The motion prevailed, 2/3 of the members serving voting therefor.
The Senate agreed to the title of the bill.
Senator Chang asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Chang’s statement is as follows:
Thank you for my colleagues for bringing this bill up for a vote today. We are the Great Lakes State, surrounded by fresh water. Every person, regardless of how much they have their bank account, must have access to clean water to drink and to wash their hands, especially during a pandemic. Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the most basic steps people can take to reduce the chance that they become infected and to slow the spread of the virus. Addressing water shutoffs is a public health issue, an economic security issue, and a moral issue. Data from the state shows that over 317, 000 Michigan households were behind in their water bills during the pandemic, and I can only imagine, with all our families continuing to struggle financially, that the numbers have gone up. These households are in little villages, suburban towns, and big cities all across our state. This week, my city of Detroit took a historic step on water shutoffs. I am relieved and happy for my Detroit residents, but until Senate Bill No. 241 is signed into law, more than 200,000 other Michigan households in your districts outside Detroit would be vulnerable. This bill will place into statute the Governor’s Executive Order No. 2020-144 and ensure that no Michigander has their water shutoff during the pandemic, with a March 31 sunset, and providers will continue to restore water if they identify households who were shut off and they will report critical data to our state.
As our residents continue to face unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, we must make sure they have access to the most basic thing that we need to live-water. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the many water warriors who have worked so hard over the years, fighting for our residents in need and bringing them water. And, thank you to the impressive coalition of water providers, environmental advocates, faith leaders, social workers, nurses, civil rights groups, and more who came together on this issue. I will always be grateful. Colleagues, I urge your support for Senate Bill No. 241.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 604, entitled
A bill to amend 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1, entitled “Michigan employment security act,” by amending sections 17, 27, 28c, 28d, 29, 32, 32c, and 48 (MCL 421.17, 421.27, 421.28c, 421.28d, 421.29, 421.32, 421.32c, and 421.48), sections 17, 27, 28c, 28d, 29, 32, and 48 as amended and section 32c as added by 2020 PA 229, and by adding section 29a.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: