No. 61
STATE OF MICHIGAN
Journal of the Senate
97th Legislature
REGULAR SESSION OF 2013
Senate Chamber, Lansing, Wednesday, July 3, 2013.
10:00 a.m.
The Senate was called to order by the President, Lieutenant Governor Brian N. Calley.
The roll was called by the Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.
Ananich—present Hood—present Pappageorge—excused
Anderson—present Hopgood—present Pavlov—present
Bieda—present Hune—present Proos—excused
Booher—present Hunter—present Richardville—present
Brandenburg—present Jansen—excused Robertson—present
Casperson—excused Johnson—present Rocca—present
Caswell—present Jones—present Schuitmaker—excused
Colbeck—present Kahn—excused Smith—present
Emmons—present Kowall—present Walker—present
Green—present Marleau—excused Warren—present
Gregory—present Meekhof—present Whitmer—present
Hansen—present Moolenaar—present Young—present
Hildenbrand—present Nofs—present
Senator Goeffrey M. Hansen of the 34th District offered the following invocation:
Almighty God, through whom we live and move and have our being, hear us pray. You have made the earth and all our people with grateful hearts, and we thank You for this beautiful state.
We stand before You as representatives of the people of Michigan, asking You to put Your mighty hand upon us as we try to bring our state back to the glory it once knew. We ask for You to give us courage and wisdom to make decisions that are right for each of our districts.
Lord, let us put all of the partisanship in the past, and put the people of Michigan first, as we move the state forward. We pray that we always may serve You by serving our fellow citizens, and we give You thanks for putting us in this place of humble servitude.
In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
The President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, led the members of the Senate in recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Motions and Communications
The following communication was received:
Unemployment Insurance Agency
June 7, 2013
In accordance with Section 28m(2) of the Michigan Employment Security Act, being MCL 421.28m(2), the Unemployment Insurance Agency is required to report to the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate when approval or disapproval is received from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) for the “Shared-Work Plan” enacted but the Legislature as Act No. 216 of the Public Acts of 2012, codified at MCL 421.28b to 421.281.
By letter dated May 28, 2013, the USDOL notified the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs of its approval of the Agency’s Plan (which they refer to as the “Short-time Compensation” Plan). A copy of their letter of approval is attached.
While the USDOL found Michigan’s law to be in conformity with federal requirements, be advised that the federal budget sequester affects the amount of anticipated federal reimbursements. When PA 216 was enacted, the federal government was to temporarily reimburse the Agency for 100% of the benefit charges. Sequestration, however, reduced the federal reimbursement to 94.9%. See, UIPL 13-13 (March 8, 2013), p. 4. As a consequence, employer participation in STC will not be “free” as originally anticipated. Rather, participating employers will be charged for 5.1% of the amount of benefits paid.
Respectfully submitted,
Shaun Thomas
Acting Director
The communication was referred to the Secretary for record.
The following communication was received:
Michigan Employees’ Retirement System
June 26, 2013
Enclosed is a copy of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Year Ending December 31, 2012. I am providing this to you as required by the requirements of the MERS Plan Document and MCL 38.1536(2)(f).
We are a state wide nonprofit organization that serves over 800 municipalities. As a multi-employer agent retirement system, assets of the participating employers are pooled for investment purposes only, and separate trusts are maintained for each individual employer. As of December 31, 2011, the average defined benefit funding ratio of 706 municipalities was 81%.
We are also partnering with our municipalities to find answers to their budget challenges, by helping them implement cost-reducing strategies such as the Bridged Benefit program for existing employees, adopting new plan provisions for new hires, or even changing plans on a going forward basis.
We also offer Defined Contribution and Hybrid retirement plans, in which over 200 municipalities participate in. To assist with OPEB liabilities, we offer a Health Care Savings Program and Retiree Health Funding Vehicle. These are just a few of the important ways we help municipalities reduce their costs.
The report can also be found on our website at: www.mersofmich.com . We hope that you find the report informative.
