Join MI State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guests, Ashley Kuykendoll and State Senator Sarah Anthony, for a special edition of the podcast to acknowledge the second anniversary of the “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” (CROWN) Act legislation. The CROWN Act expanded the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and banned race-based hair discrimination in the state of Michigan.

Sharing her own insight on the CROWN Act is Ashley Kuykendoll, People & Culture Division director for Treasury’s Operational Excellence Bureau.

AND at MINUTE 13:49, Senator Anthony gives listeners the backstory on what it took to get the bill she sponsored signed into legislation, and why she didn't give up on the CROWN Act.

Senator Anthony has made history multiple times throughout her 20-year career in public service. She served as mid-Michigan’s first African American woman to be elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate, and is the first Black woman to chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

RESOURCES

Governor Whitmer Signs Bipartisan CROWN Act to End Hair Discrimination

The CROWN Act: A jewel for combating racial discrimination in the workplace and classroom

Sen. Anthony Recognized for Championing CROWN Act by Michigan Civil Rights Commission

The Person Beneath the Hair: Hair Discrimination, Health, and Well-Being

Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act

Crown 2023 Workplace Research Study (Dove & LinkedIn)

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guest, Delsa Chapman discuss a groundbreaking financial education program for Michigan's teens. Delsa is the deputy superintendent for the Division of Assessment, School Improvement, and Systems Support at the Michigan Department of Education.

Michigan is the 14th state in the U.S. to guarantee that its students have access to a personal finance education course before high school graduation. A bipartisan bill, passed by the state Legislature in 2022 and approved by Gov. Whitmer, mandates that personal finance classes be offered to all Michigan students starting with ninth graders in the fall 2025 academic year.

RESOURCES

• MI Money Matters
• Michigan Dept. of Education (MDE)

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guest, Flora Boles discuss Treasury’s Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund and how the scholarship helps Michigan's foster youth succeed in college. Flora is a departmental specialist with the Michigan Education Trust (or MET), and facilitates programs that support first generation college students.

"The numbers are sobering. Nationally, seventy percent of teens who emancipate from foster care report that they want to attend college, but fewer than ten percent who graduate from high school enroll in college, and of those three to 11 percent graduate from college. In Michigan, there are approximately 9,500 children are in the foster care system at any given time. As they reach adult age, having adequate resources to attain their dream of a college education is critical to having a successful future." -- Fostering Futures

RESOURCES

• Fostering Futures Scholarship (how to apply)
• Support the Fostering Futures Scholarship (event tickets/donations)
• Fostering Futures Scholarship Facebook
• Michigan Education Trust (MET)

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guest, Terry Stanton discuss how to find your missing money, checks and valuables and the easy online process to claim your property.

Former TV anchorman, groundbreaking communications pro, and lifetime baseball aficionado, Terry Stanton is also the state administrative manager for Michigan’s Unclaimed Property program.

RESOURCES

• MI Unclaimed Property
• Missing Money (all 50 states & some Canadian provinces)
• Questions? Call Michigan's Unclaimed Property at 517-636-5320 (M-F, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM)

Deputy Public Information Officer Ron Leix and Communications Outreach Manager Sarah Rusnell discuss what Individual Income Tax AND Business Tax filers need to know for the upcoming 2025 tax season.

Their conversation encompasses expanded tax credits, the retirement tax rollback, a Sales, Use & Withholding (SUW) filing reminder, electronic filing options, and why choosing a qualified tax preparer is so important!

RESOURCES
Tax Season 2025: JANUARY 27 - APRIL 15

• Michigan Department of Treasury
• Contact MI Treasury
• Michigan Treasury TAXES - up-to-date Michigan tax information

For individual taxpayers:

• Individual Income Tax (and eService payment) - individual income taxpayers may submit account questions, pay taxes, and view refund status
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - in-person tax prep help for eligible individuals from IRS.gov
• AARP Foundation Tax-Aide - provides tax prep assistance to anyone, free of charge, with a focus on taxpayers who are over 50 with low to moderate income

For business taxpayers:

• Michigan Treasury Online (MTO)
• Business Tax eService - for business taxpayers to submit account questions and/or respond to Treasury notices
• Business Taxpayer Reminder about state filing of W-2s and 1099s
• Treasury Outreach - view the Outreach schedule and sign up for notifications when future Treasury tax education events are scheduled

For tax professionals:

• Tax professional info
• Tax Professionals eService – for questions from tax professionals

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guest, Michigan's Taxpayer Advocate Robin Norton discuss taxpayers’ rights. Robin's official roles include her position as deputy office director of Advocacy Services and her work is dedicated to ensuring that Treasury's processes are fairly administered.

RESOURCES

For Taxpayers

• Taxpayer Advocate Website
• Taxpayer Advocate Telephone: 517-636-4759
• Taxpayer Rights & Responsibilities

For Tax Professionals

• Tax Professional Website
• Tax professional Help Line: 517-636-0616

Offer in Compromise (OIC)

• OIC Website
• OIC Statutory Reference: revenue Act MCL 205.23a

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guest, Kelly Frump, director of Human Resources at Michigan Department of Treasury, talk about hiring trends, interview tips, and why a career in public service might be a good fit for YOU.

RESOURCES

• Treasury Careers
• State Employment (michigan.gov)
• Employee Benefits (michigan.gov)

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks and her guest, Jessica Thomas, director of Treasury’s Bureau of Local Government and School Services (BLGSS) discuss how the Early Warning System offers data-driven, proactive help to Michigan school systems exhibiting signs of potential fiscal stress.

By identifying struggling districts before small financial trends become unmanageable, BLGSS can help districts with resources and suggestions that support local control.

RESOURCES

Gov. Whitmer Signs Historic FY25 Education Budget

Fiscal Accountability - Early Warning