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HB 5122, a bill that institutes shut-off protections for families that include young children, senior citizens, pregnant women and people with disabilities, is one of a package of water as a human right bills that will die at the end of this year without action by Michigan legislators.
Take Action!
We ALL deserve safe, affordable water!
A bi-partisan package of 16 "water as a human right" bills has been languishing in seven House and Senate Committees in the Michigan legislature. If they are not adopted, they will die at the end of December 2016. A bi-partisan "Joint Select Committee on the Flint Water Emergency", released October 19th, supported the bills marked below with an asterisk (*). If Michigan legislators are serious about addressing the Flint water crisis, they must take action on these bills as well as other essential legislation such as making water a human right, creating a water affordability plan & protecting vulnerable people from shutoffs.
BILLS IN HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
It is outrageous that 10 of these life protecting bills have been gathering dust in the House Local Government committee chaired by Rep. Lee Chatfield (R) whose 107th District includes counties south and north of the Mackinac bridge. House bills offer basic water protections for ALL people in Michigan:
1. HB 5101 - Making water a human right;
2. * HB 5094 - Assuring that water samples are collected in accordance with EPA procedures that do not include pre-flushing;
3. HB 5097 - Establishing a standard Michigan Water Affordability Plan;
4. HB 5122 - Creating shutoff protections for families with senior citizens, persons with health problems, children, persons with disabilities, low-income person, pregnant women, etc.;
5. * HB 5178 and * 5110 - Protecting customers from unfair billing practices;
6. HB 5177 and * 5093 - Transparency, alternatives to water shutoff's and safe drinking water for areas without municipal hookups;
7. * HB 5459 - Establishes criteria for action on lead & copper levels;
8. * HB 5461 - Requires testing and intervention for schools & child day care.
BILLS IN OTHER HOUSE COMMITTEES
1. HB 5095 and 5096 - Descriminalizes reconnecting water when service shut off for people unable to afford to pay their water bills (Criminal Justice/Rep. Heise, Chair);
2. HB 5120 - Requires DEQ and water authority to notify public of Tier II water violations (Government Operations/Rep. Jacobson);
3. HB 5404-6 - Restores MDEQ Air & Water Citizen Oversight Commissions (Natural Resources/Rep. LaFontaine); and
4. HB 5462 - Establishes a water ombudsman to advocate for residents statewide (Natural Resources/LaFontaine);
TAKE ACTION! 
Call House Speaker Rep. Kevin Cotter at 517-373-1789
and Your State Representative on November 9th or 10th
(days their offices are open).
TALKING POINTS:
- Michigan, the "Great Lakes State", is surrounded by water. Its residents (per the Michigan Economic Development Association, 7/25/16) all live within 6 miles of fresh water!
- In October, a Joint Committee on the Flint Water Crisis has called for reform. Now is the time to pass legislation that will make water safe and affordable for the people of Flint, Detroit, Highland Park and all Michigan residents.
- Request that Rep. Cotter and your state Representative urge Rep. Lee Chatfield and other Committee chairs to hold hearings on the water bills in their committees.
- If Rep. Chatfield will not take action, ask Rep. Cotter to transfer these water bills to committees where they will get a fair hearing.
BILLS IN SENATE COMMITTEES
1. SB 643
- Michigan human right to water (Government Operations/Senator Meekoff, Chair;
2. SB 678 - Creates a water affordability plan (Local Government/Sen.Zorn);
3. SB 655 - Protects vulnerable categories of people from water shutoffs (Energy and Technology/Senator Nofs).
TAKE ACTION!
Call Your Senator on November 9th or 10th
(days their offices are open)
TALKING POINTS:
- Michigan, the "Great Lakes State", is surrounded by water. Its residents (per the Michigan Economic Development Association, 7/25/16), all live within 6 miles of fresh water!
- In October, a Joint Committee on the Flint Water Crisis has called for reform. Now is the time to pass legislation that will make water safe and affordable for the people of Flint, Detroit, Highland Park and all Michigan residents.
- Ask your Senator to urge Senators Meekhof, Zorn and Nofs to hold hearings on the water bills in their committees;
- Give Michigan legislators a chance to discuss essential water reforms.
After you call Rep. Kevin Cotter, your State Representative and your Senator, please email their responses to r
[email protected] so we can track our impact. Thank you!
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Call Rep. Kevin Cotter: 517-373-1789
