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DADS of Michigan PAC eNewsletter!
dadspac@dadsofmichigan.org

May, 2006

DADS of Michigan PAC,
 
This is a very important time of the year, before taking off for the summer. When the Legislators return in late summer, their focus will be on the state budget and elections. For the next few weeks, we need your energy and time to make a lasting impact on YOUR legislator. I can not emphasize this enough; YOU must contact your Legislator. I can not do that. It REQUIRES SOMEONE FROM THE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT.

Find your legislator, under contacts: http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/pacnews.html


FAMILY MATTERS: DADS AND MOMS OF MICHIGAN PAC LEGISLATIVE FORUM
DADS of Michigan PAC will conduct a Legislative Forum on Tuesday, June 13 from 11:30 to 1:00 PM at the House Office Building Mackinac Room, 5th floor, in Lansing, Michigan.  We invite you and your staffs to join us in camaraderie and a pleasant social atmosphere to exchange ideas and thoughts to improve and strengthen families.  It is clear that there is much work to do on family issues and DADS of Michigan PAC is at the forefront on research in analyzing policy for family and children's services.

The agenda includes:
- Introductions
- Current policy changes to strengthen families
- Distinguished guest speakers on family services and education programs
- Current and proposed legislation
- Recommendations of US Department of Health and Human Services


Dads Marathon, June 14-23, 2006
Robb MacKenzie is at it again with bigger dreams. Robb will be traveling from Lansing to Washington, DC on a bicycle marathon because "the best parent is both parents". With his bright yellow jersey emblemmed with DADS of Michigan and Children Need Both Parents, he will be greeted at many stops along the way. In 2005, Robb was greeted by his daughter in Lansing, whom he has fought Michigan courts just to have a relationship with. His Mom and stepdaughter were proudly displaying signs of support.

Track Robbs 2006 trek at http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/marathon06.html
See his 2005 trek at http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/marathon.html


UPDATE ON KEY LEGISLATION

  • HB 5267 (Mortimer) is a “shared parenting” bill which will amend current law so that a written custody agreement by both parents will be presumed to be in everyone’s best interests. In cases where parents cannot write a custody agreement, the court will establish one, based on the presumption of the right of both parents to joint physical and legal custody of minor children. This presumption may be rebutted if there is clear and convincing evidence that one parent is “unfit, unwilling or unable” to handle their parental responsibilities. Passage of HB 5267 will make the presumption of shared custody the rule rather than the exception in Michigan, allowing both parents to retain physical custody of their children for “alternating and substantially equal” periods of time. We are currently working with key stakeholder groups and legislative leaders to garner additional support for this bill, which is likely to be taken up by the House Family & Children Services Committee soon after they pass the marriage preservation package. We will notify members when it is most appropriate to contact either members of the committee or the full House of Representatives.

    DADS of Michigan PAC: http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/shared_parenting.html

    Fathers: A Childs Right: http://www.fatherachildsright.org/html/mi_hb5267.html

    Send Letter to you Legislator: http://hb5267.org/SupportHB5267.html

  • HB 5701 (Moolenaar) is a bill to encourage parents of minor children in a divorce/custody situation to cooperatively draft a parenting plan. This bill is part of a comprehensive “marriage preservation” package of bills (HB 5698-5703) which have passed in previous legislative sessions but have been vetoed by Governor Granholm. This parenting plan bill is tie-barred to HB 5698 (Vanderveen), a bill to require a divorce effects program before entry of judgment of divorce. The House Family & Children Services Committee held an initial hearing on these bills last month, and we are working with interested stakeholders on various amendments to HB 5701 which will make it even more family friendly.  Further committee action on these bills is expected in the weeks ahead. Once we know when this bill will be schedule for additional testimony and a vote, we will ask interested parties to contact their member of the House of Representatives.
  • SB 436 (McManus) is a bill which will provide unwed biological fathers with legal standing on issues of paternity and custody for their children. The bill has been through numerous drafts and revisions, and an initial hearing was held in the Senate Families & Human Services committee last month. We appreciate the leadership demonstrated on this issue by Senator McManus and her staff, and interested parties should be in contact with your individual State Senator and urge them to support SB 436 when it comes up for a vote.


Marriage Package Passed House Committee 10-0 on May 3. We are working with Citizens for Traditional Values (CTV) and the Michigan Family Forum (MFF) to shape this legislation. See the bills below.


DOMP In Action
The DOMP legislative team is putting in a lot of time and effort. You can help by reading and understanding the bills, and telephone your Legislators and tell them your story, and that you want change in family court. DADS of Michigan PAC have opened the door for you. Now we need your voice.

