any challenges you may be facing with state departments. You can contact us by calling (517) 373-2417 or emailing SenRBayer@senate.michigan.gov. We are here to assist you!
Sincerely,
Rosemary Bayer
State Senator
District 13
- My bipartisan bill package to protect Michigan consumers from the dangers of data breaches passed out of the Senate this past week. Learn more below.
- The Home Heating Tax Credit is a way the state of Michigan helps low-income families pay some of their heating expenses. See if you qualify before September 30.
Protecting Michiganders’ Personal Privacy
As someone who has been personally impacted by identify theft, I know firsthand about the headaches and harm that come with having your private information winding up in the wrong hands. To prevent that from happening to anyone else, I’ve been spearheading legislation at the Capitol to protect Michigan consumers by cracking down on data breaches and strengthening accountability for those who misuse our personal information.
Passed out of the Senate this past week, this bipartisan bill package would enforce stronger safeguards for companies that collect, own, or access personal data and require they investigate and notify consumers if they believe a security breach has, or may have, occurred. It would also empower the Attorney General’s office, equipping them with adequate tools to respond and investigate breaches and hold violators accountable. Learn more here.
Senate Democrats Advance Bipartisan Bills Only for Them to Stall in the House
In addition to keeping us from getting a state budget done on time, Speaker Matt Hall and House Republicans are stalling action on 49 bills that my Senate colleagues and I passed with unanimous and bipartisan support. Through extensive conversations with community members, stakeholders, and subject-matter experts, we crafted these bills to deliver real progress for Michigan families. Among these bills that are stacking up is legislation that would:
- Address Michigan’s opioid crisis by expanding access to support services and treatment options;
- Strengthen protections for our retired service members and their families, while also improving veterans’ access to the benefits they’ve earned; and,
- Allow survivors of sexual assault the opportunity to get the justice they deserve by fixing Michigan’s broken statute of limitations for civil claims and repealing immunity for educational institutions that conceal systemic abuse.
Here in the Senate, we’ll keep doing the work you sent us here to do — working together with anyone who’s serious about tackling the challenges facing our state. And we’ll continue to try and engage with our House counterparts to get them to do the same. In the meantime, you can learn more about these bills here.
Senate Hearing Uplifts Consequences of Trump’s Big “Beautiful” Bill on Michiganders
From funding freezes to massive federal layoffs and short-sighted tariffs, Michiganders and folks across the country have been feeling the impacts of the Trump administration’s reckless actions since the start of this year. More recently, Senate Democrats have been sounding the alarm on his so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that was signed into law earlier this summer.
To examine the ugly impacts of this new law on the state budget and economy, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing recently, focusing specifically on cuts being made to Medicaid and SNAP programs. State departments, educational institutions, health care providers, and advocacy organizations all showed up to testify, highlighting how these harmful federal cuts threaten the well-being of our state and all those who call it home. From blowing a massive hole in our state budget to stripping away resources for essential health care and food assistance programs, the effects of the OBBBA are as disastrous as they are far-reaching. Learn more here, and listen to what the various testifiers had to say using this link.
Rouge River Restoration
The Alliance of Rouge Communities and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) have made incredible strides in bringing the Rouge River to a much-improved state! It was a pleasure to spend some time learning and taking in the sights with Ashley Flintoff, the Executive Director of Friends of the Rouge. These projects are marvelous — conscious of nature, and intentional about working with it, as opposed to against.
Town Halls in Northville and Novi
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the recent town halls in Northville and Novi, hosted by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell! I‘m always grateful for the chance to connect, listen, and discuss the issues that matter most to our communities. Your questions, insights, and ideas help guide the work I do every day.
How to Save With the Home Heating Tax Credit
The Home Heating Tax Credit is a way the state of Michigan helps low-income families pay some of their heating expenses. This year, the average qualifying household received $180 in assistance, which is most often applied directly to residents’ utility bills. Some energy providers automatically provide claimants with a residential income assistance credit worth up to $20 monthly. With these savings, more Michiganders can have additional money in their pockets to put food on the table, afford medication, pay bills, and more.
Residents can apply for the Home Heating Tax Credit until the September 30 deadline. To qualify, residents must be a renter with a contracted lease or a homeowner and meet income requirements. You can apply for the Home Heating Tax Credit here.
New State Website to Help Michiganders Stay Protected from Wildfire Smoke
From the Upper Peninsula to the west side of the state and the east, many of us have seen and felt the far-reaching impacts of Canadian wildfires across Michigan this summer and the summers before. Just this month, Detroit was ranked third worst worldwide for major city air quality. As exposure to wildfire smoke increasingly becomes the norm here in Michigan and across the country — in large part due to the effects of climate change — it’s important for people to understand the health hazards associated with it, such as coughing, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeats, asthma attacks, and even heart failure. While wildfire smoke can affect anyone, some people are more sensitive to particle pollution, including children, older adults, people with lung or heart disease, and those who are pregnant or working outdoors.
To help Michiganders prepare for, understand, and protect themselves from the effects of wildfire smoke, the Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) developed a new webpage with resources and an interactive map that shows air quality readings at state air monitors. Residents are also encouraged to sign-up to receive air quality notifications via email or text. When the air quality is in the unhealthy range for you, EGLE suggests doing the following:
- Stay indoors, keep time outdoors short, and avoid strenuous activities.
- Wear an N-95 mask for the best protection if you must be outdoors.
- Set your air system, running forced air systems on “fan” or “cooling” and window air conditioning on “recirculate.”
- Limit indoor activities that create indoor air pollution, like frying foods and using gas-powered appliances.
- Limit outdoor activities like campfires, residential wood boilers, and gas-powered vehicles.
Learn more and stay safe by visiting their webpage: Michigan.gov/EGLEWildfireSmoke.