Comment: There's help to be had
for those struggling to stay warm

Winter is here, temperatures are falling and our utility bills increase as we try to keep ourselves and our families warm. Many families struggle throughout the winter with high utility bills. There are many energy company programs, as well as state and local programs, that can help with your utility costs if you meet certain criteria. No one wants you or your family to be cold this winter, so read on and see if you qualify for these program designed to keep your heat and electricity on during the coldest months of the year.

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy offer a number of programs to help customers with their energy bills. Payment assistance programs include a medical emergencies program to postpone shutoffs in the event of a medical issue, and a shut-off protection plan to spread future bills out over the year. The shut-off protection plan also includes equal monthly payments on an unpaid balance in order to avoid a shut-off.

Some consumers and all senior citizens, regardless of their income, also qualify for DTE Energy’s Winter Protection Plan. This program protects seniors and low-income customers from shut-offs between November 1 and March 31. During this period, customers must pay a portion of their estimated annual bill plus regular payments on any past-due bills. After March 31, the required bill payments will increase to cover winter bills. For more information on any of these programs call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050, and DTE Energy at 800-477-4747. read more...

Comment: $34M in local funding cuts
undermine Michigan's educational future

As many Michigan citizens face difficult budget decisions this year, so does state government. Many of my constituents have contacted me in support of our public schools in this challenging budget year. It’s not only what most concerns people in our community; it’s what most concerns people in Michigan.

In October, the legislature passed a K-12 budget that cuts per pupil spending by $165. On October 22, those numbers became even higher when Governor Granholm issued an additional cut of $127 per pupil that will take effect later this month unless the Legislature restores the money, through cuts to other programs or through tax increases.

Additionally, Governor Granholm has issued a line-item veto that eliminates 20j “hold harmless” funding, hitting school districts that the state promised would not lose money when Proposal A passed. read more...

United we stand, and united we serve

In June, Gov. Jennifer Granholm helped kick off the United We Serve Campaign in Michigan. United We Serve is a program initiated by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to encourage volunteerism. As our state works through these difficult times, I too would like to encourage you to offer a helping hand in our communities.

United We Serve is an organized effort asking people to become volunteers. If you visit the website, or the Michigan Community Service Commission's, you will find volunteer opportunities in your communities. But there is also much that you can do on your own. All you really need to be a volunteer is a little time out of your day, a kind heart and knowledge of what your community needs.

We all have memories of our parents helping out family, neighbors, or at our schools. Many of us have our own stories of volunteering and how those activities have changed our lives for the better. Recently the needs in our communities have grown even greater as Michigan, and the country, works through a tough economy and toward recovery. read more...

A few thoughts for the graduates

This was a remarkable week for me and my family. I am proud to share that my youngest granddaughter graduated from high school on Thursday, and I am so very proud of her.

I know that many of us are celebrating middle school, high school and college graduations during this season, and I wish all of our graduates the best as they move on to the next phase of their lives. You’ve conquered a remarkable goal, and you should be proud.

I hope our young graduates will spare me a moment to share some thoughts with them–and with the rest of us, as well. read more...

Michigan needs smoke-free workplaces

I am pleased to see that smoke-free work site legislation is once again moving in the Michigan legislature. The Michigan House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 4377. This bill would prohibit most workplace smoking, but still allow smoking in gambling areas of casinos, cigar bars, tobacco specialty retail stores, and home offices. The Senate also has a smoke-free work site bill, Senate Bill 114, which I have co-sponsored, that would create smoke-free work sites with no exemptions. read more...

Let homebuilding be our legacy

Recently I had the honor of being named Public Official of the Year by Habitat for Humanity. Everyone likes awards and recognition, but ultimately they are not what we are remembered for. The legacy we leave behind depends on our actions, not the trophies, plaques, and certificates we accumulate. I have worked with Habitat for Humanity for a number of years now, and I plan to keep doing so, to help put hardworking families into good homes. read more...

Legislation aims to protect residents from heat shut-offs

Recently, my Senate colleagues and I introduced a  bipartisan legislative package that will protect Michigan residents by banning dangerous winter utility shut-offs and regulating other shut-off practices. Nearly everyone in the state is familiar with the tragic death of an elderly Bay City man who froze to death in his home after a service limiter was installed. Tragedy struck again later when two children died in a Fruitport Township house fire caused by kerosene heaters that were being used to heat the home after the gas company had shut off their service.

No one should die because of an unpaid utility bill, and no individual or family should go without utilities during our coldest winter months. The Winter Shut-off Protection Package protects customers while instituting a ban on utility shut-offs during the winter months and establishing universal shut-off procedures for utilities to follow when a customer is behind on their bill.

During these dangerously cold winter months, I have been contacted by so many – too many – constituents on the verge of having their heat turned off because they cannot pay their bill. Many of these have been seniors or families with children. We need to extend additional protection to these citizens during the winter to guarantee that no one freezes to death on our watch.

My bill in this package, Senate Bill 326, would ban the use of service limiters, like the one that recently caused the death in Bay City, until the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) develops proper, uniform standards regarding their use. Marvin Schur, a 93-year-old World War II veteran, was found frozen to death in his home earlier this year after Bay City Electric Light & Power, a municipal utility not subject to MPSC rules, placed an electric limiter on his home. This is exactly the kind of tragedy that this new legislation would help prevent.

The other bills in the Winter Shut-off Protection Package would:

·      Permanently outlaw winter shut-offs for all utilities from December 1 to March 31;

·      Require a utility company to give all customers at least 15 days notice before shutoff through a certified letter or delivery of a shutoff notice in person before cutting power, and;

·      Expand the authority of the MPSC to include all utilities, including municipalities, for regulating shutoffs.

The package will also require a utility provider to include information on government, company or other assistance programs that are available with any utility service shut-off notice, and establish penalties for improperly shutting off a utility service. This may include a fine to the utility company that goes into the Low Income & Energy Efficiency Fund, which provides shut-off and other protections for low-income consumers and promotes energy efficiency, as well as possibly ordering a customer refund.

With this legislation we are seeking to act swiftly to protect Michigan residents during the brutally cold winter months. These are common sense guidelines for customers and utility providers to follow. These bills are currently in the Senate Committee on Energy Policy and Public Utilities. I will work with my colleagues to see that they move quickly so that no one will face a utility shut-off during the next Michigan winter.

Sen. Scott represents Michigan's 2nd Senate district, which includes portions of Detroit as well as Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods and all five Grosse Pointes. She serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Visit her online.

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