Michigan Senators Adopt Moratorium on Water Shutoffs! Urge Rep. Chatfield & Your MI Rep. to Say YES to SB241
By MUUSJN on Monday, December 14th, 2020
Urge Rep. Lee Chatfield & Your Rep.to Vote for SB 241
Which Prevents Water Shutoffs & Turns Families’ Water Back On
BACKGROUND: According to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, there are over 317,000 Michigan households who are behind on their water bills and are at risk of having their water shut off during the COVID pandemic. How will they wash their hands to protect their families — and the rest of us — during this national emergency?
Earlier this year, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (at the urging of water advocates) issued an Executive Order that put a moratorium on water shutoffs and required local water providers to restore water to these low income families without water. Michigan received $25 million in CARES Act funding to reimburse over 90 Michigan communities for this expense. This is not just a Detroit or a Flint problem! Here’s a LINK to charts that show how many households have water bills in arrears in Michigan Republican Representatives’ districts and funds granted to assist such families.
However, on October 2nd, our state’s highest court rescinded the “Emergency Powers of the Governor Act” that authorized Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to issue many Executive Orders, including her order for a moratorium on water shutoffs and restore water to all occupied homes that had been shutoff due to lack of payment.
The GOOD NEWS: The Mayor of Detroit declared a moratorium on shutoffs until 2022! Water advocates (including MUUSJN) successfully advocated for passage of SB 241 in the Senate. Now YOUR help is needed: Please call House Majority Leader Lee Chatfield and YOUR State Representative to vote for S 241, that would protect Michigan families from water shutoffs until March 31, 2020.
PLEASE CALL Rep. Chatfield: 1-517-373-2629
(980 people with accounts in arrears)
PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Click HERE to get Your Representatives Phone/Email
TALKING POINTS:
- Over 317,000 families or about 800,000 individuals are living without water or are at risk of having their water shut off;
- Cares Act federal funds have been allocated to assist families in your District;
- The CDC says the top way to prevent spreading COVID is to frequently wash hands;
- Support passage of SB 241 for the sake of families (voters) in YOUR district.
MUUSJN has been working as a water advocate for several years with the People’s Water Board, the National Defense Resources Council and Senator Stephanie Chang.
Category: News |