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the Lead Out! News
Get the Lead Out!, September 24, 2004, Issue #1
For more articles like this
visit
https://www.bridges4kids.org.
In this Newsletter:
1) State of Michigan Budget Update - $1 Million in New Funds
2) State Legislation Update
3) Candidate Forum - State Offices
4) HUD Grant Staff Changes
5) Touchpoint Service Provider Training
6) Institutes for Healing Racism
7) HUD Grant One-Year Party October 16
1) State of Michigan Budget Update - $1 Million in New Funds
Amidst all the budget cutting and belt tightening, there is good
news in the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH)
budget for FY'05. On September 7, 2004, the MDCH budget was
approved by the joint House/Senate Conference Committee without
significant debate or changes. $1 million in new childhood lead
poisoning prevention funding was included. This is the first
significant State investment in childhood lead poisoning
prevention since voters approved CMI bond funding in the
mid-90's.
Advocates from across the State, including Get the Lead Out!,
sought an increase in funding for prevention services under the
Healthy Michigan Fund. The Governor had initially proposed that
$30 million in new funding from the tobacco tax increase be
dedicated to prevention services through the Healthy Michigan
Fund. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate rejected
the Governor’s proposal to increase prevention funding. However,
the leadership agreement increased the Healthy Michigan fund by
$12.3 million, with $1 million in new funds dedicated to the
elimination of childhood lead poisoning.
If the use of these new funds holds consistent with the
recommendations discussed by the Call to Action task force from
last fall, it is reasonable to expect that approximately half of
the new funds will be used to initiate a state-wide public
awareness campaign. The remainder is likely to support the
start-up of the proposed Lead-Safe Housing Registry (see next
article) and to assist local Michigan communities with coalition
and capacity building activities.
2) State Legislation Update
A total of six bills that address childhood lead poisoning
prevention remain active in the State legislature.
House Bills 4443 and 5126, sponsored by Rep. Kooiman of Grand
Rapids seek income and single business tax credits for lead
hazard control. Passed by the House in February, these bills
have been languishing in the Senate Committee on Finance. Get
the Lead Out! is encouraging Senate Leadership and the Committee
Chair to move these bills. Communicating your support to Senate
Majority Leader Sikkema
senksikkema@senate.michigan.gov would help move these bills
along.
Senate Bill 757 seeks penalties for those who knowingly rent
units with lead hazards. This bill unanimously passed the Senate
and the House. Unfortunately, the House Committee on the
Judiciary introduced a last-minute substitute (H-2) which
severely limits the use of these penalties only to homes where
children have been poisoned. This significantly hinders the
ability of this law to promote prevention activities. While Get
the Lead Out! is willing to support the substitute, we have
communicated our concern with this last minute change and seek
to have the lead poisoned child requirement removed in
conference committee. This bill has been scheduled for Senate
action the past two weeks, but has not been taken up on the
Senate floor.
Senate Bill 753 and House Bill 5118 seek to create a "Childhood
Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control" commission. The Senate
bill prescribes which groups shall be represented on the
Commission and the House bill prescribes the Commission's
duties. The bills are tie-barred. 5118 has passed both the House
and Senate. 753 has been approved by the Senate and has passed
out of Committee in the House.
House Bill 5116 and Senate Bill 756 are similar bills that seek
to create a Lead-Safe Housing Registry. Both of these bills
passed their respective houses of the legislature last spring
and await further action. 756 is further along, having passed
out of Committee in the House. 756 was sponsored by Senator
Hardiman of Grand Rapids.
For more information on State legislation or to participate in
the GTLO Advocacy Committee that monitors and impacts
legislation, contact
GTLO@sbcglobal.net.
3) Candidate Forum - State Offices
Mark your calendars for a Candidate Forum, Friday, October 15.
The forum will focus upon children's issues, including health,
and is being organized by the Advocacy Coalition for Young
Children and Their Families, Kent County. The forum will run
from 9:00am until 10:30am, and will be held at the Heart of West
Michigan United Way, 118 Commerce Ave SW, Grand Rapids. For more
information or to join the Advocacy Coalition for Young Children
and Their Families, contact Laureen Kennedy at
laureen.kennedy@comcast.net.
