Welcome 2014! HB 5225 will help to ensure scientific approach to resource and wildlife management. Dear Friends,

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1 Dear Friends, Welcome 2014 Howrylak introduces Natural Resources bill Howrylak votes to protect campaign finance integrity Lansing visits February 21 Senior Brigade February 22 Property tax workshop Legislature approves citizens initiative Mental health courts Human trafficking bill Protect kids online State of the State Address Bonefish Grill comes to Troy Malanka celebration January Senior Brigade Office hours Hello and welcome to the January edition of my e-newsletter for 2014! Welcome 2014! I hope that the New Year is off to a safe and prosperous start for you and your family. It looks like January 2014 is set to be the snowiest January on record for Southeast Michigan, and it is certainly colder than it has been in a while. With that in mind, please be courteous to other drivers and pay special attention to the needs of snow plow and salt trucks. The link below is a special message from the Michigan Department of Transportation about winter road safety and precautions: HB 5225 will help to ensure scientific approach to resource and wildlife management I introduced legislation last week to modify the process for appointments to the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). HB 5225 proposes baseline requirements for the individuals nominated by the governor. The bill would require a general knowledge of the fish and wildlife population in Michigan. It also states that a member of the Natural Resources Committee cannot hold another state, county or municipal elected or appointed office. The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is a seven-member body whose members are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. It was established in 1965 to

2 assist in the oversight and development of the policies of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Its mandate was dramatically expanded in 1996 with the adoption of Proposal G. This proposal vested in the NRC the exclusive authority to regulate the taking of game. The powers of the NRC were further expanded last year with the passage of Senate Bill 288, which granted the NRC the authority to designate game species within the State of Michigan. The appointment of members to our state s NRC simply requires submission by the governor. There are no base level qualifications and no requirements for members to be hunters, fishers, researchers or have any scientific or wildlife background. It is of great importance that those who oversee our natural resources and game species have a background that is germane to their duties. Howrylak votes to protect and encourage campaign finance integrity I voted against SB 661 on December 11, 2013, in order to protect and encourage campaign finance integrity. This bill specifically doubled campaign contribution limits across the board for all election committees. The new limits are: $6,800 for a candidate for state elective office other than the office of state legislator, or for a candidate for local elective office if the district from which he or she is seeking office has a population of more than 250,000. $2,000 for a candidate for state senator, or for a candidate for local elective office if the district from which he or she is seeking office has a population of more than 85,000 but not more than 250,000. $1,000 for a candidate for state representative, or for a candidate for local elective office if the district from which he or she is seeking office has a population of 85,000 or less. It should be noted that qualified political committees (PACs) can contribute ten times the limit. Thus, in a state senate race, a qualified PAC could contribute up to $20,000 per candidate. Additionally, the legislation codified non-disclosure for issue ads ( dark money ) so long as the ads do not specifically advocate for or against a candidate. Issue ads can promote positive or negative images of candidates, though, so long as they do not expressly advocate a certain electoral position. This bill passed the House with a vote of and it passed the Senate I have a saying that good policy knows no party labels. It is also true that bad policy knows no party labels as well. I was joined in my opposition to this bill by three other Republicans and all of the voting Democrats. In an effort to be constructive, prior to the vote I offered an amendment that would have frozen the contribution limits for PACs at the then-present level. The amendment, however, was defeated on a voice vote. There is a strong public policy objective to encourage candidates and elected officials to represent the people of their respective districts. Increasing contribution limits for independent political committees, political action committees, party caucus committees and the like distorts policy and the focus of candidates and elected officials. It is something that is neither wise nor in the public s best interest. Indeed, there is a very strong public policy objective to reducing the influence that powerful special interests have in campaigns and in governing. If we increased the individual limitations but kept all of the other contribution limits stable, this objective would have been met. There is also some concern with prohibiting disclosure requirements for organizations that are clearly intent on influencing elections, although not specifically encouraging an affirmative vote for a specific candidate or candidates. The varied disclosure requirements effectively pick and choose winners and losers. This allows certain groups to potentially get away with election activity without having to disclose anything.

