Dear Friends,

To better serve the people of the 30th Senate District, I am offering this “Week in Review.” I hope you will find it informative about what is happening in Lansing.

I encourage you to contact me with any state issue. You may call 517-373-6920 or email [email protected].  Also, please check out my Facebook page. Let me know if I can assist you in any way or if you have an idea to help move our state forward.

Working for you,
Roger Victory
State Senator

State Budget Director Christopher Harkins last week outlined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s fiscal year 2023 state budget recommendation, which includes about $6 billion for infrastructure. If passed, the $74.1 billion budget would represent the largest in state history.

I applaud the governor’s proposal to support our rural communities and invest in our state’s food supply and agricultural industry. These are real issues that our West Michigan communities and much of rural Michigan have been facing. It’s promising to see the administration finally acknowledge the importance of agriculture to our state.

I am deeply concerned about using much of our one-time federal money to make unsustainable increases into more government programs. As a Legislature, we have a responsibility to make smart investments with these federal funds — which taxpayers ultimately provide. If done correctly, these one-time dollars can be used to generate serious dividends and long-term savings that will ensure success for our state, local communities, and hardworking families well into the future.

For over a decade of Republican legislative leadership on the budget, we have put more dollars into roads and water infrastructure, boosted workforce training, and supported our small businesses. As a result, we are seeing better-than-expected revenues.

We need to build on that record of success and pass a responsible budget plan that meets our needs, invests in the future, and provides Michigan families with much-needed relief.

I recently co-sponsored Senate Bill 868, which would require increased parental access to their child’s curriculum materials.

For a quality education, our children need effective teachers and safe schools. However, often lost in the discussion about education is the critical role parents play in ensuring their kids learn the skills and information they need to succeed.

SB 868 would require school districts and public school academies to post learning materials used in the curriculum and activities in an accessible format online for parents and the public to view. The materials and activities would need to be posted online by July 1 each year and be broken down at least by subject area and grade.

Parents are an important part of a child’s education, and they should have access to the materials their child is learning.

Due to scheduling conflicts, I had two committees to attend at the same time. Thankfully, with the help of supportive colleagues I was able to make it to both. The committees dealt with the important issues of protecting crime victims and supporting our agricultural industry.

Parole board reform
The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee last week took testimony on reforms to make Michigan’s parole process more effective and offer more support for survivors of traumatic crimes.

When a prisoner is denied parole in Michigan, the parole board is currently required to review the case every one or two years, depending on the circumstances. One of the bill sponsors, Rep. Sarah Lightner, said the process forces victims to frequently relive the traumatic events of a crime, even when there is little to no chance of a prisoner ever receiving parole.

Randy Gilbert, who survived an attack by a serial killer in the 1970s, also testified about the trauma he experiences every time a parole hearing is held.

Under House Bills 4562 and 4563, the Michigan Parole Board would be allowed to go up to five years before conducting a subsequent review after a prisoner is denied parole if a majority of the parole board finds, in writing, that the prisoner’s history of predatory, deviant, or violent behavior indicates there is a present risk of public safety that cannot reasonably be expected to be mitigated in less than 60 months.

Multiple presentations in agriculture committee
The Senate Agriculture Committee last week heard three presentations on several agricultural issues facing our state.

The Fair Food Network highlighted the Double Up Food Bucks program, which provides incentives for families to bring home more healthy foods by doubling SNAP dollars when they are spent on fruits and vegetables. This program is a win for these families and for our local farmers, and it has seen more demand due to the pandemic and inflation.

The Michigan Corn Growers Association outlined a presentation on the issues they are facing as they help growers across our state, such as providing research and development, fighting fertilizer price increases, maintaining access to crop protection products, and promoting increased use of ethanol.

The Michigan Soybean Committee gave a presentation on the many products that soybean growers help make possible — from soy protein for tofu to materials for soy-based plastics. One new product is Pore Shield, a soy-based concrete protector that is effective and nontoxic.

Click here to visit the Senate’s new video site, where you can click links to watch the Feb. 10 meetings of the two committee.