Rep. Vicki Barnetts' Site Feed

Reps. Barnett, Lipton and Slavens Support Legislation Improving Access to Women's Health Care

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:33:08 -0400

State Representatives Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills), Ellen Cogen Lipton (D-Huntington Woods) and Dian Slavens (D-Canton) announced their support for a package of four bills and three resolutions that would improve access to women’s health care, educate women about health care options, support rape survivors and address health care inequities women face.

Reps. Barnett, Lipton and Slavens Support Legislation Improving Access to Women's Health Care

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:55:00 -0400

FARMINGTON HILLS - State Representatives Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills), Ellen Cogen Lipton (D-Huntington Woods) and Dian Slavens (D-Canton) announced their support for a package of four bills and three resolutions that would improve access to women’s health care, educate women about health care options, support rape survivors and address health care inequities women face.

“Women’s health care matters to everyone, not just women,” Barnett said. “The health and well-being of women in Michigan is a serious issue that can’t be overlooked. We need to ensure that women get good information about and access to health care.”

In recent years, the Legislature has passed laws placing onerous restrictions on women’s health care centers and voted down proposals to expand access to health care.

“When we undertook the Michigan House Democrats’ Listening Tour earlier this year, we heard many people say that making sure women have access to quality care matters to them,” Lipton said. “These bills and resolutions are a response to what we heard on the tour, and we look forward to helping women receive better health care.”

The package of legislation includes:

House Resolution 140, naming May 12-18 “National Women’s Health Week” in Michigan (introduced by Rep. Gretchen Driskell)
HR 138, urging the DCH to promote programs that identify and address inequities in the prevention, treatment and research of diseases threatening women (Rep. Winnie Brinks)
HR 139, recommending that the state intensify efforts to reduce the rate of teen pregnancies (Rep. Collene Lamonte)
House Bill 4067, requiring all health facilities and agencies to offer emergency contraception to rape survivors (Rep. Charles Smiley)
HB 4722, which directs the Department of Community Health (DCH) to develop and disseminate information about emergency contraception, including a description, explanation of use, safety efficacy and availability of emergency contraception (Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright)
HB 4721, requiring age-appropriate, medically accurate and objective sexuality education to be taught in public schools (Rep. Jeff Irwin)
HB 4260, requiring doctors to give women information on breast density and encourage those who have dense breast tissue to consult with their doctors about other screening options (Rep. Brinks)

“Everyone can agree that it’s important to help women get the health care they need to prevent cancer, have healthy families and stay independent as they age,” Slavens said. “Our proposed legislation will strengthen every Michigan family, and that’s why it has our support.”

Rep. Vicki Barnett Speaks on SB288 Protecting the Eastern Cougar

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:28:32 -0400

Rep. Vicki Barnett offers an amendment to SB288 to protect endangered the Eastern Cougar.

Rep. Vicki Barnett Speaks on SB288 Protecting Endangered Birds

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:22:14 -0400

Rep. Vicki Barnett offers an amendment to SB288 protecting endangered species native Michigan birds.

Reps. Hobbs and Barnett Honored for Legislation that Helps Nonprofits

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:40:51 -0400

Reps. Hobbs and Barnett Honored for Legislation that Helps Nonprofits

Michigan Nonprofit Association thanks Reps. for law benefiting nonprofits

LANSING - House Democratic Floor Leader Rudy Hobbs (D-Southfield) and State Representative Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) were honored Wednesday as 2013 Nonprofit Champions by the Michigan Nonprofit Association for their work to pass a new law that helps nonprofit organizations save resources.

“I’m honored to receive this award, but the true gratification comes from knowing this law is helping Michigan’s nonprofit organizations,” Hobbs said. “Nonprofits contribute an immeasurable good to our state by providing food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless and a safe haven to battered women, to name just a few. It’s good to know that these organizations will be able to put more of the money donated to them toward providing these services.”

Passed last year, Senate Bill 1337 exempts nonprofits from up to $5,000 in sales taxes on items used for fundraising. Nonprofits in the state were already exempt from paying the sales tax on items needed to carry out the organization’s purpose. Now, nonprofits are exempt from paying sales tax on the items they need to fundraise, such as envelopes, paper and other necessary items.

In exchange, nonprofits and their volunteers contribute services — including counseling, medical care, staffing food banks and soup kitchens — to families, children, veterans and seniors who need help. The value of these services is estimated to be $5.1 billion each year, and enables people to obtain care and services that the state doesn’t provide.

“Since the start of the recession a few years ago, many nonprofits have struggled to maintain the services they provide while coping with a decline in donations,” Barnett said. “This new law takes some of the pressure off the organizations that work so hard to benefit the families and seniors in Michigan who need their help. I was glad to help pass this law, and I’m grateful for the recognition from the Michigan Nonprofit Association.”

