Karoub Associates highlights new year legislative issues
House Republicans are proposing a roll back of the state’s 4.25 percent state income tax to 3.9 percent in 2018 and eventually eliminating the income tax completely; the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously elected Justice Stephen Markman as its new chief justice; and Gov. Rick Snyder has now appointed three of the four-members of the Michigan Civil Service Commission (MCSC) - including former House Speaker Jase Bolger, the leading legislator behind the enactment of Right to Work in 2012. Click on the January 2017 Karoub Report for more information on these and other legislative topics.
Sterling Heights Police encourage area departments to help cancer patients' families
Sterling Heights Police talked with Santa during New Day Foundation for Families Holiday Gift Giving Program. Det. Ken Mercer (above) and MAP Executive Board President and Sterling Heights Officer Rich Heins (below) along with other Sterling Heights Patrol Officers sponsored a cancer patient’s family in December 2015 & 2016.
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
Sterling Heights Police have a history of helping their community and they are encouraging other area departments to join them in supporting the newest organization they are helping, New Day Foundation for Families.
On Dec. 12, 2016 Sterling Heights Police Officers Association (POA) President and MAP Executive Board President Rich Heins along with Det. Ken Mercer, Sterling Heights POA Vice President, presented gifts for a single mother, who suffers from cancer, and her three children during the New Day Foundation for Families Holiday Gift Giving Program. New Day Foundation for Families in Rochester supports area cancer patients and their families, who are struggling financially, physically and emotionally.
Sterling Heights Patrol Officers shopped for and wrapped gifts of needed and wanted items for the 34-year-old and her sons ages 15, 10 and 7. Mercer and Heins presented the gifts to a family friend since the woman was unable to attend due to treatments and a weakened immune system. She was diagnosed with B-cell Lymphoma in July 2016 when a tumor was found behind her sternum. Lymphomas are blood cancers in the lymph nodes. Now she is undergoing six 21-day treatments, which involve in-hospital stays.
“She was working full-time,” Heins said of the single mom. “She had two jobs.”
Diagnosed July 28, 2016, she is unable to work due to treatments and her weakened immune system. “She’s a waitress and she hasn’t been able to work,” Mercer said. “She was just so lethargic and short of breath that the doctors said she’s not allowed to work. Her blood cell count is down from chemotherapy and she could get sick.”
New Day Foundation for Families is the genesis of Gina Kell Spehn and Michael Spehn after losing their young spouses to cancer. They married and between them have five children who have lost a parent to cancer. Together they wrote the New York Times bestselling book “The Color of Rain,” which was adapted for the screen as a Hallmark Movie Channel original, premiering on May 31, 2014, and continues showing throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
“New Day provides short-term financial assistance for basic living expenses and emotional resources to family members. By reducing financial and emotional burdens, our programs have a profound impact on quality of life and treatment outcomes for cancer patients and their families,” said Josephine Long, Development Director at New Day.
Read more: Sterling Heights Police encourage area departments to help cancer patients' families
Hough Counseling waives C.O.P.S. Health Trust co-pays, deductibles
If you, a family member or friend is struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction or a physical disability, Hough Counseling and Assessments can help. And there are no out-of-pocket costs for people with medical insurance through C.O.P.S. Health Trust as Hough will waive all co-pays, co-insurance or deductibles in 2017. Hough is owned and operated by Tami Hough, the wife of retired Detroit Police Officer Tom Schneider, who helped develop and run C.O.P.S. Health Trust. Our licensed counselors are familiar with the traumatic events law enforcement officers must endure on the job. We provide a full range of behavioral health services to clients of all ages and offer educational, psychological and vocational assessments. Our Certified Rehabilitation Counselors specialize in working with persons with disabilities. The office is located in Troy, in the same building as MAP corporate offices.
Lame Duck success!
Public safety employees stop bill that would've ended future retiree health benefits
House Bill 6074, which drew protest from public employees in Michigan and a barrage of calls to State Legislators will not be moved out of the House as part of a package of bills.
Early this morning, the House Local Government Committee reported that the only bill in this package that will be moved is House Bill 6075, which creates reporting requirements between public employers and Michigan Department of Treasury. This bill has no effect on retiree health care.
MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner wanted to thank MAP members for their support! MAP members participated in the MAPO effort, contacting State Legislators to make this victory possible.
However, Timpner also wanted to alert members that is this a temporary win and MAP members may be called on again soon. Republicans are expected to introduce bills as early as January 2017, after new legislators have been sworn into office, that would negatively impact public employee healthcare and pensions.
In the meantime, Legislators were clearly swayed by the overwhelming involvement of MAPO members.
Karoub Associates highlights issues in lame duck session
With the impending transition to newly elected leaders, state legislators are addressing a number of topics in the lame duck session; leadership appointments are being made; and topics such as energy reform, clean water in Flint and a plan to tackle lead exposure are all discussed in the Nov. 21, 2016 Karoub Report.
Karoub Associates summarizes Republicans' domination of state, national elections
Republicans kept control of the Michigan House and Supreme Court and have a majority in the U.S. House to go along with newly-elected Republican President Donald Trump. Karoub Associates details elections results in the Nov. 9, 2016 Karoub Report.
Competitive grant open to all components of criminal justice system
The Michigan Justice Training Fund (MJTF) Competitive Grant Program is open to all components of the criminal justice system including Michigan courts, corrections, public defenders, prosecutors and law enforcement (both licensed officers and civilian staff). The process to apply for these funds is detailed here. For more information about Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) programs and services, click here.