Chris DeRose
Chief Executive Officer
The communication was referred to the Secretary for record.
The following communication was received:
Department of State Police
June 27, 2013
The 2012 Michigan Annual Drunk Driving Audit provides detailed information concerning traffic fatalities and injuries, as well as arrest activities that are part of ongoing efforts to reduce drunk driving in our state. Alcohol and/or drug related fatal crashes remain a significant traffic safety issue, with approximately 36.1 percent of the total fatal crashes involving alcohol and/or drugs.
The crash data displayed for each county are 2012 traffic crash statistics. The Michigan Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center, maintains the state’s central repository for all crash data collected in Michigan. The crash data is housed in the Traffic Crash Reporting System and the Drunk Driving Audit is created using this data.
A reportable crash in Michigan is defined as: a motor vehicle that is in transport on the roadway that results in death, injury or property damage of $1,000 or more. In addition, a crash is reported for any snowmobile or off-road vehicle (ORV) with damage of $100 or more, whether on the roadway or off the roadway.
The Michigan Annual Drunk Driving Audit was compiled with information and data provided by the Michigan Department of State Police, the Michigan Department of State, and the Michigan Department of Transportation. We appreciate the teamwork, assistance and dedication of each of these departments in helping to make Michigan’s roads safe. We look forward to our continued partnership.
Questions regarding Section I (Traffic Crash and Arrest Data) should be directed to the Michigan Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center, Traffic Crash Reporting Section at (517) 241-1699. Questions regarding Section II (Conviction Disposition Data) should be directed to the Michigan Department of State at (517) 322-1598.
As you review this report, please feel free to contact the Traffic Crash Reporting Section at (517) 241-1699 with your suggestions and ideas.
Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue
Director
The communication was referred to the Secretary for record.
The following communications were received:
State Budget Office
June 28, 2013
This letter transmits the “Statement of the Proportion of Total State Spending From State Sources Paid to Units of Local Government - Legal Basis” for fiscal year 2012, which has been prepared in accordance with Sections 18.1115(5), 18.1303-18.1305, 18.1349, 18.1350, 18.1497, and 18.1498 of the Michigan Compiled Laws for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with Article 9, Section 30 of the Michigan Constitution.
The computed percentage of total state spending from state sources paid to local governments for fiscal year 2012 is 55.08%, which is $1.7 billion more than the minimum required.
The statement has been reviewed by the Office of the Auditor General and a copy of their independent accountant’s review letter is enclosed.
If you have questions regarding this report, please contact Mr. Michael J. Moody, Director, Office of Finanicial Management, at 373-1010.
June 28, 2013
Transmitted under this cover is a schedule entitled “Statement of Revenue Subject to Constitutional Limitation - Legal Basis.” The statement is submitted pursuant to Sections 18.1350(a) through 18.1350(e) of the Michigan Compiled Laws for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with Article 9, Sections 26 and 33 of the Michigan Constitution for the fiscal year 2012.
The statement has been reviewed by the Office of the Auditor General and a copy of the independent accountant’s review is enclosed.
If you have questions regarding this report, please contact Mr. Michael J. Moody, Director, Office of Financial Management, at 373-1010.
Sincerely,
John E. Nixon, C.P.A.
State Budget Director
The communications were referred to the Secretary for record.
