MINUTES OF THE MCSSA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
MCSSA OFFICE
Those Participating County District
In Person:
Evert Vermeer Member-at-Large
Kelly Bartlett Sen. Bill Hardiman’s
office
By Phone:
Larry Boitnott Mason /Oceana
Jerry Kooiman Kent IV
I. Meeting Called to Order at
Those
in attendance in person and via telephone introduced themselves.
II. Disposition of Minutes
of
III.
Fritz
provided a written report.
Kelly
Bartlett, Chief of Staff to Bill Hardiman (who is in
possession of DHS budget), joined us to talk about his opinions on the budget.
Revenue
estimating conference – Kelly saw a report earlier in the day that indicates
they expect revenues to be down $344 million. On the Treasury and Senate sides
the repeated comment is that they expect it to not be a good conference. It
seems all but certain there will be a decrease. A couple of things are driving
that. First, the income tax collection: We saw one-quarter of the impact then.
On the business side, speaking from Hardiman’s office
perspective, people are calling in and talking about liability increases under
new
By
the end of the week we will know something from the revenue estimating
conference. The governor said she desires to have an increase in FIP payments (there
hasn’t been one since 1990), increase in the clothing allowance, and Director Ahmed
and Senator Hardiman have sent out a personal appeal
to not leave a third of the population that far behind. The House didn’t
completely agree with some increases and now it goes to the Senate.
The
issue in the Republican caucus and, maybe to a degree in the Democratic caucus,
is that at the same time we’re raising taxes on these business owners you want
to give these people more money. Obviously, it’s more complicated than that.
The
continued failure of the capital outlay budget doesn’t bode well for the
outlook on the state budget.
There
are lots of areas of the budget that will come together pretty easily. Some of
the big issues from last year include increased privatization of foster care,
which most likely won’t be in this budget. In terms of significant increases of
FIP and the clothing allowance, Senator Hardiman
remains very concerned about what the department is doing with work
participation.
The House
took the clothing allowance to $100. Some people from the House want some
accountability on where that money is spent. Fritz said that we do appreciate
that, but the department sends out a notice telling people what it’s for and
where to get discounts, so there is something there as opposed to trying to put
something in place that would cost more to administer than the savings in
trying to control accountability.
Governor
Granholm signed the bill for the twice-monthly
payments of food benefits. No other state does that. Kelly spoke with the USDA
about a year or so ago and they essentially told him that they would never
approve such a policy.
The
shift from Maxey to private providers has been delayed. There was an issue with
DEQ at one of the facilities where they wanted to
relocate some of the boys. On the early-out House bills, Sen. Hardiman did not co-sponsor them although he was requested
to. He has met at least once with Director Ahmed on the question about these
employees and has stated his strong desire that these employees be taken care
of whether with other employment or other means. Some of the positions at Maxey
were specialized positions so there isn’t a quick transferability.
IV. MCMCFC Report –
Renee
provided a written report. Copies will be emailed to those
not in attendance in person.
A. Adult and
Health Services – no report
B. Child and Family Services –
1. HB
5984. Evert moved to table for further clarification. Seconded.
Motion carried.
2. HB
5836 & 5837. Evert moved to table, sending them back to the committee
for further clarification. Seconded. Motion carried.
3 Letter
to Congressman McDermott asking that he support Investment in Kids Act. Mel
wrote a letter in support of his Act and having the association support it.
Larry Boitnott moved to support sending this letter
to
C. Standard
of Living, Housing and Employment Committee –
1. SB
1046 & 1047.
2. HB
5593.
3. HB
5623 & 5653. Larry Boitnott moved to table
until a fiscal analysis is received. Seconded. Motion
carried.
4. HB
5930.
5. HB
5931.
6. HB
5980.
VI. Liaison Reports
A. AARP Liaison
– Evert Vermeer
Evert provided a written report.
B. MCSSW
Liaison – Jan Skornicka
Jan
noted that MCSSW is concerned because all of their resolutions are being
stopped at central office after MCSSA has accepted them and sent them over.
They are concerned that Louise Wing is the only one who sees them and none of
their ideas are being seen by anyone else.
Jan
said it was her resolutions chair who brought it up in
their last meeting and she is awaiting an email from the chair for more
information. It demoralizes them in writing these resolutions.
Jane
Johnson sent an email with a report on the resolutions to Mel and Susan Bailey-Carman.
Mel went through it and found that one of the resolutions got lost and the
other one got lost because we couldn’t find a specific response to it. Mel said
he will look through it for Louise’s specific responses.
Respectfully submitted,
Jamie Cripe
MCSSA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
Agenda
I. Call to order
II. Disposition of
A. Agenda
Update
III. Legislative Consultant’s Report –
IV. MCMCFC Report – Reneé
Beniak
V. Committee Reports
A.
B.
C. Standard
of Living, Housing and Employment Committee –
Liz Jarzambek
VI. Liaison Reports
A. APHSA Liaison –
B. MAC
Liaison –
C. NACo
Liaison –
D. AARP
Liaison –
VII. Unfinished Business
VIII. New Business
IX. Adjournment