State Rep. Bill LaVoy named Legislator of the Year by Keep MI Warm

State Representative Bill LaVoy, who represents Sumpter Township, was named Legislator of the Year on Feb. 24 by the Coalition to Keep Michigan Warm at an event on the lawn of the State Capitol.
Rep. LaVoy, D-Monroe, serves as the minority vice chairman of the House Committee on Energy Policy. He was recognized by the coalition for his work on ensuring affordable energy for low-income families.
“I want to thank the Coalition to Keep Michigan Warm for this honor,” said LaVoy. “We need to help families who don’t have the economic resources that others have and may be struggling to meet the basic needs of their families.
“We need to make sure that any energy plan for Michigan addresses the needs of low-income families, while also continuing to support the work of the coalition and their efforts helping and advocating for Michigan families.”
It’s estimated that more than 600,000 Michigan households received some type of state, private or federal funds for home heating assistance in 2015. Nearly twice that many are eligible for some type of agency or program assistance.
LaVoy encouraged residents to take the following steps this winter:
1. If you are in need of energy assistance, contact your utility immediately and seek out agency assistance in your area.
2. If you are using alternative sources of energy, such as space heaters or generators, please do so cautiously, and only upon following the directions for such energy sources.
3. If you are in a position to give to support energy assistance, consider donating to a local human services agency in your area that provides direct energy assistance.