The Secretary announced that pursuant to Rule 2.109 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following expense reports have been filed with the Secretary of the Senate for the quarter from January 1, 2013 through March 31, 2013, and are available in the Secretary’s office during business hours for public inspection:
Committee Chairperson
Agriculture Senator Joe Hune
Appropriations Senator Roger Kahn
Banking and Financial Institutions Senator Darwin Booher
Economic Development Senator Mike Kowall
Education Senator Phil Pavlov
Energy and Technology Senator Mike Nofs
Families, Seniors and Human Services Senator Judy Emmons
Finance Senator Jack Brandenburg
Government Operations Senator Randy Richardville
Health Policy Senator Jim Marleau
Insurance Senator Joe Hune
Judiciary Senator Rick Jones
Local Government and Elections Senator David Robertson
Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes Senator Tom Casperson
Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Senator Goeff Hansen
Redistricting Senator Joe Hune
Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Senator Mark Jansen
Regulatory Reform Senator Tory Rocca
Transportation Senator Tom Casperson
Veterans, Military Affairs and Homeland Security Senator John Moolenaar
The Secretary announced that the following House bill was received in the Senate and filed on Thursday, June 20:
House Bill No. 4707
The Secretary announced the enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor on Thursday, June 20, for his approval the following bills:
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 175 at 10:42 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 27 at 10:44 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 79 at 10:46 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 256 at 10:48 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 150 at 10:50 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 341 at 10:52 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 342 at 10:54 a.m.
The Secretary announced the enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor on Friday, June 21, for his approval the following bill:
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 163 at 10:10 a.m.
The Secretary announced the enrollment printing and presentation to the Governor on Wednesday, June 26, for his approval the following bills:
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 264 at 11:20 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 284 at 11:22 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 301 at 11:24 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 380 at 11:26 a.m.
Enrolled Senate Bill No. 383 at 11:28 a.m.
The Secretary announced that the following bills were printed and filed on Thursday, June 20, and are available at the Michigan Legislature website:
Senate Bill No. 439
House Bill Nos. 4847 4848 4849 4850 4851 4852
The Secretary announced that the following bills were printed and filed on Friday, June 21, and are available at the Michigan Legislature website:
Senate Bill Nos. 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448
House Bill Nos. 4853 4854 4855 4856 4857 4858 4859 4860 4861 4862 4863 4864 4865 4866
4867 4868 4869 4870 4871 4872 4873 4874 4875 4876 4877 4878 4879 4880
4881 4882 4883 4884 4885 4886 4887 4888 4889 4890
Senator Green entered the Senate Chamber.
Senator Meekhof moved that Senators Jansen, Marleau, Pappageorge, Proos, Schuitmaker, Casperson and Kahn be excused from today’s session.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Hunter moved that the Committee on Government Operations be discharged from further consideration of the following bill:
House Bill No. 4714, entitled
A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled “The social welfare act,” by amending sections 105, 105a, 106, 107, 108, and 109c (MCL 400.105, 400.105a, 400.106, 400.107, 400.108, and 400.109c), section 105 as amended by 1980 PA 321, section 105a as added by 1988 PA 438, sections 106 and 107 as amended by 2006 PA 144, and section 109c as amended by 1994 PA 302, and by adding sections 105c and 105d.
On which motion Senator Hunter requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The motion did not prevail, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows:
Roll Call No. 332 Yeas—12
Ananich Gregory Hunter Smith
Anderson Hood Johnson Warren
Bieda Hopgood Jones Whitmer
Nays—18
Booher Green Meekhof Richardville
Brandenburg Hansen Moolenaar Robertson
Caswell Hildenbrand Nofs Rocca
Colbeck Hune Pavlov Walker
Emmons Kowall
Excused—7
Casperson Kahn Pappageorge Schuitmaker
Jansen Marleau Proos
Not Voting—1
Young
In The Chair: President
Senators Whitmer, Hopgood and Bieda asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Whitmer’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to call on the Senate Republican majority to end their political posturing and take action on House Bill No. 4714 to expand Medicaid to 470,000 Michigan residents currently without health care. We, Senate Democrats, have been calling for action on this issue since 2012. We were fully prepared to vote on it on June 20, and we are here and ready today to vote on it now. The people of Michigan who support Medicaid expansion are tired of seeing the Senate Republican majority holding up good legislation, and we are demanding action now, today, both here in the Gallery today and back home in all of our districts across the state.
During this debate, I fear that my colleagues across the aisle have forgotten what this issue is really about—people; people in need and people we have the power to help. Are they in need tomorrow? No, they are in need today. Hence, the urgency of this issue.
