In response, I joined my colleagues in the House more than a year ago in voting for legislation that would extend unemployment benefits to Michigan workers enrolled in training and education programs, helping to make sure that these workers don’t have to choose between taking care of their families today and getting the skills they’ll need to build a better future.

Importantly in this era of tight budgets, no state money would be used to pay for this extension. Instead, we would be able to use $138 million in federal money to provide our unemployed workers with temporary assistance while they’re getting the new skills they need to reenter the workforce and build a new career.

Unfortunately, more than a year later, the Michigan Senate still hasn’t moved on this important legislation. That’s right: with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and 641,000 Michigan residents without work, our State Senate has failed to act while Michigan workers are struggling. Worse, because this is federal funding used to pay for these benefits in states that have taken action, we’re actually sending our tax dollars to train workers in other states.

It’s hard to justify the Senate’s refusal to take advantage of this opportunity on any level, but one thing stands out. We hear a lot of talk about the need to diversify Michigan’s economy. For too long, we as a state have put all our eggs in one basket, and the fact that two of the Big Three went through the bankruptcy process last year should serve as a wake-up call, a blaring reminder that we can’t afford to continue down the same path. Worker retraining represents a golden opportunity to diversify Michigan’s outstanding workforce and give them the skills they need to lead the world in emerging economic sectors like renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and advanced battery technologies. The fact we can use $138 million in federal money to help our working families make this transition is even better.

I’ll continue to stand up for the hard-working families that make Michigan great. It’s time for the Michigan Senate to do the same.

In addition, you can also take the Ten Buck Pledge, where local residents commit to putting $10 of their weekly budget toward buying Michigan-made goods and services. If we each spent just $10 a week on Michigan products – instead of those from other states and countries – we would inject tens of millions of dollars back into Michigan’s economy every week.

Efforts like this, where each of us commits to doing our part, can have a major impact in turning our economy around and creating jobs for Michigan workers. Whether it’s a game from Carrom Games in Ludington, some cider from Douglas Valley Winery in Manistee, delicious local jams and preserves from Benzie County’s Food for Thought, or a great bottle of wine from the Leelanau Peninsula, spending your hard-earned money on local goods and services has never been so fun – or so tasty!

So join me in taking the Ten Buck Pledge at BuyMichFirst.com. Together, we can get Michigan moving again!

Where can the clean-energy economy take root fastest?

From where I sit as head of a multibillion-dollar green investment fund, the answer is in places like Michigan thanks to its advanced industrial capacity and smart moves by state lawmakers.

This comes on top of recent indications that our efforts are bearing fruit when it comes to creating jobs for Michigan workers and turning our economy around. Last year, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth released the state’s first-ever Green Jobs Report, which showed that more than 100,000 of our state’s residents are already employed in Michigan’s emerging green economy. And just this month, the American Wind Energy Association said that Michigan was fast becoming a manufacturing powerhouse in wind energy, with this fast-growing economic sector already supporting as many as 4000 good-paying manufacturing jobs for Michigan workers.

Perhaps even more important than these numbers is the rate of growth, and what these trends mean for our future. From 2005-2008, during a time when the overall Michigan economy shrank by a rate of 5.4%, job creation in Michigan’s Green Economy actually increased by 7.7%, and job creation in the renewable energy sector grew by an incredible 30% during that time.

So how did we get here? Well it wasn’t on accident. Deutsche Bank’s Kevin Parker:

In Michigan, lawmakers have enacted a slew of critically important mandates and incentives to spur renewable energy, including a robust renewable portfolio standard that requires 10 percent of the state’s power to be green by 2015; strong preferences for solar power; so-called “feed-in tariffs” that encourage production of wind power by giving its producers easy access to the electricity grid with competitive prices; a net-metering law that pays customers who generate their own electricity; rebates, loans and tax credits for renewables; and efficiency requirements for utilities.

Lawmakers’ actions have begun to make Michigan an attractive place for climate-change investors. Indeed, the state earned a top rating in a recent study by DB Climate Change Advisors, an investment arm of the Deutsche Bank Group.

While we have a long, long way to go to erase the lost automotive jobs and others of the last decade, reports like this show the rest of the world is taking note of our success in creating jobs and attracting investment in emerging sectors of our economy. And on Earth Day, that’s reason for hope.

Dear Friends,

Just a reminder that you are all invited to come join me this coming Monday, January 4th at my monthly coffee hours. As a service to my constituents, I hold these public office hours in each of the four counties that I represent so that I can update you on the things going on in Lansing, answer your questions, and give you helpful information.

Please find a coffee hour that is nearest you:

•    Silvertree Deli in Suttons Bay from 9-10AM
•    Darcy Public Library in Beulah from 11-12NOON
•    Goody’s Juice & Java in Manistee from 1-2PM
•    House of Flavors in Ludington from 3-4PM

See you soon!

