Organ donation saves lives

Secretary Johnson presented Shining Star awards to three individuals for their exceptional dedication to the cause of organ and tissue donor awareness. Pictured (l to r): The Rev. Ronald Copeland, Johnson, Deacon Lawrence Bailey and Artelia Griggs. (Photo by Gift of Life Michigan)

Secretary Johnson promotes the gift of life, presents Shining Star awards

Citing an increased need for organ, tissue and eye donors, especially in Wayne County, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today encouraged residents to join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.

“With more than 3,500 people awaiting a potentially life-saving organ transplant, we still need more names on the registry,” Johnson said as dozens of organ donation volunteers visited Secretary of State offices statewide to encourage people to sign up. “This is especially true in Wayne County, where one-third of all adults waiting for a transplant reside, and where 39 percent of adults are listed on the registry, compared to nearly 55 percent of adults statewide.”

Johnson was joined by Rick Hillbom, interim CEO for Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s organ and tissue recovery program; Diana Kern, executive director for Eversight Michigan, the state’s cornea and eye tissue recovery program; those waiting for an organ, and family members whose loved ones donated organs to save the lives of strangers.

Johnson presented Shining Star Awards to Deacon Lawrence Bailey, the Rev. Ronald Copeland and Artelia Griggs for their work with the Angels for Life program. Angels for Life reaches out through churches and other houses of worship to share the need for organ donors. All three of the awardees have been instrumental in sharing the message in Detroit and Wayne County, according to Gift of Life Michigan. Bailey is a kidney recipient. Copeland is a liver recipient and Griggs is a donor mother.

Johnson also announced the statewide Transplant Center Challenge, a competition between each of Michigan’s nine transplant centers to see who can add the most new donors to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry over the next year. Four of the transplant centers are located in Wayne County, including Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Harper University Hospital, Henry Ford Hospital and St. John Hospital and Medical Center.

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Secretary of State offers temporary alternative online renewal system

The Michigan Secretary of State announced on April 4 that customers can still renew their license plate tabs or watercraft registration online using an alternative Online Renewal System.

A link to this temporary option is available by clicking on “Online Services” at michigan.gov/sos.

“Even though they’ve had 10 years to complete a re-designed SOS computer system, the vendor failed to deliver so we had to terminate the contract,” Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said. “We even had to sue to get the vendor to show up to work and give the state access to our own computer code.

“The time spent in court fighting the vendor to return to work and give the state the computer code delayed vital work on ExpressSOS.com and significantly affected our customers’ ability to use the online services. We’re committed to finding a permanent solution that meets our customers’ needs. In the meantime, we want to make sure customers know we have a temporary option.”

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Johnson returns to Haviland Elementary

On March 30, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson went back to her Waterford elementary school to talk about the woman for whom the school was named – Laura Smith Haviland.

Haviland was an abolitionist who opened the first integrated school in the country, called the Raisin Institute, in Raisin Township in Lenawee County. She also helped slaves escape on the Underground Railroad, traveling throughout the country to assist those in need. Johnson introduced 350 kindergarten-to-fifth grade students to a brief history of Mrs. Haviland and the importance of her work.

SOS continues efforts to protect consumers 

Secretary Johnson this month announced the latest actions her office has taken to protect consumers from auto dealerships and repair shops that have been operating in violation of the law.

Following inspections by Department of State investigators, Johnson summarily suspended the licenses of three SE Michigan auto dealers for failing to keep records and follow proper procedures in transactions as required by law. 

Hundreds of miles away in the Upper Peninsula, Johnson issued cease and desist orders against two Manistique repair shops for operating without proper registration and certification.

Supreme Court rules on obscured plates

In a unanimous decision on March 29, the Michigan Supreme Court held that state law requires motorists to attach their license plates on their vehicle in a location where they are clearly visible and that plate obstructions such as a trailer hitch give police a justifiable reason to make a traffic stop.

Read the Associated Press article and the Supreme Court's opinion.