Dear West Michigan,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and provide updates about what is going on in Lansing.

My team has been hard at work trying to ensure your voice is heard at our state Capitol. I hope this newsletter will help to provide you with some insight into the work I have been doing and other important updates on state government. Additionally, I want to mention my survey, which is highlighted below. I ask that you consider filling this out because it will help me be more effective in representing you in Lansing.

Please feel free to contact me with any issues regarding your state government. You may call toll-free at 855-347-8031 or email SenRVictory@senate.michigan.gov. For more updates, check out my Facebook page or follow me on X. Let me know if I can assist you in any way or if you have an idea to help move our great state forward.

Working for you,

In honor of National Water Safety Month, I sponsored legislation to help save lives. More than 90 people drowned in the Great Lakes last year, and more than half of those drownings happened in Lake Michigan.

Even though everyone in our state lives less than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes, few schools in Michigan provide water safety education to their students. Water safety education has been proven to be effective in giving young people the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves and others from drowning.

Senate Bill 295 would require water safety instruction for every public school student. The material would be seamlessly integrated into existing courses such as health, physical education or other related subjects as determined by the Michigan Department of Education in consultation with water safety experts.

The bill does not require swimming lessons but would ensure schools provide students with age-appropriate education and understanding of water safety practices and safe swimming conditions.

in May, I introduced legislation to streamline Michigan’s business permitting process.
With a challenging economic environment for Michigan businesses, we must work to cut red tape, ease bureaucratic barriers and streamline the process of doing business here in Michigan. Developing a one-stop shop for businesses to handle permitting issues would make the process easier to navigate for companies and help create more good-paying jobs here in Michigan.

Senate Bill 279 would create the Office of Business Permitting Support. This would help businesses with permitting, licensing, certification and regulatory needs. Additionally, the office would help new businesses get started here in Michigan and submit recommendations to improve the permitting process to the governor and the Legislature no later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year.

Tulip Time celebrates Dutch heritage in Holland. The 10-day festival includes over 6 million tulips throughout Holland. During this year’s Tulip Time, I was able to join in the festivities by participating in the Kinderparade and the Volksparade.

Each parade celebrates Dutch pride, with participants wearing traditional Dutch clothing. The Kinderparade highlights local children as they march through the streets, while school bands play lively songs. Special thanks to Edon and Mary Nyhof for allowing me to ride with them in the Volksparade in their 1934 Buick.

I want to learn more about the issues that are most important to you. Please consider filling out this survey to express what you feel are the most critical issues for the people of Michigan. Your feedback will be vital to help ensure I am best able to be your voice at our state Capitol.

At an event in Macomb County, President Donald Trump announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base will receive a new fighter mission featuring 21 F-15EX aircraft.

The announcement followed years of bipartisan advocacy to secure a new fighter mission for Selfridge. Located in Harrison Township, the base is one of the oldest military airfields in the United States still in use. This decision will help ensure Selfridge remains central to U.S. defense strategy and operations for decades to come.

Leaders from Michigan have long advocated for a new fighter mission to replace the aging A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron at Selfridge that is set to be phased out starting next year. Without a replacement mission, the state faced significant job losses. Selfridge supports an estimated 30,000 jobs statewide and contributes approximately $850 million to Michigan’s economy.

Two major capital projects are underway at Selfridge to prepare for the new mission, including runway modifications and the construction of a 41,600-square-foot hangar and maintenance facilities to accommodate the new fleet of larger fighter aircraft.

Democrats are a broken record. Once again, they’ve passed a state budget that grows government while ignoring the issues that matter most to Michigan residents. Their budget raises taxes but fails to fix the roads or address plummeting student test scores.

After nearly seven years in office, the governor still has not offered a serious plan to fix the roads — despite the state budget growing more than 40% in that time. Instead, the recently passed Senate budget increases taxes and fees while allocating taxpayer dollars toward things like:

Senate Republicans offered nearly 90 amendments to make this very bad budget somewhat better. Democrats rejected every single one. They voted against:

This is only the first step in the process. Both the House and the Senate must approve a full plan before it is sent to the governor for her signature. As it stands, the Senate Democrats’ plan is $500 million over budget.

There are nearly 200,000 Vietnam veterans in Michigan. In 2022, the Michigan Legislature established the Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate to honor those who served during this wartime era.

The certificate acknowledges the bravery and sacrifices of our Vietnam veterans, with a special designation available for those exposed to dioxin or phenoxy herbicides during their service.

Eligibility requirements:

If you or someone you know is eligible, complete the Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate Form. For more information or help filling out the application, contact 800-MICH-VET or email MVAAResourceCenter@michigan.gov.

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency can help veterans obtain a free copy of their DD-214 Report of Separation and connect them with their earned benefits.

The DD-214 is an important document veterans use to prove their service history. The document is necessary for a veteran to access many of the benefits they’ve earned through their service, including GI Bill benefits, VA home loans, disability claims and veteran-specific hiring programs.

Veterans and their dependents can connect with an accredited Veteran Service Officer to help them file claims or review their current benefits. For a full list of Veteran Service Officers, visit Michigan.gov/VSO. To connect with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, call 800-MICH-VET (642-4838) or visit Michigan.gov/MVAA. 

Preschool enrollment for the 2025-26 school year is now open.

Michigan’s PreK for All program is available for children beginning at age 4, at no cost to their families, through programs like the Great Start Readiness Program, Head Start and developmental kindergarten. A variety of programs are available statewide, including full-day, part-day, four-day and five-day options. Some areas of the state are even able to provide transportation.

Visit MiPreKforAll.org to learn more and find a program in your area.

The March ice storm impacted nearly 1 million acres of state-managed lands, including 19 state parks, 54 state forest campgrounds, 169 boating access sites, 3,290 miles of state-managed trails and 3,400 miles of state roads.

Thanks to fast action from DNR crews across the state, all state park campgrounds and overnight lodging locations can reopen within days of their scheduled spring opening dates.

Visitors are encouraged to check the DNR’s interactive map and dashboard for status updates on accessibility at state parks, trails, campgrounds and boating access sites.

Michigan’s summer Free Fishing Weekend is just around the corner! On June 7-8, all fishing license fees will be waived, and state parks and boating access points are open to visitors without Recreation Passports. Residents and out-of-state visitors can fish for any species of fish. All fishing regulations and laws apply.

Before you plan your next fishing trip, use the interactive Family Friendly Fishing Waters map to find fishing spots across the state with easy access and a high likelihood of catching fish. Locations can be filtered by the type of fish you want to catch, what kind of fishing you are looking for, and which amenities, like bathrooms or swimming, you prefer.

If your fishing adventure will include boating, visit the newly revamped Michigan Boating Facility Finder. The interactive tool makes it easy to find boat access sites and quickly identify essential information about each site, such as the number of lanes, parking info, closures, and more.

Get ready for the season ahead by subscribing to the weekly fishing report for current conditions from around the state. Trout and northern pike seasons in the Lower Peninsula and walleye and northern pike possession seasons are now open.

An all-species fishing license is required for anyone over the age of 17 to fish in Michigan. Annual and short-term licenses are available at MDNR-elicense.com, participating retailers or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app.

The 2025 Michigan Fishing Guide is now available and includes current rules, regulations and license information. New regulations began on April 1.

Thank you for subscribing to my electronic newsletter! I am honored to represent you in the state Senate. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Please feel free to forward this on to others who may be interested in receiving the 31st District E-news. You may sign up for it also at my website.

Listed below are summer festivals within the district.