INFORMATION YOU NEED TODAY AND TOMORROW
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Governor Whitmer Amends MI Safe Start Order to Limit Indoor Gatherings
Statewide, Bars are Closed for Indoor Service and Indoor Gatherings are Restricted to No More Than 10 People
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-160 and Executive Order 2020-161, amending Michigan’s Safe Start Order and issuing revised workplace safeguards. Under the Safe Start Order, starting July 31, 2020, statewide indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people and bars will be closed for indoor service across the state, including in Regions 6 and 8.
“As we see COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Michiganders cannot afford to drop our guard. We must take every step possible to save lives, protect the brave men and women on the front lines, and avoid overwhelming our healthcare system while we continue to combat COVID-19,” said Governor Whitmer. “After seeing a resurgence in cases connected to social gatherings across the state, we must further limit gatherings for the health of our community and economy. By taking these strong actions, we will be better positioned to get our children back into classrooms and avoid a potentially devastating second wave.”
COVID-19’s resurgence is closely associated with super-spreading events at large social gatherings, often attended by young people. An outbreak at a Lansing bar has resulted in 187 infections; more than 50 cases have been linked to a single house party in Saline; and a sandbar party at Torch Lake over the July 4 weekend led to at least 43 confirmed cases. Therefore, Executive Order 2020-160 limits statewide indoor gatherings to 10 people or less and, across most of the state, limits outdoor gatherings to 100. (The outdoor gathering limits will remain at 250 in Regions 6 and 8.)
Executive Order 2020-160 also orders that bars in every region, including those in regions 6 and 8, must close for indoor service if they earn more than 70% of their gross receipts from sales of alcoholic beverages.
Under the governor’s orders, Detroit casinos will also be allowed to open on August 5, but their occupancy will be limited to 15% capacity. Casinos must also, among other things, conduct a daily entry screening protocol for customers and employees, temperature screening. Casinos must require patrons to wear a face covering, except while eating or drinking or for identification purposes.
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Michigan Small Business Restart Program Grant Application Window Closes 8-5-20
The Michigan Small Business Restart Program Grant application opened 7/15/20 and runs through Wednesday, 8/5/20. Saginaw Future Inc. and Regional partner representatives will review applicants, once the application window has closed on 8/5/20, and will select local award recipients no later than September 30, 2020.
Saginaw Future will receive $3,545,455 to distribute to multiple counties in Region 5. Grants will be disbursed to small businesses with 30% of the funds going to minority-owned, woman-owned and veteran-owned businesses.
Eligibility Requirements
Businesses and nonprofits located in Michigan, with 50 or fewer employees worldwide, and that have NOT received a grant under the first round of the Michigan Small Business Relief Program (MSBRP) are eligible to apply. Businesses must also demonstrate the following:
- Be part of an industry or nonprofit that can demonstrate it has been impacted by the COVID-19 emergency
- Demonstrated need for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses or other similar expenses.
- Demonstrate an income loss as a result of the COVID-19 emergency as determined by the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF).
Questions? Contact MEDC’s Help Center at (888) 522-0103. They are available to assist Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm.
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$8.55 Million in COVID-19 Workplace Safety Grants Will Help Employers Protect Workers
With employers across the state working to keep their employees, customers and communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Michigan has launched the Michigan COVID-19 Safety Grant Program. These grants will provide small businesses matching funds of – up to $10,000 – to decrease the risk of COVID-19 spread through safety and health-related equipment purchased and training in response to COVID-19.
The initial grant application window will be open from Monday, July 27 through Friday, August 7, 2020, with awards given shortly thereafter. Grants received after August 7, 2020 will be held pending a potential second phase, if funds remain available.
Examples of how grant funding may be utilized:
- Purchasing engineering controls and other supplies/materials such as sneeze guards, physical barriers, face coverings and hand washing/hygiene stations.
- Purchasing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gowns, gloves and eye protection.
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Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Secures $14M in Apprenticeship Grants
Federal funds will help Michigan employers fill thousands of projected openings in high-skill, high-wage, high-demand careers
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has been awarded more than $14.3 million in U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) grants to support Registered Apprenticeship programs throughout the state.
The federal funds will help Michigan employers fill thousands of projected openings in high-skill, high-wage, in-demand careers in sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing, Construction, Energy, Healthcare, Information Technology and Mobility.
LEO was awarded nearly $9.5 million through the USDOL’s “Building State Capacity to Expand Apprenticeship through Innovation” grant program to strategically scale the use of the national Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) model in the state. The new Michigan Registered Apprenticeship Innovation Network program will accelerate the addition of more than 5,230 workers to fill some of the 547,120 job openings projected by employers.