Rep. Barnett Speaks to Support the Michigan Film Incentives

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:08:00 -0400

Rep. Vicki Barnett offers a budget amendment to appropriate $50 million for film incentives.

Rep. Barnett: Governor Must Address Homophobic Comments by Agema

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:13:19 -0400

State Representative Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) spoke out today calling on Gov. Rick Snyder to take a stand against Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema for his homophobic and bigoted comments on Facebook and in the press.

“Frankly, when someone is as far off the deep end as Agema, there is no reasoning or attempting to bring him back to reality,” said Barnett. “Stealing a page from the governor’s playbook, he should know that to foster economic growth in Michigan, we must be inclusive and welcoming to our LGBTQ citizens and families. Such hateful posts by an influential member of his party not only cross the line of decency, but are patently bad business.”

Barnett is referencing a March 27 post on Dave Agema’s Facebook page where the committeeman linked to an article titled “Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals” condemning homosexuals for a “filthy” lifestyle and claimed that gays and lesbians, because they cannot reproduce, recruit young people into their lifestyle. Agema continues to stand by the claims in the article as factual and has ignored multiple requests and petitions for his resignation by some Republican officials in the state.

“It’s been almost two weeks. Clearly, the governor’s continued silence places their party on the wrong side of history. The governor needs to grow a backbone on this one and make it clear that bigotry will not be condoned,” continued Barnett. “Remaining mum on this only continues to draw the ire of the media after already doing so concerning ‘right-to-work’ and the omnibus abortion legislation passed during last year’s lame duck. Michigan is considered, on a national level, to be a state that is proven to be non-inclusive, anti-woman and anti-worker, and it’s time the governor realized that this is not the way to turn Michigan around.”

Rep. Vicki Barnett Speaks Out Against EAA

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:40:00 -0400

State Representative Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) spoke in opposition to legislation that would expand the Educational Achievement Authority (EAA) in Michigan on the House floor March 21. House Bill 4369, narrowly passed, 57-53.

Switalski, Barnett Push Against ALEC Anti-Family Legislation

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:53:00 -0500

State Representative Jon Switalski (D-Warren), minority vice chairman of the House Commerce Committee and Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills), member of the Commerce Committee, railed against the testimony for House Bill 4249 in committee today. HB 4249 titled “The Employment Leave Uniformity Act” and modeled after legislation by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), would ban local units of government from adopting ordinances that require employers to provide employees with paid or unpaid leave that is not required by federal or state law.

“Frankly, I don’t know what the purpose of this legislation is other than attacking Michigan families and imposing Republican will on local decisions,” said Switalski. “I find it telling that this legislation does not apply to state employees such as state representatives or senators. The Republican party touts themselves as the party of small government yet this bill takes away local control and the ability of local governments to make decisions on what is right for them and their employees while giving themselves immunity. As always, they legislate under the old adage of ‘do as I say, not what I do.’”

HB 4249, introduced by state Representative Earl Poleski (R-Jackson), stems from ALEC’s 2011 success with Wisconsin’s Senate Bill 23 (now Public Act 16) that would override local units of government’s paid family medical leave policies. The bill would also be in contention with overwhelming public support for President Obama’s federal Healthy Families Act which seeks to address the Center for Economic Policy Research’s 2009 finding that, out of 22 countries ranked highly in terms of economic and human development, the United States is the only country that does not guarantee that workers receive paid sick days or paid sick leave for the median worker.

“This bill is a solution in search of a problem and shows just how out of touch Republicans are with the communities they represent,” said Barnett.”No cities, villages, towns or counties in Michigan have enacted local ordinances of this type.Yet Republicans are bowing to out-of-state right-wing organizations like ALEC to crush local control and disregard the rights of the citizens who elected them.”

House Democratic Leader Greimel Announces New Leadership Positions

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:12:00 -0500

LANSING - House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel (Auburn Hills) today announced that new appointments have been made to the House Democrats’ leadership team. The positions filled include strategic advisor to the Democratic Leader, and assistant floor leaders and assistant whips.

“I’m confident that these additions to our leadership team will put the House Democratic Caucus in an even stronger position to fight for middle-class families, seniors and students,” Greimel said. “From bringing fairness back to Michigan’s tax structure to restoring funding to our schools, there is a lot of work to be done. The House Democratic leadership team is ready for the challenge.”

The new appointments are:

Strategic Advisor to the Democratic Leader: Representative Harold L. Haugh (Roseville)
House Democratic Caucus Assistant Floor Leaders: Representatives Vicki Barnett (Farmington Hills), David Knezek (Dearborn Heights) and Andy Schor (Lansing)
House Democratic Caucus Assistant Whips: Representatives Robert L. Kosowski (Westland), David Rutledge (Ypsilanti) and Dian Slavens (Canton)