Dana's Dispatch: Auto Insurance Scam Alert, Promoting Government Transparency, Defending the Right to Privacy & More!

--------------------------------------------------------------- AG Nessel Warns Consumers of Auto Insurance Scams as Refund Checks are Dispersed The $400 auto insurance refund checks come at a time when many Michiganders are dealing with financial hardships, but these refunds will unfortunately attract bad actors who may use it as an opportunity to turn a surplus into a scam. No one will call, write, or email you for information prior to disbursing the money. If you are contacted by someone claiming to need personal information before receiving your $400, remain skeptical and report it to [www.michigan.gov/ag](. [READ MORE]( Dana Nessel, @MIAttyGen on Twitter (March 17, 2022) AG Nessel Warns Consumers of Auto Insurance Scams as Refund Checks are Dispersed Retrieved from: [AG Nessel Warns Consumers of Auto Insurance Scams as Refund Checks are Dispersed]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Attorney General Dana Nessel Visits Michigan Humane Pet Pantry in Detroit Through their partnerships, the Michigan Humane Pet Pantry program provides dog and cat food at no charge to owned pets in an effort to keep animals in their current homes. For help or for more info, visit []( The Pet Pantry is located at the Humane Society location on 6175 Trumbull Ave in Detroit. [READ MORE]( Dana Nessel, @MIAttyGen on Twitter (March 17, 2022) Attorney General Dana Nessel Visits Michigan Humane Pet Pantry in Detroit Retrieved from: [Attorney General Dana Nessel Visits Michigan Humane Pet Pantry in Detroit]( --------------------------------------------------------------- State officials get to the heart of the Freedom of Information Act During Sunshine Week and on National Freedom of Information Day, my team remains firmly committed to returning the Office of Attorney General to the people of Michigan through continued transparency. There were many reasons why people attended Monday’s Freedom of Information (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMI) seminar sponsored by the Michigan Press Association and The Macomb Daily. The biggest one being the fact Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was the keynote speaker. “It’s not often you get to speak directly to the attorney general and I really appreciated that,” said Michael Lesich, who is no stranger to FOIAs or OMA, having served on the city council in Fraser from 2015 to 2021. “I think the most important fact people learned here is that the public has the right information from the government and it should not be denied.” Monday’s seminar was held as part of national Sunshine Week, which celebrates and promotes dialogue about open government, which began Sunday, March 13. In addition to what is expected with FOIA requests including such things as cost and time frame and what the state is doing right, Nessel also touched on its lack of transparency. The state executive and legislative branches are exempt from FOIA, Michigan being one of only two states to do so. To change that the state House of Representatives has passed a bill removing the exemption for the governor’s office and the House and Senate. The measure has not received support in the Senate but when asked if she thinks the governor’s office should be exempt from FOIA requests Nessel said, “No. I think they absolutely should be answering FOIA requests. If we can comply in our government offices, so should they. I think not providing them leads to a lot of misinterpretations." [READ MORE]( Gina Joseph, Macomb Daily (March 14, 2022) State officials get to the heart of the Freedom of Information Act Retrieved from: [State officials get to the heart of the Freedom of Information Act]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Ohio woman charged for threats made against two Michigan state representatives This rise in threats against elected officials will not be tolerated. Those who think hiding behind a phone or keyboard will prevent them from facing criminal charges are severely mistaken. I appreciate the work done across state lines to bring accountability in this case. The Michigan Attorney General announced today that Sandra Bachman, 58, of Batavia, Ohio has been charged for threatening and racist voice messages she left for State Representatives, Cynthia Johnson, and Sarah Anthony. Bachman received the following charges in 54A District Court: one count of false report or threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony; one count of ethnic intimidation, a two-year felony; and two counts of telecommunications services – malicious use, a six-month misdemeanor. Bachman allegedly left a voice message containing a death threat for Rep. Anthony in May 2021. Bachman also allegedly left a similar voice message for Rep. Johnson in June 2021. Bachman is due back in court for arraignment on March 31 at 8:15 a.m. [READ MORE]( Mid-Michigan NOW Newsroom, Mid-Michigan NOW (March 15, 2022) Ohio woman charged for threats made against two Michigan state representatives Retrieved from: [Ohio woman charged for threats made against two Michigan state representatives]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan Politicians Could Police Your Sex Positions If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned If nothing is protected by the Constitution, and everything is a "state’s right," it means that someone is voting on your rights — that you don’t automatically have those rights as an American by virtue of the fact that you live in a nation that values your right to privacy. Photo courtesy of Artur Widak, Getty Images All three Republican candidates vying to become Michigan Attorney General said last month that they oppose the Supreme Court ruling which allowed married couples to use birth control and said that issue should be left to the states. The right to privacy established in that case, 1965’s Griswold v. Connecticut, underpins the 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade—and you may have heard that the historic abortion case is on its last legs. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe and sends abortion back to the states, it’s not just legal abortion and birth control that could go out the window, but also decisions legalizing marriage equality and sex between same-sex partners. “It’s a 15-year felony not just to have same-sex intimate relationships, [but] our sodomy statute basically prohibits everything but missionary sex,” said Nessel, a former sexual assault prosecutor. Talk of Griswold being wrongly decided is a red flag, because the case is like a block near the base of a Jenga tower, Nessel said. The tower started with the birth control for married couples block, then on top the court added interracial marriage, birth control for unmarried people, abortion, then same-sex relationships, and marriage equality. “To them, it’s like, ‘yeah, I want my state to have rights.’ But what it means is that someone is voting on your rights—that you don’t automatically have those rights as an American by virtue of the fact that you live in a nation that values your right to privacy and believes that government has no place in your bedroom,” Nessel said. “People ought to be very concerned about that." [READ MORE]( Susan Rinkunas, Jezebel (March 18, 2022) This State Could Police Your Sex Positions If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned Retrieved from: [This State Could Police Your Sex Positions If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 'Incredibly impressive': Michigan AG visits Monroe to learn of mental health, sheriff program We [attorneys] are not doing a great service for the clients that we're trying to represent if we don't understand the challenges they have that other people, even other drug addicts, don't have. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel lauded the collaboration between the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Monroe Community Mental Health Authority, and recognized the sheriff's office's Corrections Officer of the Year during a special luncheon held Friday at the health authority. Nessel spent about an hour talking with members of the health authority board, elected officials and other prominent community members about the county's successes in the battles against substance abuse and mental health disorders. Nessel said that the diversion program is "amazing," and "incredibly impressive," adding that she wished she had more knowledge about substance abuse and mental health disorders when she was a practicing attorney. "I know your work is difficult and sometimes feels unrewarding, but obviously we appreciate the work that you do," Nessel told the group. "I really appreciate, of course, all your hard work, and for you to be selected for this amongst your many colleagues who, I'm sure, are also incredibly valuable and doing great things speaks so highly of you.. We need as many of you as we can get, so thank you for your tireless work." [READ MORE]( Blake Bacho, The Monroe News (March 19, 2022) 'Incredibly impressive': Michigan AG visits Monroe to learn of mental health, sheriff program Retrieved from: ['Incredibly impressive': Michigan AG visits Monroe to learn of mental health, sheriff program]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AG: Elder Abuse Task Force Offers New Video Focused on Residents’ Rights in Nursing Homes This video is an invaluable resource for anyone with a loved one living in a nursing home. I applaud the Elder Abuse Task Force’s ongoing work to raise awareness and advocate for our elderly population. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is advising seniors of some of the things they need to know to keep themselves protected from abuse, particularly in nursing homes. Her office has released the following video regarding residents' rights. Nessel spent part of the week presenting on consumer protection measures for the state’s senior population as the Elder Abuse Task Force (EATF) launches its latest resource focused on the rights of residents living in nursing homes. The video, Resident Rights in Nursing Homes, is now available on the Department’s YouTube page. Its purpose is to make the public aware of the general rights each nursing home resident has and must be afforded, as well as steps to take in the event a resident’s rights have been violated. [READ MORE]( WSJM, Moody on the Market (March 20, 2022) AG: Elder Abuse Task Force Offers New Video Focused on Residents’ Rights in Nursing Homes Retrieved from: [AG: Elder Abuse Task Force Offers New Video Focused on Residents’ Rights in Nursing Homes]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for being a part of Dana's re-election campaign! 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