Guidebook highlights research about women in public service careers
Fire Science.org has put together a comprehensive guidebook for women in public service careers. In this guide, readers can access in-depth insights and research about careers in homeland security, forestry, public administration, cyber security, emergency management, criminal justice and paramedics.
The guide highlights careers for women in public service, throughout history and today.
A 2011 report by the Department of Labor found that women are 50 percent more likely than men to work in public sector jobs, with 18.2 percent of all female Americans serving in this arena. Click here to learn more about public service jobs for women and information about potential salaries and education requirements for specific positions.
FireScience.org began in 2012 to provide quality data and information for students pursuing a career in fire science. The website provides tools and resources to help students and professionals make well-informed decisions about their education and career training.
New Labor Specialist stands up for employee rights
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
Jerald James has always enjoyed coming to the aid of others, so helping his fellow Detroit EMS co-workers resolve employment concerns was a natural transition for him. Now that he’s recently retired, James is taking his next step helping others as the newest MAP Labor Relations Specialist.
“The one thing that attracted me to the union when I started (Detroit EMS) in 1997 was witnessing employees rights not being honored or respected and watching co-workers or peers really struggle with their rights and their benefits and wages,” James said.
James represented EMS workers for nearly two decades through his various positions at Detroit EMS, including EMS Superintendent and his most recent position as EMS Captain. He begins his new career with MAP in September.
“Once I crossed into the union world, it became very rewarding to me to win a grievance or have a phone call and get some stuff straightened out,” he said. “It made the job dually rewarding - I was delivering babies and ... getting peoples’ jobs back when they were wrongly discharged. For a lot of people you end up saving their life or their careers when no one else would or could.”
James was a Michigan Association of Fire Fighters (MAFF) Union Steward since 2014, when EMS Supervisors joined MAFF. Now MAFF representatives are hoping EMTs and Paramedics will join the union as well.
“I was actually the union president for the group when we affiliated with MAFF,” James said. “To me, it was a natural transition. I really liked what I’m doing - I wouldn’t change it. I think this is a nice group of guys I’m dealing with too,” he said of the Labor Relations Specialists.
His union career track began in 1997 as Union Steward with International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). He climbed the ranks to Chief Steward from 1998-2002 and President from 2002-05. In 2005, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and in 2007 became President of EMS Officers Association, a group not affiliated with any organized union.
Read more: New Labor Specialist stands up for employee rights
25,000 cartons of life-saving Narcan Nasal Spray donated to public safety, community
Excerpted from news media and Adapt Pharma.com
Narcan Nasal Spray 4mg, the first and only FDA-approved Naloxone nasal spray for emergency treatment of opioid overdose, is being donated to law enforcement and first responders among others through the month of July 2016.
Narcan is an antidote that targets the brain receptors affected by opiate drugs like heroin. When administered, it can reverse the depression of the central nervous system, respiratory system, and hypo tension in a matter of seconds. “It blocks those receptors. It’s going to block off the high immediately,” said Kyle McKenzie, a paramedic with Pro Med.
If given to someone who isn’t experiencing an overdose, the drug becomes benign and has virtually no effect or side effects, according to Narcan drug makers, Adapt Pharma, Limited.
Adapt Pharma planned to donate 25,000 cartons of the life-saving drug to public safety and other community partners including Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), the Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC), and the Clinton Health Matters Initiative. In January, through a partnership with Clinton Health Matters Initiative, high schools were also offered a free carton of Narcan.
“This device will equip those in our communities - families, friends, caregivers and school nurses - with a tool they can rely on without need for medical training or expertise,” according to a statement from Mike Kelly, president of U.S. Operations at Adapt Pharma.
Adapt also offered donated product to city law enforcement agencies across the country who have been hit hardest by opioid-related overdoses. Naloxone can be administered intravenously or through a nasal spray.
Read more: 25,000 cartons of life-saving Narcan Nasal Spray donated to public safety, community
Supreme Court rules in favor of Officers’ rights
By Attorney John Goldpaugh
False or inaccurate information cannot be used against a law enforcement officer in subsequent criminal proceedings, according to a recent ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court.
The Court based the 5-2 decision on the Disclosures by Law Enforcement Officers Act (DLEOA) and went on to say: “To hold otherwise would defeat the Legislature’s stated intent to preclude the use of ‘any information.’”
The June 22, 2016 ruling was made in the People of the State of Michigan vs. Nevin Hughes case, involving Detroit Police Officer Nevin Hughes. Hughes was represented by Attorney John Goldpaugh in his appeal. The case stemmed from charges of obstruction of justice, misconduct in office, and assault and battery, against Officer Hughes (and other officers with respect to the obstruction of justice charge) arising out of a 2009 incident.
Officer Hughes and other officers made statements during an internal investigation by the Office of the Chief Investigator. All three officers were given their Garrity rights and subsequently, departmental charges were filed against Officer Hughes.
Once departmental charges had been addressed, Internal Affairs began a criminal investigation and a warrant was obtained against Hughes and the other two officers. The sole basis for the obstruction of justice charge was the alleged false statements given under Garrity to the Office of the Chief Investigator, according to the People. The district court bound Officer Hughes over on the misconduct in office and assault and battery charges during the preliminary examination and dismissed the obstruction of justice charges against him and the other officers.
Michigan State Troopers, Deputy save child from burning home
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has selected Michigan State Police Troopers Jim Leonard and Rick Carlson along with Otsego County (MI) Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Holzschu as the recipients of its Officer of the Month Award for March 2016.
The three officers were called to the scene of a house fire in which a child was trapped inside. The Troopers and Deputy broke through glass doors and windows, allowing enough smoke to escape the house so they could enter and rescue an unresponsive child from his crib. For the complete article, click here.
