WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

In this Issue:
● FYI Notes
● Economic Forum in Central Lake
● Program, tips offered for struggling homeowners
● Video Update
● New Media: New ways to keep in touch with me online
● Bi-Weekly Survey
● DNR Announces Series of Statewide Town Hall Meetings
● Is there a heart sticker on your driver's license or state ID?
● 2008 Income Tax forms now available

Dear Friends,

I would like to keep you updated on what is happening in Lansing and how it affects us all in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Otsego counties. Therefore, I will be sending bi-weekly e-newsletters containing a legislative update and other useful information. I hope that you will find this helpful, and if you have any questions or concerns, you will feel free to contact my office. Thank you for your time and interest in district events.

Kevin Elsenheimer
State Representative
105th District

UPDATE -- APRIL 3, 2009

FYI Notes

Tributes and Congratulatory Notes
Looking for a unique way to commemorate a special occasion for a co-worker, friend or family member? My office is pleased to offer legislative tributes in honor of a number of noteworthy events such as retirement, anniversaries of businesses in our community, awards and public recognitions. To request an official state of Michigan tribute from my office, please visit www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm, select "Recommend someone for a congratulatory certificate" and fill out the request form.

Coming to Lansing?
As House Republican Leader, I receive invitations to countless legislative conferences and events. Please know my priority is you. If you plan to visit Lansing for a conference or meeting, please contact my office in advance so I can make every effort to meet with you while you are in town.

How to contact my office
Mail: P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909E-mail: kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov Toll-Free: 1-877-536-4105Phone: (517) 373-0829Fax: (517) 373-1841
Web site: www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm

Economic Forum in Central Lake
Senator Jason Allen and I are bringing state and regional experts to meet with community leaders in Central Lake on April 15 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss options and opportunities as northwest Michigan continues to grapple with a struggling economy.

The public meeting will be in the cafeteria of Central Lake High School, 8190 West State Street.

Tremendous economic difficulties are hitting area companies like Barnes Precision and Second Chance. The workers and other local residents deserve as much information as possible.

The free forum has invited representatives from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, and Michigan Works. There will also be staffers from local family health centers and resource centers.

For more information about the meeting, contact Sen. Allen’s office at 1-866-525-5637 or my office at 1-877-536-4105.

Programs, tips offered for struggling homeowners
Northern Michigan homeowners at risk of entering mortgage foreclosure can turn to a number of local, state, and federal sources for various levels of assistance, including some programs that have been specifically created to help people struggling in the economic recession. Losing one's home in a mortgage foreclosure can be devastating to a family, as their daily lives and financial history are thrown into an upheaval that can take years to recover from. Often that scary situation can be avoided, if homeowners, lenders, and other experts are brought together early enough to develop common-sense solutions to keep people in their homes. It’s important now more than ever for people at risk of losing their homes to reach out for that assistance as soon as they see the slightest hint at possible trouble.

In trying to find possible reforms in mortgage laws, I've learned of several agencies with programs to protect from mortgage foreclosure. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority has created the Save the Dream Campaign, which includes helpful information that assists homeowners experiencing financial difficulties or facing foreclosure. The authority also has a statewide network of homeownership counselors, a second mortgage program to assist current MSHDA borrowers, and refinance programs available to eligible homeowners. The program is available online at http://www.michigan.gov/mshda by clicking on the Save the Dream link.

Homeowners also can contact HOPENOW, a federal non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeowners avoid foreclosures at 1-888-995-HOPE, or online at http://www.hopenow.com/.

Other tips offered to successful mortgage management:
· Don’t ignore the issue. Open and respond to all mail from your lender and ask questions. Remember, the lender’s goal is a successful mortgage relationship.
· If you believe there may be a problem making timely payments, talk to your lender and/or contact a HUD-approved housing counselor at http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm.
· Be aware of foreclosure recovery scams. If a company says it can stop a foreclosure immediately if you sign your title over to them, it’s likely to be a scam.


