WEEKLY UPDATE

In this Issue:
● FYI Notes
● Prescription drug legislation introduced
● Video Update
● Bi-Weekly Survey
● Enhanced driver's license arrives
● Mackinac State Historic Parks kicks off the 2009 season
● Free booklets available regarding underage drinking
● 2009-2010 Citizen's Guides 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 -- MAY 1, 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.

Stay in Contact
Mail: P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
E-mail: kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov
Toll-Free: 1-877-536-4105
Phone: (517) 373-0829
Fax: (517) 373-1841
Web site: www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm
Blog: http://staterepkevinelsenheimer.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/teamkevin


Prescription drug legislation introduced
In late March, I along with my colleagues introduced a package of bills which aim to reduce prescription drug abuse in Michigan. As some of you may already know, there is a growing trend of prescription drug overdose deaths in our state, including three in the last three months from Traverse City. After talking with northern Michigan sheriffs and judges about this growing problem, we developed our legislation to eliminate "doctor shopping" - when people "shop" from doctor to doctor for prescriptions of strong narcotics they can then sell illegally or use themselves - and other abuses of legal narcotics.

It is important that patients get the medicine they need, but we must have protections in place to keep drugs out of the wrong hands. Health care professionals, hospitals and law enforcement must be able to work together with patients to develop a safety net that can monitor the flow of narcotics in Michigan so they are used for the intended purpose of saving lives, not ending them.

While still in the development stage, the prescription drug abuse package would:
Require patient proof of identity when visiting the doctor or pharmacy;
Upgrade the state's prescription database to a real-time tracking model;
Allow law enforcement agencies easier and more up-to-date access to the database;
Require hospitals to report suspected drug-related incidents to law enforcement, such is already done with dog bites and suspected domestic and child abuse cases; and
Increase jail penalties for illegal prescription drug abuses and sales, including stricter probation terms regarding access to narcotic medicine.
I will keep you posted on the progress of this legislation in the coming months.


Video Update
Please click on the link below to learn more about the state of Michigan's budget.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlO-ZRI2K88


Bi-Weekly Survey
Please click on the link below to answer a few questions on your travel plans this summer.
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB2295K6BNG5X


Enhanced driver's license arrives
Michigan residents may now begin applying for the state's new enhanced driver's license (EDL). The optional card is convenient, affordable and the most flexible option for travelers to meet tougher federal document requirements that go into effect at America's land and sea borders on June 1. The dual-purpose EDL will serve as a driver's license and border-crossing card.

Enhanced driver's licenses are equipped with the latest technology to speed up border crossings and deter fraud. They cost $45 and enhanced state identification cards are $30. Applicants will receive them in two to three weeks.

The EDL eliminates the need to carry multiple ID documents when returning to the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean. It is ideal for those who may be heading to Canada, such as sportsmen, day travelers and vacationers.

EDLs are offered for voluntary purchase and are not required. Residents may continue to receive standard driver's licenses and state identification cards if they choose.

For more information on how to obtain an enhanced driver's license, visit www.michigan.gov/sos.


Mackinac State Historic Parks kicks off the 2009 season
Mackinac State Historic Parks kicks off the 2009 season at 9:00 a.m. on May 4 with the excitement of the Adventure Tour at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, located five minutes from Mackinaw City on US-23 South, and with a cannon salute at Colonial Michilimackinac, a 1770s-era British fort and fur trading village in Mackinaw City. All the sites feature live programs with historic interpreters in authentic period costumes, exhibits, displays, and videos in a setting of original or reconstructed historic structures. For more information, visit www.mackinacparks.com.


Free booklets available regarding underage drinking
Since 2002, the Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association and the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals have teamed up and created Parents Unite to Prevent Underage Drinking - a free booklet parents can use as a valuable tool to speak to their children about underage drinking. More than 470,000 copies have been distributed. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this booklet, please contact my office at 877-536-4105.


2009-2010 Citizen's Guides Now Available
The new Citizen's Guides with information regarding the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary branches of state government are now available. They include contact information and how to be an active participant in the legislative process. Please contact me if you would like a copy.