With poll: Michigan Secretary of State candidate says branch offices should ask about organ donation

John Gundrum, a double lung transplant recipient, takes his girlfriend's dog for his daily walk around their apartment complex earlier this summer. Gundrum supports a "just ask" policy.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

The issue of whether Secretary of State employees follow a "just ask" policy has been a point of frustration among organ transplant advocates in the state who say the extra step of asking makes a difference. They say Michigan has a lower rate of drivers on the organ donor registry because there's no policy to explicitly ask them if they would like to be a donor.

Gift of Life Michigan has been among groups lobbying for a Michigan law that would require the state to explicitly ask drivers at Secretary of State offices whether they want to be on the state's donor registry.

About 30 other states require the "just ask" policy.

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, a Republican, has vocally supported organ donation, gives year-round access of branch offices to Gift of Life volunteers and has publicized ways those interested can sign up for the organ donor registry, her office has said. Earlier this summer, Land proposed adding a box on state income tax forms for taxpayers to register for the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.

But, the Grand Rapids Press reported, Land opposed requiring branch employees to ask about the registry because it would impose an extra burden in SOS offices during times of already taxed state resources. Land's office could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Gift of Life Michigan doesn't endorse any candidates or political parties, but is advocating for what it calls a simple change that could have a big impact, said spokesman Tim Makinen.

"It's just not at the top of mind for a lot of people who are thinking about getting their license or their tags renewed," Makinen said. 

The change could be enough to push a lot of people already thinking about it to sign up, and those who don't want to be part of the registry can say "no thanks," he said.

Since getting more prominent signage, floor and counter mats about the registry in every Michigan Secretary of State office earlier this year, the number of drivers registered rose from 23 percent to 26 percent, Makinen said. The national average is closer to between 37 percent and 40 percent, he said.

In Michigan, about 3,000 people are waiting for transplants. Annually, 25,000 people get organ transplants. About 6,000 people die waiting for a transplant. Michigan ranks 42nd in the nation for drivers who are registered organ donors.

Benson said said she believes she could decrease wait times in branch offices enough so it wouldn't cause a significant burden to the department to ask the question.

"I first heard people were waiting so long for organ transplants they were actually moving to other states," Benson said. "I wanted to find out why and learned 31 have branch office employees ask this question to people. That's the single difference between our state."

Washtenaw County Commissioner Jeff Irwin, a Democrat running to be a state representative, joined Benson for the announcement. He acknowledged the visibility of the organ donor registry in SOS offices and on its website has increased while Land has been in office, but said the efforts aren't enough. "It seems like a no brainer for me," Irwin said.

The greatest impact on the number of new people registered typically comes from programs in which volunteers stand in Secretary of State offices and ask people about joining the registry, Makinen said.

Scio Township resident John Gundrum, who received a double lung transplant two years ago, regularly serves as one of the volunteers. He said the process of signing up and being marked as a member of the organ donor registry on driver's licenses is more organized than in years past.

Gundrum said he generally receives a positive response and pretty high sign-up rates from people he talks to. But for some, inconvenience is the barrier to signing up.

"Most people, if you make it easy for them, will do it," he said.

Those interested in signing up for the Michigan Organ Donor Registry can sign up at https://services.sos.state.mi.us/OrganDonor/Registry.aspx, at www.giftoflifemichigan.org or by calling 1-800-482-4881.

Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.