Watch for the companion candidate responses in next month's
Grand Rapids Parent Magazine.
4) HUD Grant Staff Changes
Home Repair Services regretfully reports that Moses Avila has
resigned as Lead Educator. In nine short months, Moses has
played an integral role in the launch of the $5 million
HUD-funded Lead Hazard Control program. His solid relational
skills enabled Moses to help us identify, educate and quickly
enroll families in this program. While many grantees wrestle
with initial enrollment for HUD Lead Hazard Control programs,
Moses and his colleagues have made if possible for Grand Rapids
to complete five units and to move an additional 32 properties
into production in nine short months.
Moses is leaving us to further pursue his other full-time job in
ministry. With his ability to relate to others with compassion
and respect, we know he will succeed.
Home Repair Services is seeking an employee to follow in Moses'
footsteps. Bilingual (English-Spanish) abilities are strongly
desired. Interested persons should contact David Jacobs,
Executive Director at
djacobs@homerepairservices.org.
5) Touchpoint Service Provider Training
In partnership with Michigan Family Resources, Get the Lead Out!
continues to offer a comprehensive, half-day childhood lead
poisoning prevention training for service providers who have
contact with parents of young children. This training targets
nurses, medical staff, social workers, community workers, faith
community workers, early childhood staff, educators and others.
Participants learn the causes of childhood lead poisoning, key
prevention strategies, and local resources for parents. The
curriculum is 100% applicable to local solutions.
We would welcome the opportunity to present this training onsite
to you group. The training is designed for groups of 20-25 and
is just short of four hours in length. Contact Paul Haan at
gtlo@sbcglobal.net to
discuss possibilities.
To register for the training, contact Sue Sipkema at Michigan
Family Resources at (616) 453-4145 x282.
Special thanks to the Steelcase Foundation for underwriting this
training.
6) Institutes for Healing Racism
Get the Lead Out! was founded in response to the significant
racial and ethnic health disparities in the lead poisoning rates
among our county’s children. Seeking justice and an end to
environmental racism, the coalition seeks to eliminate these
health disparities as it ends childhood lead poisoning.
Culturally competent care is one key to resolving these health
disparities. One strategy for providing more culturally
competent care is for all providers to be well informed and
personally aware of the causes and effects of racism in our
community and its institutions.
An excellent first step is to personally participate in an
Institute for Healing Racism. The GRACE Racial Justice Institute
has a number of offerings this fall, including a unique and
accessible evening session. Following are the details:
2-Day Community Institutes for Healing Racism: Thursday
(8:15am-5:00pm) and Friday (8;15am-4:00pm), October 14-15,
November 18-19, or December 9-10 at the First Place Building,
207 E. Fulton, 3rd Floor, Grand Rapids.
8-Week Faith-Based Institute for Healing Racism: Monday Evenings
(700-9:00pm) October 18 to December 6 at Madison Square
Christian Reformed Church, 1441 Madison SE, Grand Rapids.
For more information or to register, contact the Racial Justice
Institute at (616) 774-2321.
7) HUD Grant One-Year Party October 16
We’ve save the fun for last! Mark your calendar for a One-Year
Anniversary Party for the Lead Hazard Control Program. A year
ago in late October, the City of Grand Rapids received
notification of its $5 million HUD award. The Hazard Reduction
Team is inviting Get the Lead Out! partners to join them as they
celebrate this opportunity and kick back from a year of hard
work.
The celebration will be hosted by Bill Butts and will be on
Saturday, October 16th. The fun starts at 4:00pm and continues
until the last guest leaves. Save the date and contact either
Bill or Paul to receive a detailed invitation.
========
If you would like to be added or removed from this mailing list,
please contact
gtlo@sbcglobal.net.
========
Paul Haan
Get the Lead Out! "Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning through
Partnership"
Community Leadership Institute, Aquinas College
1607 Robinson Road SE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
phone: 616.241.3300
fax: 616.247.9556
email: gtlo@sbcglobal.net
www.cliaquinas.org
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