With these sobering statistics in mind, last month I introduced legislation to assist homeowners with saving their home from foreclosure. After a home has been “sold” at a foreclosure sale, homeowners have a six-month redemption period to secure the money to save their home. Senate Bill 1390 would allow the county register of deeds to determine and release the dollar amount needed for a homeowner to redeem a home from foreclosure.

Current law does not allow the register of deeds to provide this information to the homeowner. With the number of foreclosures in Michigan continuing to climb and people struggling to save their property before it is too late, homeowners deserve easier access to this information. Senate Bill 1390 has been referred to the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee of which I am a member.

We are facing a foreclosure crisis nationwide, but especially in Michigan. We must do whatever we can to provide relief to homeowners in this situation.

I am looking forward to the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee to hold a hearing on the bill soon.
 

Working to hold the line on spending

As Michigan’s economy continues to struggle, it is important that the Legislature spend within its means. With that in mind, I felt that it was imperative to hold the line on spending during the recent passage of state budgets for Fiscal Year 2008-09. I voted “No” on two budgets: Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG) and School Aid.

I voted against the DLEG budget, in part, because it included an increase much greater than inflation as well as a new general fund allocation for worker training previously funded with federal dollars. This budget represents a General Fund increase of 62.6% above inflation due primarily to $15 million in new state funding for this program. In my opinion, documented accountability and results are critical to funding this initiative. According to my review, results were insufficiently documented to justify the millions of federal dollars already spent on the program. Therefore, taking $15 million dollars from the general fund is difficult to justify.

As a former educator of 19 years, I’m afraid the K-12 budget sells our kids short. In my opinion the budget could have allocated resources more wisely. Specifically the School Aid budget includes a $15 million dollar allocation for smaller high schools. Research has shown very mixed results in creating smaller high schools. My experience as a school psychologist supports what contributes most to student success; involved parents, competent teachers, excellent innovative adaptive teaching and individualized curriculum. Importantly, any Michigan school district could create smaller high schools without new state funding. However, saving kids doesn’t start in high school. It starts very early in elementary school for those who begin struggling, falling behind, and never catch up. By the time they get to ninth grade it’s too late.

Another issue is the millions and millions of dollars in categorical funding that could have been imbedded into the foundation grants so that school districts could exercise local control and direct the dollars to where they are needed most.

While the Legislature is not currently in session, I continue to work over the summer on legislation to improve Michigan’s economy and to put people back to work. This includes two remaining budgets, Transportation and Capital Outlay, which are expected to be debated and resolved in September. As always, I will fight to ensure that your taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and prudently.

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State Senator Nancy Cassis, a Novi Republican, represents the 15th Senate District, which includes the townships of Commerce, Highland, Holly, Lyon, Milford, Novi, Rose, West Bloomfield and White Lake; as well as the Villages of Holly, Milford and Wolverine Lake; and the cities of Novi, Northville (the portion in Oakland County), Orchard Lake, South Lyon, Walled Lake and Wixom.