I would like to share the story of one such person here in my district who is with us up here in the east Gallery to show her support for Medicaid expansion. Her name is Marie Martinez, and she is 37 years old and lives in Lansing. She’s currently one of the nearly half a million uninsured Michigan adults who will benefit from the expansion of Medicaid.
Marie is single. She works two part-time jobs, totaling 30 hours a week, as an administrative assistant at a mental health clinic and substance abuse treatment center. She is also studying online for a bachelor’s degree in music that she hopes to finish at the University of Michigan. Without comprehensive health care coverage today, Marie is already careful about what activities she chooses. In fact, she turned down an invitation to join a soccer team, a healthy activity we should be encouraging, because she was so worried that she would get injured; an injury that would result in emergency treatment, because she has no health care coverage. As she told the Michigan League for Public Policy, “The fact that I have to worry about money before my health is horrible. It’s a pretty terrible feeling to think that just because I don’t have enough money, I can’t get the health care I need. It’s frustrating and it’s very scary.”
Without the expansion of Medicaid, which we have the power to pass today in this chamber, Marie and others will rely on county health plans and could eventually lose what health care coverage they do have. By expanding Medicaid in Michigan, Marie and others like her will receive full health care coverage including mental health treatment and hospital care covered 100 percent by available federal funds for their first three jobs.
Marie says that working as an administrative assistant at a substance abuse center gives her a window to use the emergency care, but those in treatment are often uninsured. You know what happens when we have so many uninsured people in our state, Mr. President—we all pay. We all pay.
People like Marie know the importance of this issue and so does the Governor and so does the House. The Senate Republicans stand alone in their ignorance and obstinance.
Just look around you. We’re here today, because of the Senate Republican’s inaction, trying to debate one of the most critically-important issues we have in front of us; as legislators with only two microphones, no cameras, and practically without a floor to stand on. Now, you’ve locked the people out of Capitol so they couldn’t see what was taking place during right to work, and now we are seeing you’re trying to debate an issue that affects half a million people who can’t even see it.
Please, colleagues, join us in voting to discharge this bill from committee. We can’t afford to wait.
Senator Hopgood’s statement is as follows:
I rise today to speak to the urgency of discharging the Medicaid expansion bill from committee. There are 130,234 uninsured people in Wayne County alone who will gain health care coverage if we enact this legislation.
The following stories provide a sampling of who these residents are:
A 19-year-old Wayne State student from Wyandotte, who is estranged from her family, was able to receive health care through Healthy Kids, a Medicaid program for low-income children. After graduating high school, she enrolled at Wayne State and worked a part-time job, taking all the right steps to better herself. Unfortunately, when she turned 19, she was removed from the Healthy Kids program, causing her to be moved into a Medicaid-deductible account. She will now have to pay the first $202 a month in medical bills before Medicaid will take effect, even though the only thing that changed was her age. What’s worse is when the student turns 21, she will no longer even qualify for the $202 a month deductible. She will have to enter her senior year of college with no health care at all.
If we pass Medicaid expansion now, she will qualify for full-coverage Medicaid and have the care she needs while finishing school and working toward becoming self-sufficient.
Another example in Taylor shows the urgency of this issue. A disabled constituent seeking Medicaid was denied by the state, claiming that he was not disabled. He filed an appeal. In the meantime, however, he was diagnosed with a bowel obstruction that required surgery, but he was unable to afford insurance. Due to bureaucratic issues, he had to wait several months for his appeal to be processed; during which time, he applied for the adult benefit waivers programs only to find out that they were either full, too expensive, or unable to offer the level of care he needed. Finally, after almost a year of waiting, the state determined he was, in fact, disabled. His appeal was approved and he was granted Medicaid.
With Medicaid expansion, a situation like this would never have happened because the constituent would only have to prove his income and not his disability. Instead of going through months of bureaucratic red tape trying to prove his disability, all while having to live with a serious medical condition, he would have gotten the care he needed much sooner.
