Updates About Governor

On Tuesday, July 26, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Directive 2022-7 in an effort to reduce crime and gun violence following the passage of the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act designates funding for local and state governments to combat gun violence. Under the executive directive, state departments are required to designate a representative within 30 days to develop a response to gun violence. The state police will be required to improve their processes for reporting criminal, mental health, and juvenile records, as well as establish the Community Violence Intervention Office, which will coordinate grants for agencies involved in community violence intervention programming.

The directive is effective immediately.

On Friday, July 15, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2022-5, which creates the Michigan Parents Council – an advisory body housed within the Michigan Department of Education. The Council must include a diverse representation of seven parents, guardians or family members appointed by the Governor, as well as a representative appointed by the state superintendent, and the Governor’s K-12 policy advisor.

The Council will be charged with convening regional roundtable discussions covering, at a minimum, strategies, and approaches for combating unfinished learning and supporting children’s mental health. Themes and ideas gleaned from the discussions will help inform policy recommendations in the Governor’s next budget recommendation.

A report must be submitted by December 9, 2022. The council will dissolve on March 1, 2023.

On June 29, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined thirteen other governors to call on Congress to make the advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) that were enacted in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) permanent.

According to the release sent out by the Executive Office of the Governor, this would help lower costs and protect healthcare for over 270,000 Michigan residents. Nationwide, the ARP’s expansion of subsidies, alongside other factors, led to a record-breaking enrollment period for Affordable Care Act coverage. 14.5 million more people signed up for coverage, which is a 21% increase from the prior year.

The letter can found here.