Senator Jeff Irwin
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Sen. Irwin Introduces Bill to Give Tribes a Voice with Foster Care Review Boards
LANSING, Mich. (September 20, 2023) – Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) has introduced Senate Bill 498 to ensure that Michigan’s Foster Care Review Boards (FCRB) will work effectively with tribal governments to serve Native American children. The bill, cosponsored by...
Join me at a Coffee Hour Saturday in Saline
Dear Neighbors, Don’t forget to mark your calendar and join me for a coffee hour this Saturday! These gatherings not only give me an opportunity to provide you with important updates on my work in Lansing — but also offer a chance for you to actively engage by...
Senate District 15 Coffee Hour, Events, Legislative Update & Community Resources
Dear Neighbor, I want to make sure you’re informed about what has been going on in our state government and update you on what I’ve been working on. As always, you can reach my office at (517) 373-2406 or by replying to this email. Please join me this Saturday...
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This week in Lansing, Republicans voted to cut numerous programs midstream, declaring them all "waste, fraud, and abuse" before later admitting that they were cutting off funding for political leverage, as a "negotiating tactic." They also did this before determining whether there was actually any "waste" or "fraud" and before knowing whether charities, businesses, and local governments had already had spent state money promised to them.
So you can get an idea of what this is about, and why so many people are scrambling to react, here are some of the many specifics.
Republicans cut off funding for child advocacy centers which are places where child victims of sexual abuse are brought to so that they can get access to services and to forensic interviewing which gives them and their families the best chance for justice.
Republicans cut programs to help domestic violence survivors and veterans in shelters.
Republicans cut Wigs for Kids, providing wigs to kids fighting cancer.
Republicans cut funding to help parapros or others working in schools to become certified to teach.
And more.
It was indiscriminate and reckless politics that hurts Michigan. Pettiness and causing chaos to get headlines and leverage is wrong for our future. Let's go after waste, but we really need serious people making these decisions, not people who put partisanship before the public we are supposed to serve. ... See MoreSee Less
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Michigan Republicans cut funding for kids who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence victims, and more in a move that pulls back funding from programs that were already approved by the legislature.
The good news is that they're saying this cruel and chaotic strategy is a "negotiating tactic." ... See MoreSee Less
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Today, the Senate passed SB 700 which will stop the Unemployment Insurance Agency from pursuing repayment from people that received pandemic unemployment assistance without any evidence of fraud.
Here's what happened: the UIA has erroneously pursued collections against thousands of residents who received UIA payments legally. UIA has lost time and time again in court because they can't back up their claims of fraud. Nonetheless, they continue to bully and harass residents who committed no fraud. This largely affects gig workers, independent contractors, and low-income workers who were not previously covered by UIA Insurance. Those people are still real people and workers in Michigan, who were sidelined by the pandemic. We need to stop wasting money harassing folks who did nothing wrong.
This bill does not stop the agency from pursuing repayment from people when there is evidence of fraud.
We need to stop this wasteful spending, trying to collect debts not owed; and, stop the ways that UIA is wasting our residents time and money.
www.legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0700 ... See MoreSee Less
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