State Rep. Jeff Irwin sponsoring legislation to strengthen protections for seniors
State Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, announced today he's sponsoring legislation aimed at combating elder abuse in Michigan by strengthening consumer protections for seniors and increasing penalties for those who financially exploit them.
Jeff Irwin
"People who would stoop as low as to dupe vulnerable seniors out of their property, home and money must be held accountable and this plan will ensure that happens," Irwin said.
Irwin called elder abuse "a growing problem," but said unfortunately Michigan law doesn't offer the protections seniors deserve.
Irwin said the legislative package is part of House Democrats' ongoing effort to strengthen Michigan's consumer protection laws. The plan seeks to address elder abuse by:
- Increasing penalties for cheating or defrauding seniors, including establishing felony charges for embezzlement and banning abusers from inheriting the estate of their victim.
- Empowering concerned citizens to file criminal complaints to stop and prevent abuse cases in nursing homes and elsewhere.
- Strengthening consumer protections by creating new safeguards against fraud and requiring financial institutions to do more to disclose the rights of seniors.
- Creating the "Mozelle Alert," a mechanism to notify the public in cases of missing endangered seniors, similar to the Amber Alert. The alert is named in honor of Estella Mozelle Pierce, a senior who died after wandering from her Southwest Detroit home.
To report a suspected case of elder abuse, residents can contact the state's 24-hour hotline by calling 1-800-996-6228.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
grye
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
All the economic issues in this state and our representatives can only address social issues? Fix the real problems first, then tackle other things for which you may be passionate.
Dog Guy
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 2:56 p.m.
Will politicians never stop their campaigning!
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 1:16 p.m.
This type of action in Lansing sums up the entire state of affairs for Michigan. We has lost our priorities. Lansing is blind. Way off course. The state is dying; Michigan is bankrupt, with sky high unemployment, property values in the tank, foreclosures everywhere, roads a catastrophe, a massively failed Detroit Public schools (the effects of which cost the entire state), gas prices at $3.45 and climbing - and what does the Democrat do - proposes to increase fines for elder abuse! Well that is great and certainly something worth doing - But how about 'after' we get unemployment below 7%. After we get the State our of bankruptcy, after property values climb back. Where is the focus? Why does the Democrat not care about job creation? About getting businesses back into Michigan? Increasing penalties and regulations will not save this state.
Unemployed Electrician
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.
"Why does the Democrat(s) not care about job creation?" Have you not looked? Every bill introduced by the TeaPublicans so far is a job killer.
Gary Clark
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 3:51 a.m.
We need to be in the streets protesting, because this budget hurts everyone, not just seniors. Worst of all it will not create jobs that pay enough to individually pay for the healthcare and pensions that will be removed when city and state services are contracted to private companies. What remains will not be enough to allow people to raise a family as part of the middle class. Rich and poor even farther apart and the wealthy and corporations not appropriately taxed. Taxing corporations and the wealthy is not anti-business, it is pro-people.
Cash
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 10:53 a.m.
Great point! Snyder picked the weakest people to prey on. And this new proposed legislation continues to prove the point.
snapshot
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 4:23 a.m.
Off topic. You're talking union jargon.
snapshot
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 3:10 a.m.
Great law. Now if we can get the same type of laws for legislatures who defraud the government, take bribes, and engage in corrupt practices that would allow them to be stripped of their pensions, fired, and prevented from ever holding office or any government job again, I'd be real happy. It seems our legislatures are very interested in policing the public but not themselves. For instance, Rangle got sanctioned, what the hell does that do?
David Briegel
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.
And just today (or yesterday) Gov Daniels lamented the high cost of keeping seniors alive in the last year of their lives. I believe he is the first politician to truly discuss the dreaded "death panels". Not a peep out of Ms Palin or Ms Bachman and their TeaPublican crowd! Not a peep!! "Save people from themselves"? Really? Some are so gullible they believe the crap peddled to them every day by the right wing media and their corporate masters! And it is the TeaPublican "value" to blame the victim!!
InsideTheHall
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 2:55 a.m.
Speaking of crap keep running up the debt so our kids and grandkids can live in medicority in the bosom of the nanny state.
InsideTheHall
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 2 a.m.
More government regulation to "save" people from themselves. We have lost our way.
Cash
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 10:49 a.m.
When people abuse defenseless people we need laws to protect the defenseless. Do you favor elder abuse or child abuse? If not, you should be pleased that we have a representative who agrees.
golfer
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 12:34 a.m.
be sure to send this to the governor
Cash
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:55 p.m.
By the way, thanks for this article, Ryan. it's good information.
Cash
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:54 p.m.
xmo, Because as the elderly get frail and weak there are people who will swoop into take advantage of their weakness. Often times, it is folks with dementia who get abused, but also frail folks in nursing homes. Having filed a complaint about elder abuse I witnessed I can tell you that there are people who like to lord their power over the weakest in society....even ridiculing them as they lay suffering in the nursing home bed shaking. There are some sick people out there. If we don't protect the weakest in society then this society is a total failure.
lynel
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:36 p.m.
Reading the headline, I assumed Irwin was sponsoring legislation protecting seniors from Governor Snyder. That's who they need protection from.
xmo
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:25 p.m.
Why are seniors singled out for this kind of legislation? Maybe we need a law to protect seniors from political opportunists!
David Briegel
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 2:22 a.m.
Because you voted for the TeaPublicans!
Roger Roth
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:07 p.m.
Good luck, Jeff! And to David's point, which is worse, a thief who dupes a senior or a governor who amps up taxes on a senior? While you're at it, could you please introduce legislation exempting seniors who work in MI schools and are retired from another state and on that state's health care insurance from the 3% health tax MI passed against its public employees last year? I feel like a block of wood being slowly but surely whittled away by politicians.
Cash
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:13 p.m.
Roger Roth, Excellent description. Everybody wants a piece of the retiree! And I agree that tax should NOT apply to someone who retired from another state.
David Briegel
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 11:03 p.m.
Or the health care deniers?
David Briegel
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 10:35 p.m.
Jeff, who will protect our citizens from the criminals on Wall St?
bugjuice
Tue, Mar 1, 2011 : 4:30 a.m.
Or the 7/11?
Joe Hood
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 10:54 p.m.
Or in Ann Arbor?
Cash
Mon, Feb 28, 2011 : 10:47 p.m.
Or in Lansing?