Whitmer Enacts New Legislation Affecting Healthcare and Family Support in Michigan
On Tuesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer enacted several legislative bills, which predominantly address enhancements in healthcare and family assistance programs. These measures are set to expand healthcare access, safeguard workers’ rights, and provide financial relief to Michigan residents.
Whitmer highlighted the impact of the new laws, stating, “These bills will make a real difference in people’s lives by expanding access to healthcare, protecting workers’ rights, and putting money back in Michiganders’ pockets.”
Key among the newly signed laws are Senate Bills 790 and 791, which permit home help caregivers in Michigan to unionize. These bills, introduced by Senators Kevin Hertel and Sylvia Santana, aim to restore bargaining rights for approximately 35,000 home care workers and enhance workforce training.
Senator Hertel emphasized the importance of collective bargaining, asserting, “From automotive factories to the food service industry, we’ve seen that workers can negotiate for better wages and working conditions when they’re united together as one. Individual home care workers deserve nothing less than the ability to collectively bargain just as workers in all other sectors have.”
Another significant piece of legislation, Senate Bill 701, put forward by Senator Sam Singh, focuses on improving healthcare access in rural areas by modifying funding restrictions for Michigan hospitals. The bill redefines what constitutes a rural hospital and expands eligibility to include counties with populations up to 195,000, thereby adding Livingston, Muskegon, and Saginaw counties to the list.
Senator Singh noted, “It is critical that we ensure our rural hospitals have the funding and resources they need to provide quality care to the communities that rely on them.”
Additionally, legislation designed to assist parents in caring for their children has been enacted. Senate Bill 351, sponsored by Senator Jeff Irwin, strengthens anti-discrimination protections for breastfeeding individuals, expanding the Breastfeeding Anti-discrimination Act to include public settings.
Senator Irwin stated, “The freedom to express breastmilk is critical to maintaining a healthy supply for babies.”
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 928, led by Senator Sarah Anthony, seeks to eliminate Medicaid clauses that prevent full birth expense coverage, potentially affecting 66,000 unwed births.
Senator Anthony introduced two additional bills: Senate Bill 929, which repurposes Medicaid funding to broaden care access for low-income residents, and Senate Bill 932, extending FIP cash assistance from 48 to 60 months. This move has faced criticism from House Republicans.
House Minority Leader Matt Hall criticized the extension, arguing, “After raising the income tax on every Michigan taxpayer, Democrats are expanding cash welfare and paying people not to work for up to five years.” Hall pointed out a reported 210% increase in welfare fraud since 2019.
State Representative Ann Bollin also voiced her opposition, stating that the 25% expansion of benefits exceeded reasonable expectations. “The people of Michigan believe in lending a hand to help their neighbors during tough times, but they also expect these programs to be temporary and aimed at encouraging independence,” she remarked.
This story was originally published by the Michigan Advance
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