To: The Michigan State House, The Michigan State Senate, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Green Burial
Michigan law restricts green burials by requiring a funeral director’s signature on the death certificate and by requiring permits for transport of the deceased. Please end governmental support of the death industry in Michigan by changing these unnecessary and restrictive laws.
Why is this important?
Most funeral homes in this country are owned by three major corporations, which have created a monopoly to prey on the grief of families. In Michigan, a funeral director can charge any amount for “services,” so that in a green burial where nothing is required but the signature, those services cost anywhere upwards of $5,000. I have been deeply affected by the process of burying my mother, who wanted a simple, organic, and inexpensive end of life, which she was denied by this industry.