Advocacy 101, Unhouse Bill of Rights, Board Opportunities, & More!
Friday, August 4, 2023
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Posted by: Melina Brann
Michigan Advocacy 101: How Do We Make Changes NASW has a strong commitment to political action through the legislative process, but what does that actually look like? Director of Policy & Advocacy, Melina Brann, will be hosting a webinar NEXT TUESDAY that provides an overview of Michigan’s legislative process and what that looks like with our upcoming licensure changes. Register for the webinar today. Bill of Rights For Unhoused Community Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing) introduced legislation they call a bill of rights for the houseless community. Under the proposal, it would be illegal to infringe upon an individual's rights or deny them access to resources and services on the basis of housing status.
Those protections include access to public spaces, the right to vote without a permanent address, the right to privacy and property, and access to school for unhoused youth. Read more about the legislation here. Read the bill here. Michigan Boards & Commissions Appointment Opportunities Governor Whitmer is committed to a Cabinet and Executive Office that are representative of Michigan. That commitment applies to the Governor’s appointments to various boards and commissions that serve the state. The Governor’s Appointments Division is responsible for seeking qualified candidates to fulfill these responsibilities on more than 240 boards and commissions that span across state agencies. Some of these openings include the Autism Council, Commission of Services to the Aging, Human trafficking Commission, Michigan Community Service Commission, Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, and more! View the full list of open appointments here. Policy Wins Michigan Supreme Court Expands Custody Rights of LGBTQ Parents The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), including the NASW Michigan Chapter, submitted an amicus brief on March 10, 2023, to the Michigan Supreme Court as it heard the case Pueblo v. Haas. 
(the following summary is from The National Law Review) On July 24, 2023, the Michigan Supreme Court (“the Court”) issued a 5-2 ruling resulting in the expansion of parental rights for LGBTQ+ parents in the state. In Pueblo v Haas, the Court considered whether an unmarried, same-sex parent can seek custody and parenting time over a non-biological child conceived during a decades-long domestic partnership prior to the 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized same-sex marriage at a federal level. Read more here Gov. Whitmer Signs Legislation to Protect LGBTQ+ Youth, Ban Conversion Therapy Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan House Bills 4616 and 4617 to protect LGBTQ+ youth by prohibiting conversion therapy for minors. Michigan joins 21 other states in banning the harmful practice and prioritizing the wellbeing of young LGBTQ+ individuals. Read more here
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