3 Lansing visits Your state government is more accessible than you may realize. As one can show up at a city council meeting and advocate for a specific policy, one may do the same with state legislative committees. Additionally, the Capitol building is profoundly accessible with no restriction to entry. Indeed, it is the people s seat of government. With that said, I would like to encourage you to visit Lansing and see your government in action. If you are interested in coming, please contact my office toll-free at (877) and we can assist with logistics. If you come when the legislature is in session, we can help coordinate your visit so that you can see legislative committees that you are interested in attending, make arrangements for you to have a Capitol tour and time your visit so that you can be there when the House and/or Senate are in session. My office door is always open and we d love to have you for a visit there as well. Please don t hesitate to reach out to us. We serve at your pleasure and are available to assist. Senior Brigade town hall and lunch scheduled for February 21 in Clawson State Representative Martin Howrylak and the Michigan Attorney General s office will host a Senior Brigade Town Hall on Friday, February 21. The town hall will feature a presentation on online safety. This presentation will include the following: How to avoid internet scams and fraud Provide you with helpful online resources Educate you to become a tech savvy senior. The event will start at 11 a.m. at the Clawson Senior Center, located at 509 Fisher Court. Individuals looking for more information may contact my office toll-free at (877) or by ing martinhowrylak@house.mi.gov. Additionally, more information is available on my office website Following the town hall, lunch will be provided. The event is free of charge and open to the public. No reservations are required. State Representative Howrylak invites local homeowners to property tax workshop Please join me at a workshop for local homeowners to learn more about the property tax assessment and appeals process. I will host the How to Appeal your Property Tax Assessment Workshop, on Saturday, February 22, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Clawson s Blair Memorial Library, 416 N. Main Street. Appealing your property taxes can be a daunting process and many residents don t know where to start. The goal of this workshop is to provide local residents with the tools needed to simplify the appeals process and also to learn more about how the property tax assessment process works. If you are interested in the subject matter, but are unable to attend, please contact my office for detailed information about the appeals process.

4 Michigan Legislature approves citizen s initiative The Michigan Legislature recently approved a citizen-initiated law requiring elective abortions to only be covered through an optional insurance rider, and not standard on health insurance plans. The Michigan Constitution allows for citizens to draft a law and gather a certain number of signatures to put that law up for a vote before both the Michigan House and Senate. This process is constitutionally sound and I am proud to have voted in support of the measure. The new law will protect taxpayers from having to pay for abortions for others through subsidies offered through the new health exchange and through their premiums for private plans. The law also strikes the right balance between protecting taxpayers and protecting the health of Michigan women. Coverage will still be provided for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies and if the life of the mother is greatly at risk. It also allows for emergency contraception to still be covered. The new law simply tells insurance companies they won t be required to pay for elective abortions. This protects taxpayers who are morally opposed to abortion from paying indirectly for it. More information can be found on the House Republican s blog here. Governor signs mental health court legislation A new law recently signed by the governor gives Michigan communities the ability to create mental health courts. These new laws allow Michigan individuals suffering from mental illness to receive necessary help instead of being treated simply as criminals. With roughly 20% of Michigan inmates suffering from mental illness, our prisons are currently serving as hospitals for our mentally ill population. This is unacceptable. Safeguards have been put in place to make sure that violent offenders are not eligible to participate in the program and that offenders cannot get more than one bite at the apple and have multiple charges dismissed by going through the program. These courts are open to individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Some of the services offered include mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, counseling, drug testing as needed, referrals to community services (clothing, housing, transportation), education (e.g., GED classes) and assistance with employment. It costs approximately $34,000 a year to house an inmate in Michigan and the costs of housing mentally ill inmates can be much higher. Our prisons aren t set up to treat the mentally ill. By helping our mentally ill get the treatment they need, we can help them lead full and productive lives. Michigan House approves safe harbor legislation to combat human trafficking Human trafficking is a serious issue, and the Michigan House is taking significant steps to combat this heinous crime. Recently, we unanimously voted in favor of House Bill 5012, commonly known as safe harbor legislation, which requires minors who are coerced into prostitution to be treated as victims instead of criminals.