Medicaid expansion will even help those on Medicare, showing the urgency once more of this issue. In Ecorse, a senior was receiving Medicare, but her prescriptions were being covered by Medicaid. Her Social Security payments increased from $940 per month to $955.90 per month. This put her $4.90 over the limit, causing her to be put into a Medicaid-deductible. She now has to cover the first $560 of her medical bills before Medicaid will cover anything. As you can imagine, this puts an incredible strain on her already-limited budget.
With Medicaid expansion, an increased income limit will allow this constituent to be put back on full-coverage Medicaid.
These are just a few of the stories of the individuals whose lives will change dramatically if we enact this critically-important legislation. These stories are not unique to my district. There are hundreds of thousands like them across the state. I urge you to consider these individuals before you adjourn for the summer.
Senator Bieda’s statement is as follows:
The issue before us today is the discharge of House Bill No. 4714. It really should be a no-brainer for everybody, since we came in today with the carpet ripped up and the moonscape of a landscape that we’re dealing with. We have to take a look at what this means to the taxpayers of Michigan. Our failure to act on this bill will cost the state money. It will cost the taxpayers money. It will cost insurance holders money. It will cost the uninsured their lives.
As I thought about the debate we’re having, I was reminded of a very specific Medicaid case that came to my office. This constituent had been diagnosed with tongue cancer, stage 4. He was not able to work because of his condition, and he was emotionally devastated and embarrassed by his situation, which was horrendous. He was scared because he did not have any health insurance or source of income. He was told by his doctors that he had to begin treatment immediately or his chances of survival would drop dramatically.
We can make a difference in this person’s life. We can make a difference in a lot of people’s lives around this state. I urge the Senate to join with me in voting to discharge House Bill No. 4714.
Senator Meekhof moved that when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned until Wednesday, July 17, at 10:00 a.m.; when the Senate adjourns on July 17, it stand adjourned until Wednesday, July 31, at 10:00 a.m.; when the Senate adjourns on July 31, it stand adjourned until Wednesday, August 14, at 10:00 a.m.; and when the Senate adjourns on August 14, it stand adjourned until Tuesday, August 27, at 12:00 noon.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Meekhof moved that the Senate adjourn.
On which motion Senator Hunter requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The motion prevailed, a majority of the members voting therefor, as follows, the time being 10:59 a.m.:
Roll Call No. 333 Yeas—19
Booher Green Kowall Richardville
Brandenburg Hansen Meekhof Robertson
Caswell Hildenbrand Moolenaar Rocca
Colbeck Hune Nofs Walker
Emmons Jones Pavlov
Nays—11
Ananich Gregory Hunter Warren
Anderson Hood Johnson Whitmer
Bieda Hopgood Smith
Excused—7
Casperson Kahn Pappageorge Schuitmaker
Jansen Marleau Proos
Not Voting—1
Young
In The Chair: President
Senator Young entered the Senate Chamber.
Protests
Senators Hood, Hopgood, Gregory, Johnson, Bieda, Anderson, Warren, Whitmer, Smith and Hunter, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the motion to adjourn.
Senator Hood’s statement, in which Senator Hopgood concurred, is as follows:
I rise to give my “no” vote explanation on adjourning without voting on Medicaid expansion.
As you know, the expansion of Medicaid would provide benefits for hundreds of thousands of Michigan citizens. I was recently contacted by a constituent who has a son whose quality of life was greatly altered by the Medicaid coverage that he qualified for. This constituent’s son has spina bifida. As a result of spina bifida and other complications, the son requires a special standing wheelchair as prescribed by his doctors to help the young man function throughout the day in an upright position. As opposed to a normal sitting wheelchair, a standing wheelchair provides several benefits to him that encourage his body to function properly and prevent complications that would ordinarily occur while in a normal seated wheelchair for extended periods of time. Standing wheelchairs are quite expensive, but provide a great deal of preventative care to the patient.
