Radio Address: Granholm Highlights New Smoking Ban, Utility Shutoff Laws
This week’s radio address highlights the Michigan’s new workplace smoking ban, as well as the law that will address utility shut-offs.
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
This past February in my State of the State address, I called for new laws to protect citizens from utility shutoffs and to ban smoking in workplaces. I’m happy to say I signed legislation this week that achieves both of these goals.
In these tough economic times, more and more people are having difficulty paying their utility bills. A set of new laws increases protection from shutoffs for people who receive their power from municipal utilities. Now these utility customers have the same protections against shutoffs as do customers of utilities regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission, the larger utilities.
These new laws do several things. They protect eligible low-income and senior citizen customers from shutoffs. If a utility customer or a household member relies on home medical equipment or has a certified medical emergency, municipal utilities are now required to postpone a shutoff of service for up to 21 days.
In addition, the Michigan attorney general or a customer can now bring a civil action against a municipal utility in shutoff cases that involve serious injury or death. Another new law enables municipal utilities to reach out to low-income people on ways they can reduce energy costs and prevent utility shutoffs.
People facing utility shutoffs and other emergencies can find help through the state’s Helping Hand Web site. Also on Helping Hand, people can apply online for food assistance and unemployment benefits as well as find important information on other services. You can find Helping Hand at michigan.gov/helpinghand.
While the shutoff protections are now in effect, the smoking ban will actually take effect May 1 of next year. That’s when there will be no smoking allowed in Michigan bars, restaurants and other workplaces. No more secondhand smoke. I’ve long supported a workplace smoking ban, and now Michigan joins 37 other states in having one.
Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in Michigan, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths each year. Smoking-related illnesses in adults include heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory illnesses and diabetes. Children and adolescents exposed to secondhand smoke can develop asthma, ear infections, colds and pneumonia.
One of our top priorities has always been protecting the health and safety of Michigan citizens, and that’s what the smoking ban and the utility shutoff laws do. I commend the strong bipartisan support for these initiatives by our state Legislature and particularly applaud Senator Ray Basham who has been fighting for this for years. These new laws will make a real difference in the lives of all Michigan citizens, but particularly our most vulnerable: the poor, the elderly and our children.
Thank you for listening.