Our major push for this next six weeks is as follows:

  1. Send a personal letter to every Legislator requesting support of key legislation. Check http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/pacnews.html for sample letters.
  2. Attend legislative hearings for the marriage package, parenting plan, paternity, and shared parenting. Note: Hearings will be conducted over the next eight weeks.
  3. Telephone every Legislator and request a position statement on key legislation.
    Legislator questionnaire for shared parenting: PAC Legislative Questionnaire.doc
  4. Conduct a Legislative Forum in Lansing on June 13 to brief Legislators.

We will also be sending alerts to more then 200 Region Directors and Coordinators in the state.  We need you to recruit more people and have them send an email to dadspac@dadsofmichigan.org to sign up.


Legal Updates: Family law
New Bills or Resolutions

  • SB 1283 of 2006
    Family law; parenting time; factors to determine grandparent visitation; revise. Amends sec. 7b of 1970 PA 91 (MCL 722.27b).
  • SB 1281 of 2006
    Family law; child custody; custody determination; require to factor in child living with a registered sex offender. Amends sec. 3 of 1970 PA 91 (MCL 722.23).


Updated Bills or Resolutions

  • HB 5698 of 2006
    Family law; marriage and divorce; divorce; require a divorce effects program before entry of judgment of divorce.
  • HB 5699 of 2006
    Family law; marriage and divorce; prerequisites for issuance of a marriage license; require premarriage program or longer waiting period. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5700'06HB 5702'06HB 5703'06
  • HB 5700 of 2006
    Income tax; credit; marriage preservation tax credit; provide for. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5699'06HB 5702'06HB 5703'06
  • HB 5701 of 2006
    Family law; child custody; child parenting plan; create. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5698'06
  • HB 5702 of 2006
    Family law; marriage and divorce; individuals who can accept payment and perform marriage and family counseling; expand. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5699'06HB 5700'06HB 5703'06
  • HB 5703 of 2006
    Family law; marriage and divorce; recording of certain information on marriage license and certificate; require. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5699'06HB 5700'06HB 5702'06
  • HB 4086 of 2005
    Family law; marriage and divorce; solemnization of marriage; allow all county clerks and their designees to conduct. Amends secs. 7 & 16 of 1846 RS 83 (MCL 551.7 & 551.16).
  • HB 5953 of 2006
    Family law; marriage and divorce; provision regarding property rights; modify. Amends sec. 1 of 1909 PA 259 (MCL 552.101).


Subscribe to Legislative Updates at the Michigan web site. If you wish to change your notification settings or unsubscribe, please login at the Michigan Legislature Website and visit the Notify page.


Precinct Delegates

Once elected as a Delegate, there are a few mandatory events that you should note in your calendar.  The next date to put on your calendar will be the State Convention, which will take place Friday and Saturday August 25th and 26th in Southeast Michigan!  Location and venue to be announced.

OAKLAND COUNTY: Your main responsibility will be to attend the first County Convention of 2006 on August 17th starting at 7:00 PM at the Commissioners Auditorium located at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac.


VAWA Update: Violence Against Women Act (Make Gender Neutral)
R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a network of concerned men and women working to assure that the problem of domestic violence is treated in a balanced and effective manner: http://www.mediaradar.org

Purpose: To place the civil rights abuses of VAWA on the political radar screen, so Congress holds hearings on the civil rights abuses of VAWA in Spring 2007.

Objectives:

  1. Meet with candidates or staff in the 437 House of Representative races and the 33 Senate races to present our concerns. In general, we will give priority to meetings with incumbent candidates. When possible, we will also meet with challengers.
  2. Increase awareness of the public about the civil rights abuses of VAWA
  3. Counter the myths of the October Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Timeline:

  1. June 19 – June – Initial announcements and preparations
  2. July – Using 4 RADAR Alerts, we walk people through the steps how to get involved in the election process
  3. August 1 – 31 – People hold meetings with candidates and staff
  4. Sept. 5 – 29 – BIG BANG MONTH!
    a.Three Special Reports that analyze and critique state-level DV laws
    b.Alerts
    c.Op-ed columns
    d.Press releases
    e.Continued meetings with candidates
    f.Prepare for Oct. DV Awareness Month (Sept. 25 Alert)
  5. Oct. 2 – Nov. 6
    a.Respond, as appropriate, to DV Awareness Month myths
    b.Continued involvement in campaign activities
  6. November 7 – ELECTION DAY
  7. Campaign wrap-up
    a.Receive summary reports from Resolution co-signers
    b.Report on final Campaign activities in Nov. 20 Alert


PAC Action: Many of you can not commit the time to be in Lansing for legislative sessions and we have engaged a very effective lobbyist to get in front of the legislators. We need your financial support. With many of the pending bills reaching a critical stage, DADS of Michigan PAC engaged a lobbyist to further these issues. This is not free and we need you to make a monthly financial commitment of $10, $15, $25, $50, $100, $500, $1000 per month for the next year. We can process these via credit card each month. Please call our hotline at 248-559-3237 today to make your pledge or email dadspac@dadsofmichigan.org.


"Fathers are responsible parents too...because the best parent is both parents"