5 Many human trafficking victims are forced into prostitution at a young age. However, this fact is not accommodated by Michigan law, which currently treats minors involved in prostitution as criminals, instead of victims. By adopting this legislation, we can ensure that these victims are treated as such, thus providing them with access to the help and services they need. This is simply a first step to combatting this horrible crime, which is more of a problem in Michigan than many people think. Because of our status as a border state, we are especially affected by the increase in crimes of this nature. The Michigan Human Trafficking Commission has made several recommendations for legislation to combat this issue, and work will continue during this legislative session. State offers free program to protect kids online Are your children safe while online? Michigan families, especially minors, are becoming flooded with advertisements from alcohol, tobacco, pornography and gambling marketers through different Internet and cell phone inboxes. Thankfully, the state of Michigan offers a free program to stop adult advertisements from reaching certain s, mobile phones (text messaging ads) and instant messenger IDs. The Michigan Child Protection Registry is a free do-not-contact service for Michigan s families and schools and can be located at I encourage you to sign your entire family up for the registry and inform your friends and colleagues about how they can protect children and families from unwanted advertising. Howrylak joined by Troy and Clawson mayors at State of the State Address Governor Snyder s State of the State address was Thursday, January 16. I was joined on the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives by Clawson Mayor Penny Luebs. Troy Mayor Dane Slater and Mayor Pro-Tem Dave Henderson joined me as well, with seats in the gallery. I am pleased to have had senior leaders from the city councils of Troy and Clawson to see first-hand this historic annual event that is part of the governing process of our state. Troy Mayor Dane Slater joined me at the Capitol for Governor Rick Snyder s State of the State Address

6 Troy Mayor Pro-Tem Dave Henderson, Troy Mayor Dane Slater, Governor Rick Snyder and Clawson Mayor Penny Luebs Howrylak celebrates Malanka State Rep. Martin Howrylak with former Warren councilman Mark Liss at the Ukrainian Cultural Center during the Malanka Celebration (Ukrainian New Year) on January 18. I attended Malanka at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren on Saturday, January 18. Malanka coincides with the Julian calendar's New Year's Eve and commemorates the feast day of Saint Melania the Younger. The actual date is January 13. January Senior Brigade and luncheon in Clawson informative and successful

7 I sponsored a Senior Brigade event in Clawson on January 17. The event was well attended and focused on protecting yourself from identity theft. The Attorney General s representative assisted area residents in learning more about how to be aware and what to look for in order to be protected from those who seek to perpetrate these frauds and scams. District office hours As an elected representative, it is important for me to be accessible to the public and to be available to listen to the ideas, concerns and suggestions of our neighbors. This is why I place such a large emphasis on office hours, community outreach and events. Talking to friends and neighbors face to face is the best way to gather ideas, answer questions or listen to suggestions. I rely on the perspective of people like you to guide me as I work to make state government more responsive, responsible and effective. This next month, I will sponsor the following office hours: Monday, January 27 3:30 5 pm Clawson Blair Memorial Library 416 N. Main Street Friday, February 7 11 am 12 noon Troy Community Center - main concourse 3179 Livernois Road Saturday, February 8 3 4:30 pm Troy Public Library 510 W. Big Beaver Road Friday, February am 1:00 pm Troy Community Center - main concourse 3179 Livernois Road Monday, February 24 3:30 5 pm

8 Clawson Blair Memorial Library 416 N. Main Street No appointment is necessary for district office hours. Residents unable to meet with me during these scheduled times may contact my office at (517) , or via at Please stop by and say hello! District office hours Staff, Constituent Relations In addition to my office hours, a staff member will be available for office hours in the main concourse of the Troy Community Center; 3179 Livernois Road in Troy, as follows: Friday, January am until 1:00 pm Friday, February 21 3 pm until 4:30 pm Friday, February am until 1:00 pm As always, no appointment is necessary. A staff member will be seated near the swimming pool and will be able to assist you with your issues. Numerous booklets and publications will be available as well. Community Events We have a number of exciting community events taking place this month. While not exhaustive, this list provides a sample of what is going on in our communities. Please come out and join me in supporting our many fine organizations that help make our cities great. Jan 30: Feb 1: Mar 19: Chinese New Year at the Troy Library (7-9 pm) Troy Public Library; 510 W. Big Beaver Road; Troy, MI Troy High Orchestra Gala Concert (7 9 pm) Troy High School; 4777 Northfield Parkway; Troy, MI Clawson State of the City / State of the Schools Address (8:30 10:30 am) Clawson City Hall Community Room; 425 N. Main Street; Clawson, MI (248) or (248) For more community events please check out the calendars on the website for the cities of Troy and Clawson as noted below: Rep. Howrylak's Lansing Office

9 Mailing Address: Website: N-890 House Office Building P.O. Box Lansing, MI Phone: (517) Toll Free: (877) As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns. I will continue to work on removing barriers to job creation, retaining our valuable businesses, growing our economy, and getting Michigan back to work again. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions please let me know. Warm regards, Martin Howrylak State Representative District 41 *If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, respond to this and type the word "unsubscribe."*