Go Blue! Go Green!

Secretary of State team celebrates National Donate Life Blue & Green Day

Secretary of State branch offices employees help promote organ, eye and tissue donation year-round but during Donate Life Month in April, they pull out all the stops.

On April 17, many SOS offices participated in National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, when supporters of the cause across the nation are encouraged to wear those colors to promote the success of organ, eye and tissue transplantation and to help raise awareness of the critical need for donors.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said she is proud of her team, which registers tens of thousands of organ donors every month. Over the past four years, the percentage of the adult population on Michigan's donor registry has increased from just 27 percent in 2011 to more than 50 percent today, improving the odds for the approximately 3,500 patients in the state who are waiting for an organ transplant.

Lighthouse plates help preservation

Five historic Michigan lighthouses will be awarded Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grants, which are funded by sales of Michigan's Lighthouse Preservation license plates, state officials recently announced. “Michigan’s lighthouses are the gems that dot our state’s beautiful coastline,” said Secretary Johnson. “I thank the thousands of Michigan motorists who have chosen to support these historic buildings that tower majestically over our shores.” Read the MLive story

Secretary of State office remodeling and relocation projects are underway

During the spring and summer, several Secretary of State offices across Michigan are being remodeled or relocated, requiring temporary closures.

Information about the dates of closures, as well as directions to alternative offices, can be found on the Branch Office Locator. 

Customers are encouraged to use online services at the No-Wait Secretary of State, ExpressSOS.com, which may save them a trip to a branch office.

SOS Mobile Office is making the rounds

The full-service Secretary of State Mobile Office is always on the go, crossing the state to offer convenient services to residents.

The office recently registered new voters at Grand Rapids Community College and participated in community events in Detroit and Pontiac.

It will finish up the month at the Van Buren District Library in Decatur on April 30.

Community service option for Driver Responsibility Fees

The Secretary of State's Office is teaming with the Michigan Department of Treasury and the Michigan Community Service Commission to get the word out about a new community service option that is being offered to some motorists as a way to waive Driver Responsibility Fees.

Linda Lee Tarver, SOS director of community affairs, (above, at right) gave a presentation at the Michigan Works! service center in Highland Park on April 16 with Kyle Dymond, an assistant administrator in Treasury's Office of Collections, and Jessi Adler, MCSC communications director.

More than 70 people attended the event and were able to receive details and ask questions about the program.