Dan

Please join me for two town hall meetings that I will be hosting next week:

The first will take place on Monday, October 5^th at the Manistee City Hall @ 6:30PM, and will focus on foreclosure prevention, helpful assistance programs and managing personal finance. Joining me at this town hall will be special guests Ross Yednock of the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, Lois Gibbons who is a financial literacy professional, and a representative from the FiveCAP Community Action Agency.

The second town hall meeting that I will be hosting will take place on Friday, October 9^th at the Leelanau Township Hall in Northport @ 7PM, and will focus on Michigan’s energy future. I will be hosting a discussion about the potential for community-based wind energy in the state. Joining me will be special guest Skip Pruss, the director of Michigan’s Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth for a panel discussion.

Please pass these events along to your friends if you think they may be interested in attending.

I hope to see you there!

Dan

Just a reminder that you are all invited to come join me this coming Monday, October 5th at my monthly coffee hours. As a service to my constituents, I hold these public office hours in each of the four counties that I represent in an attempt to update you on the things going on in Lansing, to answer your questions, and give you helpful information.

Please find a coffee hour that is nearest you:

•    Silvertree Deli in Suttons Bay from 9-10AM
•    Darcy Public Library in Beulah from 11-12NOON
•    Goody’s Juice & Java in Manistee from 1-2PM
•    House of Flavors in Ludington from 3-4PM

Thank you, and I hope to see you there!

Dan

I want to remind everyone that I will be marching in Honor’s National Coho Festival parade this Saturday, and that you are welcome to join along. I will be meeting on Riverside Dr, just off of US-31 in Honor at 1:30, to march in the parade that kicks off at 2PM… please email tracy@danscripps.com to let her know if you plan to join me.

Also, please pass along to your friends that I will be changing my September coffee hours, in observance of Labor Day.

I will instead hold my coffee hours on Tuesday, September 8th.

The times and places will remain the same:

•    Silvertree Deli in Suttons Bay from 9-10AM
•    Darcy Public Library in Beulah from 11-12NOON
•    Goody’s Juice & Java in Manistee from 1-2PM
•    House of Flavors in Ludington from 3-4PM

Thank you! I hope to see you soon!

Dan

We are already off to a strong start for the Summer 2009 parade season. We have marched in the Manistee and Ludington Fourth of July parades, and the Bear Lake Days parade with a strong presence. I want to give a special thank you to those of you who came out and helped to make these parades a success!

I will be marching in various parades all summer-long, so if you haven’t been able to make it out, there’s still a chance!

Here is our parade schedule for the rest of the summer:
•    Saturday, July 18: Empire Anchor Day Parade, line up at 12:30 at Johnson Park. Parade begins at 1PM.
•    Sunday, July 19: Kaleva Days Parade, line up at 1:30 at the public park. Parade begins at 2PM.
•    Sunday, July 26: Arcadia Daze Parade, line up at 1PM at City Marina. Parade begins at 1:30PM.
•    Saturday, August 1: Copemish Parade, line up at 11AM at the public park.  Parade begins at 1PM.
•    Sunday, August 9: Onekama Parade, line up at 12NOON, locsation is TBD. Parade begins at 1:30PM.
•    Saturday, August 22: Honor Coho Fest Parade, line up at 12NOON on Riverside Dr, right off of US31. Parade starts at 2PM.
•    Sunday, September 6: Brethren Parade, line up at 3PM at the Brethren High School. Parade starts at 4PM.
•    Saturday, September 19: Scottville Harvest Fest Parade, line up at 1PM. Parade starts at 2PM.
•    Saturday, October 10: Frankfort Fall Fest Parade. Details TBD.

If you are interested in coming along, you can email tracy@danscripps.com or simply just show up at the specified meeting place and look for us.

I hope to see you there!

Dan

It’s that time of the year again…you guessed it – PARADE TIME!!

Last year we had a blast taking part in the Manistee Forest Festival’s 4th of July parade and Ludington’s 4th of July parade as a candidate, but this year Dan will be participating as OUR elected State Representative!

We are looking for interested volunteers to come out, and march alongside Representative Scripps and his truck as he runs around and shakes hands with the residents of the 101st. We will be carrying signs and banners that read Dan Scripps OUR State Rep! and proudly donning red, white and blue, as we hand out candy.

Here are the details:

• Manistee Parade: Line up is at 9 am, and the parade starts at 10 am. We are assigned #14 in the line-up and will be meeting at River st. and Division st.

• Ludington Parade: Line up is at noon, and the parade starts at 1 pm. We will be meeting at our assigned parade line-up location “I-7″ which is on Loomis St between Staffon and Madison Streets. There will be street directors on hand in case you are unable to find us.

If you are interested in volunteering alongside us, please contact our office in Lansing at (517) 373-0825 and speak with our parade coordinator, Emily to sign up…. or just show up!