This constituent was not able to afford the chair, but Medicaid was able to provide the coverage to make the chair accessible for his family. It is estimated that approximately 4,712 people in Michigan suffer from spina bifida, today, many of whom would likely benefit tremendously from the enactment of Medicaid expansion. The question is: Will you do what needs to be done today in order to benefit these individuals tomorrow? Shouldn’t each and every one of these citizens have access to a wheelchair that so greatly improves one’s quality of life?
For these individuals and countless others, I urge my colleagues to vote on Medicaid expansion legislation today. Let’s not put this vote off any longer. Our job is to help those who need our help, and that’s what we should be doing today. Look at the Gallery; look outside; listen to the press; read the news articles—the people of the state of Michigan are speaking. The question is: Are we listening? Pass the Medicaid expansion bill, and let’s not wait any longer.
Senator Gregory’s statement is as follows:
By expanding Medicaid for Michigan residents who are under 133 percent of the federal poverty level, as many as 470,000 currently uninsured residents will have health care coverage by 2021. Michigan’s uninsured population would drop by about 46 percent.
A constituent of mine recently contacted my office to voice her support of Medicaid expansion. She identified herself as a Republican and had actually contacted a neighboring Oakland County Republican Senator’s office initially, but was referred to our office because she lives in our district. She is a single, divorced mother with three children, including one child with disabilities. The woman said she has worked all her adult life and is currently working, but still earning just enough to get by. Additionally, her employer does not provide health insurance. She had to move in with her mother following her divorce, and her estranged husband is not providing financial help for raising her children.
She said she applied for medical assistance with the Department of Human Services, but was denied, citing excess income. However, she was eligible for food assistance of $200 per month. The woman has several major health issues and can’t believe she doesn’t qualify for medical help when her children were provided medical coverage and the family qualifies for food assistance. The DHS caseworker told her that if the Legislature passed the Medicaid expansion legislation, she could get help.
My constituent said that her conditions are only worsening because she currently can’t afford to see a doctor or to pay for the medications she needs. Of course, my office directed her to several agencies for assistance with medical care and prescription costs to help this woman and her family in the meantime, but Medicaid expansion offers a permanent solution.
As this one woman’s story illustrates, the need for Medicaid expansion transcends partisan lines. At this point, I would urge all of my Senate Republican colleagues to reconsider waiting on the passage of Medicaid expansion any further.
Senator Johnson’s statement is as follows:
The Kalamazoo Gazette wrote an editorial that was published on Sunday, June 30, that outlined exactly why the time is now to pass Medicaid expansion. I would hope that all of my colleagues, especially the Senator from the 20th District, will take the time to read this editorial, if they have not already.
Since the clock is ticking on passing this legislation in time to seek a federal waiver, I would like to highlight some of the most important facts mentioned in this piece. Given the current state of Michigan’s economy and the ever urgent need to focus on saving the state and taxpayers money, we must account for what our inaction today could, in fact, mean.
As the editorial points out, “right now, Michigan hospitals provide about $880 million a year in care to patients who can’t pay, costs that end up getting absorbed by taxpayers and those who do have insurance. It is estimated that up to $1,000 of health-care premiums for a family of four is a ‘hidden tax’ to cover uncompensated care.”
Why are we delaying providing relief for families and saving them from unnecessary expenses? Some of my colleagues have urged delaying this issue because they want to examine the cost to the state of Michigan, but that is not a valid reason to delay its passage. As the Senate Fiscal Agency says, “even in the worst-case scenario,” Mr. President, “the proposed expansion of Medicaid would result in large GF/GP savings during the first five years, with the net GF/GP costs from January 2013 onward not exceeding savings until the 10th year of the expansion.” Hiding behind cost must not be used as a reason to delay taking a vote any longer. Again, to quote the report: “As the SFA has stated more than once, the decision on whether to approve the Medicaid expansion will be a matter of policy, not fiscal impact.”