LEO was also one of just 14 recipients of the USDOL’s Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants. The $4,881,369 in grant funding – which was pursued in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education – will support the Michigan Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Network program. It will develop 1,024 Youth Registered Apprentices and, through the engagement of LEO’s Michigan Rehabilitation Services, will ensure at least 124 of those apprentices are youth with disabilities.
“These programs are vital to Michigan's economic success," said LEO Director Jeff Donofrio. "This funding not only ensures vital programs are available for students and job-seekers to prepare for in-demand career options, it also helps businesses grow and thrive in Michigan when they have a highly-skilled talent pool to select from."
The program will serve youth enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education, with a focus on the underrepresented. Youth ages 16-24 will also be co-enrolled in RAP, gaining national industry-recognized credentials and immediately filling talent needs for Michigan employers.
The grant applications were prepared and submitted by LEO's Office of Employment and Training. State Apprenticeship Expansion awards to LEO over the past 3.5 years now total more than $21.5 million.
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Legislation Introduced Addressing Recommendations by Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration
Update from Safe & Just Michigan
The work of the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration has led to the introduction of legislation based on the task force's 18 recommendations. The bills were rolled out at a bipartisan press conference at the state Capitol on July 22.
To date, lawmakers in Lansing have introduced 19 bills that would:
- Restrict driver's license suspensions to offenses related to unsafe driving.
- Reduce or eliminate mandatory jail sentences for several offenses related to driving, and allow officers to issue citations instead of making arrests. This includes reducing misdemeanors such driving an improperly registered vehicle, having a fake driver's license or driving a motorcycle without the proper endorsement to citation offenses.
- Encourage alternatives to jail for low-level offenses.
- Ease punishments for some offenses committed by people on probation or parole in an effort to prevent a return to jail or prison.
The introduced legislation doesn't reflect all of the task force recommendations, but that doesn't mean that lawmakers are done with their bill drafting work. Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) said she's hopeful that lawmakers can introduce further bills based on the task force recommendations next year at the start of a new legislative session.
Safe & Just Michigan welcomes these bills, and believes that if they become law, they will significantly improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. In 2018 alone, about 318,000 driver's licenses in Michigan were suspended for reasons that had nothing to do with unsafe driving.
"It’s encouraging to see the introduction of legislation based on the grounds of the jails task force report, which gave policymakers the first comprehensive look at Michigan’s jail system. The task force’s recommendations would make a number of important changes to Michigan’s criminal justice system — from ending the suspension of driver’s licenses for reasons that have nothing to do with unsafe driving to getting rid of mandatory minimums for jail sentences — that will both save money and improve public safety," Safe & Just Michigan Executive Director John S. Cooper said in a statement released following the press conference.
"It’s even more encouraging to see that these proposals have such strong bipartisan support in the Capitol — just as they do among the public," Cooper said. "We hope to see all of the proposals made by the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration taken up as legislation and quickly passed into law."
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Executive Order Amends Fire Code to Allow Larger Instruction Spaces as a Result of COVID-19
Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-159 to allow Michigan’s colleges and universities to proceed with converting large spaces for instruction without approval or inspection.
“Our college students and educators have made tremendous sacrifices over the past four months to protect each other from the spread of COVID-19. When it comes to instruction in the fall, Michigan’s colleges and universities are working tirelessly to provide a safe environment for students and staff,” said Governor Whitmer. “I am committed to doing everything in my power to remove barriers for individuals, business and schools to fight COVID-19. This order will make it easier for our colleges and universities to educate Michigan’s college students in the most safe and efficient way by ensuring everyone can maintain safe physical distancing.”
Executive Order 2020-159 amends the Michigan Administrative Code during the State of Emergency to allow colleges and universities converting large spaces to provide socially distanced learning without inspection or approval from the Bureau of Fire Services.
Under the order, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) will issue further guidance governing temporary approval of the use of a space as an instructional facility.
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Resources for Business and the Community
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The Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce maintains a list of federal, state, and local resources that provide aid and information for your business, employees and our community during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. This information is ever-changing, please check the Chamber's
website,
Facebook, and your email frequently.
We will add links, resources, and updates as information becomes available. We are also converting our At A Glance Newsletter to include Coronavirus links and information as well as local updates, job availability, member coupons and most importantly Member News. Please let us know what your business is doing and how you are functioning during this uncertain time. We need to stay connected and support each other.
If you are offering a service to help the Saginaw County Community or local businesses weather this storm, please email your information to
info@saginawchamber.org.
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Thank you and stay healthy.
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