SCHAUER CONTINUES FIGHT TO KEEP MARSHALL SECRETARY OF STATE BRANCH OPEN

Budget agreement guarantees funding

Press Release

LANSING-State Sen. Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) helped secure a victory today in the ongoing fight to preserve the Marshall Secretary of State (SOS) branch office.
The General Government budget bill that passed the Senate and House in the early morning hours on Wednesday (SB 229)provides that all SOS offices that were open as of August 1, 2007 - including the Marshall office - will remain open in FY 2008.
The Secretary of State announced back in June that she would close the Marshall branch office in 2008.
“The Marshall SOS office provides basic, essential services that should not be taken away from our residents, and especially not without input from the community or consideration of the specific needs of the Marshall area,” said Schauer.
The budget bill additionally requires that, in the future, the Secretary of State would be required to provide written notice to
legislators at least 180 days before closing or consolidating a branch office, and at least 60 days before relocating a branch office. The Secretary of State would also be required to provide analyses regarding the impact of a proposed change on the residents of the affected community, and the potential savings or costs from such a change.