We also cannot afford to delay any longer based on political ideology. As the Gazette editorial rightly points out, “rejecting the Medicaid expansion doesn’t really hurt President Obama. It hurts 400,000 Michigan people who currently don’t have health-care coverage. It hurts insured working people, who are currently subsidizing those emergency room visits when uninsured people do get sick or they get injured. It hurts the state budget and the state economy, which will fail to benefit from the influx of federal dollars.” It also hurts my feelings, when I go home and have to communicate to the citizens of Highland Park and Detroit why this chamber continues to play politics with a policy that is so vitally important to their everyday health, welfare, and safety.
Mr. President, for all these reasons and for the very well-being of our Michiganders, we should have acted today to pass reasonable Medicaid expansion in this great state.
Senator Bieda’s statement is as follows:
Mr. President, it is very disheartening to see this delay on this vote. The House has already acted in a bipartisan fashion in passing this legislation. The Governor has indicated, I think, quite strongly and emphatically that he plans to sign this. There is support for this legislation, and we should be voting on it.
I can’t help but marvel at what is happening here in the chamber. It’s all ripped apart. As I was looking down, I happened to notice this caution tag, it goes all the way around. I know we have a prohibition on having signs here, but I couldn’t help but think about how ironic this was. Our failure to act today is going to cost the state money. It’s going to cost taxpayers money. It’s going to cost insurance holders money. More importantly, it very well may cause lives to be lost. I think if you take a look at this caution sign, you really ought to consider what we are voting on and what we are leaving on the table today, because time does make a difference. It makes a difference in lives; it makes a difference in the financial well-being of this state.
Senator Anderson’s statement is as follows:
Moving this legislation now will benefit 470,000 uninsured Michigan residents, but you don’t have to take my word for it. There are countless stories of people we represent—and you represent across the aisle—who are depending on this legislation to survive and avoid exorbitant debt in medical costs; people like Jo Ann Burgett from St. Clair County—not from my county, but from someone across the aisle—who is here today in the north Gallery. Jo Ann is a national spokeswoman for WomenHeart and a support network coordinator as well as a You’re the Cure advocate for the American Heart Association. During a heart catheter procedure on July 1, 2002, Ms. Burgett flat lined three times. In 2008, she lost her health care coverage when she left her employment. Due to her lack of health insurance, she went over 18 months without medication.
She did not qualify for Medicaid because she was receiving minimum unemployment benefits. She knew her health was gradually deteriorating so, in her words, she “swallowed her pride” and went to the People’s Clinic. It was necessary for her to go there at 12:30 a.m. or 1:00 a.m. and wait in line until the clinic opened the next morning at 7:30 a.m. It was March and it was below freezing. Ms. Burgett said that if you were not the first 10 to 15 people to arrive, you were sent away without seeing anyone.
After waiting in line and then having her paperwork processed, an evaluation by a social worker, and her vital signs taken by a nurse, she was still waiting to see the doctor at 10:00 a.m. As a result of the nurse’s evaluation of Ms. Burgett’s vitals, she was informed by the doctor that he had ordered an ambulance to take her to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital emergency room. The doctor told her she was either having a heart attack or a stroke.
Despite her dire situation, Ms. Burgett said she was reluctant to take an ambulance and even considered driving herself to the hospital due to the high costs and her lack of insurance. After being released from the hospital with proper medication, Ms. Burgett was required to visit the People’s Clinic monthly to refill her medications.
According to Ms. Burgett, “I am just one of thousands of women in America who die or are in near-death situations and have to go to the emergency room for care because we cannot afford to see a cardiologist on a regular basis or purchase medications that are necessary to save our lives. One American dies of cardiovascular disease every 40 seconds, and it takes the lives of more than 2,150 Americans each day.”
