Dear Neighbor,
I hope this letter finds you safe and healthy. With the sun shining and warm weather beginning, I encourage you to enjoy our beautiful state and the beautiful flowers blossoming outside.
Featured in Today’s Newsletter:
- Michigan Senate Advances Bills to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Michiganders
- Michigan Senate Passes Legislation to Protect Seniors and Vulnerable Adults
- Sterling Heights Electronic Recycling Day
- National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
- Free Detroit Institute of Arts Programs and Exhibitions
- New Sweepstakes Opportunity for First-Time FAFSA Filers
- Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate
- Real ID Deadline is Soon!
As always, it is an honor to represent you. If you would like any assistance with state-based issues, please feel free to reach out! You can email me at SenPWojno@senate.michigan.gov or call (517) 373-8360.
Warmest regards,
Paul Wojno
State Senator
District 10
Michigan Senate Advances Bills to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Michiganders
While the pharmaceutical industry raked in over $29 billion in net profits during a recent three-month period, nearly a third of Michigan residents stopped taking their prescriptions because of cost and 60% of older adults reported concerns over not being able to afford their essential medications.
To ensure all Michiganders, no matter their age, income, or background, have access to affordable, life-saving medication, my colleagues and I passed legislation this week to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in Michigan (PDAB) — an independent body designed to lower prescription drug costs and hold Big Pharma accountable. Comprised of experts in health care, economics, and supply chain management, the PDAB would be able to analyze and recommend ways to lower drug costs in Michigan. The PDAB could also set upper payment limits — maximum amounts that can be charged for prescription drugs — on prescription drugs sold in the state.
This legislative package, Senate Bills 3–5, now heads to the House for consideration.
Michigan Senate Passes Legislation to Protect Seniors and Vulnerable Adults
Elderly individuals and vulnerable adults are at high risk of being subject to abuse and exploitation at the hands of family members, friends, or other close associates. According to the Michigan Dept. of Attorney General, more than 73,000 older adults in the state are victims of these crimes which can lead to serious physical and psychological effects such as depression, increased hospitalization, and premature death.
To protect older and vulnerable Michiganders from these threats, I joined my colleagues last week to pass Senate Bills 111–114, which would increase protections by:
- Creating an elder and vulnerable adult personal protection order (PPO).
- Increasing the amount of time prosecutors have to recover property in embezzlement cases where criminals have taken advantage of vulnerable adults.
- Protecting vulnerable adults after their passing and prosecuting individuals for crimes that had occurred during the victim’s lifetime.
- Taking an all-in approach to preventing, intervening, investigating, and prosecuting abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older and vulnerable adults by bringing together local teams of experts.
This legislation now heads to the Michigan House for their consideration — read more about it here.
Sterling Heights Electronic Recycling Day
On Saturday, April 26, the City of Sterling Heights will be hosting an electronic recycling day for residents. Residents of Sterling Heights looking to recycle unwanted electronic items are welcome to drop their items off at the Dept. of Public Works building on 70200 18 Mile Road, west on Van Dyke from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The city is accepting most electronics. To learn more, please click here.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Saturday, April 26 is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The Drug Take Back Day reflects the DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.
You may drop off tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs at the designated collection sites. The drop-off sites will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. To locate the nearest location to you, please click here.
Free Detroit Institute of Arts Programs and Exhibitions
Residents of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne County can visit the Detroit Institute of Arts for free! The Detroit institute of Arts offers exciting exhibitions, new art works, family friendly programs, and award-winning films! To view a calendar with all the events and offerings, please click here.
New Sweepstakes Opportunity for First-Time FAFSA Filers
To encourage Michiganders who are enrolling in college for the first time to take advantage of financial aid opportunities available through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — commonly known as the FAFSA — Gov. Whitmer recently announced the Ticket to Tuition FAFSA sweepstakes. This new statewide contest offers a chance for forty first-time FAFSA filers to win $10,000 and ten winners to receive $50,000.
The FAFSA is an important tool for students to lower the cost of college, helping them take advantage of valuable tuition savings opportunities like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Community College Guarantee, programs that my colleagues and I have proudly supported in recent years.
Contest details:
- To enter the sweepstakes, complete the FAFSA online or by submitting a paper form and text CASH to 855-50K-TICKET by 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 16, 2025. To be eligible, participants must be Michigan residents who completed the FAFSA for the first-time to use during the 2025-26 academic year.
- Prizes will be awarded in Michigan Education Savings Program accounts, which can be used for a variety of qualified educational expenses such as tuition and fees, living expenses, and computers and textbooks.
- For full contest details, visit TicketToTuition.com.
Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate
The Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate is a prestigious honor acknowledging the bravery and sacrifices of our Vietnam veterans. If you or someone you know fits the criteria below, check eligibility to receive this special recognition:
- Citizenship: You must be a citizen of Michigan or have been one while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States — this includes the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, as well as the Michigan National Guard and reserve components.
- Honorable Service: To qualify, you must have received an honorable discharge or been released under honorable circumstances.
- Service Period: Your service must have occurred during the Vietnam War era, from February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975.
To submit for consideration, complete the Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate Form.
If you have questions about filling out your application or questions regarding the Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate, please contact 1-800-MICH-VET or email MVAAResourceCenter@michigan.gov.
Real ID Deadline is Soon!
On May 7, 2025, United States residents will be required to have a Real ID, passport or passport card, or military ID to board domestic flights. Michigan Secretary of State offices offer a fast and easy ways for customers to upgrade their driver’s license or ID. Despite the heavier volume throughout the state, most customers are still in and out of the Secretary of State office rather quickly.
Michigan driver’s licenses and IDs are REAL ID compliant if they are marked by a star in the upper right corner – either a star within a gold shape of Michigan or a star in a gold circle, depending on the license design. Michigan also offers enhanced driver’s licenses and IDs, which are REAL ID-compliant and can be used to cross the border into the United States from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean by land or sea. Enhanced driver’s licenses and IDs have a U.S. flag icon on the front.
Upgrading a standard license or ID to a REAL ID is free if done during the normal renewal period. Otherwise, a card correction fee of $9 for a driver’s license or $10 for an ID is charged.
When applying for a REAL ID, you will need to bring:
- Your driver’s license or ID.
- Your certified birth certificate with a raised seal or stamp issued by a governmental agency; your valid, unexpired U.S. passport; or an approved citizenship or legal presence document. (Faxes and photocopies won’t be accepted.)
- If your name is different from the name on your birth certificate, bring certified documents, such as marriage licenses or court orders, for each time your name has changed.
Customers can make appointments up to six months in advance for any Secretary of State office by visiting Michigan.gov/SOS or calling 888-767-6424. The online system or call center agent will walk them through everything they need to bring for their transaction, helping them avoid having to make a return visit. If a customer arrives without having scheduled ahead, they can use one of the check-in and booking stations or work with a staff member to book the next available time slot.
To learn more, please visit REAL ID.