Video Update
Please click on the link below to hear some tips and suggestions for individuals struggling with home foreclosure situations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpE8BnnrFw4


New Media: New ways to keep in touch with me online
I'm pleased to announce that I have embraced the idea of new media and now have multiple places online where we might now stay in touch. First, I have a blog: Elsenheimer's Lansing Newsreel at http://staterepkevinelsenheimer.blogspot.com/. This site provides the latest news about what is happening in the Legislature, Lansing and northern Michigan.

I also have joined Twitter and you can follow me at http://twitter.com/teamkevin. This is an interesting, up-to-the-minute method of keeping in touch with others. I'm new to this and will do my best to "tweet" often.

Also, as I've mentioned before, you can also check out other online multimedia at my online office by visiting http://www.gophouse.com/multimedia.asp?District=105 and clicking on the various links.

I hope you will take advantage of these new means for me to stay in touch with you and keep you informed of my day-to-day activities in the Legislature.


Bi-Weekly Survey
As we move forward with the budget, one of the main concerns is the use of the Federal Stimulus Package. I want to know your opinion on the use of the stimulus money and if we should, as a state, use it to cover the impending shortfalls in the state budgets. Please click on the link below for a quick two- question survey.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228ZTK8DFFU


DNR Announces Series of Statewide Town Hall Meetings
The Department of Natural Resources will host a series of public meetings across the state in April to discuss conservation priorities for the department and the state of Michigan. The Conservation Town Hall meetings will be led by DNR Director Rebecca Humphries, with the assistance of the Michigan State University Extension Service.

All the meetings will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The meetings are scheduled for:

Monday, April 6 at the Prince Conference Center Great Hall at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, located at 1800 E. Beltline SE;
Wednesday, April 8 in Rooms 100 A-B-C at Davenport University in Midland, located at 3555 E. Patrick Road;
Monday, April 13 in the Michigan Room of the Bottum University Center at Northern Michigan University, located at 540 W. Kaye Avenue in Marquette;
Tuesday, April 14 in the meeting room of the Grand Traverse County Civic Center, located at 1213 W. Civic Center Drive in Traverse City; and
Monday, April 20 in the banquet room of the Novi Civic Center, located at 45175 W. 10 Mile Road in Novi.

Among the topics Director Humphries will discuss with participants are the role of the DNR in natural resources management, land management, how best to recruit new outdoor enthusiasts, the priorities for the future, and what citizens value the most about their outdoor activities in Michigan. Director Humphries encourages anyone interested in outdoor recreation and natural resources to attend the public meeting including hunters, anglers, trail riders, campers, boaters, mountain bikers, hikers, birdwatchers, and representatives from resource-based industries.

Is there a heart sticker on your driver's license or state ID?
Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land recently announced that the Department of State, Gift of Life Michigan and Michigan Eye-Bank are ready to kick off their annual organ, tissue and eye donor campaign this month. The above question forms the crux of this year's campaign, which encourages residents to "show their hearts" by adding their names to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. Those who have already signed up received a donor sticker with a heart logo for the front of their license. There are currently 1.5 million names on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry - about 15 percent of Michigan's population.

Gift of Life Michigan is the state's federally certified, full-service organ recovery organization. The agency acts as an intermediary between donors, physicians, hospital staff and transplant centers. For more information about organ and tissue donation, contact Gift of Life Michigan at (800) 482-4881 or www.giftoflifemichigan.org.

The Michigan Eye-Bank's mission is the restoration of sight. It recovers, evaluates and distributes corneas for transplantation, supports eye and vision research, and offers public and professional education on the importance of eye, organ, and tissue donation. To learn more, call (800) 247-7250 or visit the organization's Web site at www.michiganeyebank.org.

For more information about the department's organ donation initiatives, visit its Web site at www.michigan.gov/sos.

2008 Income Tax forms now available
State of Michigan forms can be accessed online at www.mi.gov/treasury. Select 'Income Tax Forms' from the Forms drop-down menu. Federal tax forms can be accessed at http://www.irs.gov/.