How many of those deaths could be prevented by adequate health care, proper diagnosis, and treatment? It is absolutely vital that we take the time to return and resolve these issues with this Medicaid expansion crisis. There is not 40 seconds to waste. While Jo Ann’s story is harrowing, there are 470,000 more like it that are going to continue until we pass Medicaid expansion in Michigan. Simply put, we need to get this done and as soon as possible, and adjourning now only delays that. We have the votes to do this today, and that’s why I voted against the adjournment of session. We have a quorum, and we have the Gallery filled with supporters today. People like Jo Ann Burgett’s lives hang in the balance, and we should not delay on this important legislation any further. Today, the Michigan Senate let Jo Ann Burgett and let the people of Michigan down.
Senator Warren’s statement is as follows:
We have all heard the numbers; we all know that there are 470,000 Michiganders without insurance today who could be covered if we took action to pass a policy that passed the House with broad bipartisan support. We know that there is an investment, a partnership from the federal government that would allow this state to draw down hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the next several years. In addition to doing what is morally right and covering our citizens who don’t have coverage, we would also be saving the state money. We would be able to bank that money for future health care uses.
You have heard my colleagues start to tell you some stories that they know from their districts. I also have one to share. There is a student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in the district that I represent, named Ryan Menhennick. He wasn’t born and raised in Ann Arbor like a lot of us. He came to Michigan to go to school, but he was born and raised in our good colleague from the 38th District’s Upper Peninsula. He was emancipated at age 16, so he wasn’t on his parent’s insurance. His grandparents raised him but could not afford to add him to their insurance. When Ryan went to the University of Michigan, his very first week there he got an eye infection. He ended up in the quality care they provide in the University of Michigan Health System, but he found out after getting the care he needed that he owed $4,000 in medical bills. He had no money to pay for those and neither did his grandparents who were doing everything that they could to help him get by as a freshman at the University of Michigan. The folks of the University Health System helped him figure out how to apply for Medicaid and retroactively get those bills covered.
So, right now, he is one of the lucky ones, but he will be 20 in eight months, and at age 20, under current policies, he will be dropped from Medicaid. Without this expansion, he will be in the same place he was one year ago with no health insurance, wondering whether or not he should go get care and whether or not he will be able to pay those bills if he does. Because he is only a sophomore, he doesn’t yet have a full-time job with an employer that might provide him health care benefits, and he doesn’t make enough income to actually purchase them on the open market. But Ryan is doing everything that we want him to do. He’s working hard; he’s going to school; he’s getting good grades; and hopefully, someday soon he will join the ranks where he can provide for himself or have an employer maybe who helps participate in providing that coverage. But until that moment, he could use a little help from us.
Colleagues, it’s incredibly disappointing to me that we wouldn’t stay here and debate this policy. If there are questions that need to be asked, let’s ask them. If there are answers that need to be found, let’s find them. But people like Ryan and the 469,999 other individuals in this state who are waiting for us to act deserve us to stay here in this Capitol and get that work done.
Senator Whitmer’s statement, in which Senators Smith and Hunter concurred, is as follows:
It is very hard to hear in here with this bare floor, but I just wanted to make it clear to the people who did come down here today. There are constituents from all across the state who are here. For some of them, their Senators are here, and some of them, they are not, but the people of the state of Michigan want us to do our job.
Now there were two substantive votes that we took today; one was whether or not to discharge Medicaid expansion and pass it, and send it to the Governor’s desk. We Democrats voted “yes.” The other is whether or not to go home. We Democrats voted “no.” So I want to make it very clear what happened today. We are united on this side of the aisle. We are ready to work. We are here to work. We know that time is of the essence, and it is the right thing to do. We also want to tell the public this is not over.
The Governor said yesterday in a town hall meeting that this is a matter of lives. We agree with him, and as the Governor recently learned, it is not enough to take a stand. You must stand and fight, and that is what we are here to do. We implore you to continue to do that with us—stand and fight. The fact that we are here today is a small victory, but it is by no means over. We have to continue this campaign to get this Legislature to come to work and do the right thing.
In pursuance of the order previously made, the President, Lieutenant Governor Calley, declared the Senate adjourned until Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.
CAROL MOREY VIVENTI
Secretary of the Senate
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