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

Last week, the Senate approved a House bill to add a circuit court judgeship in Ottawa County starting in 2023. Having been approved by both legislative chambers, the measure now heads to the governor to be signed.

Every two years, the State Court Administrative Office releases the Judicial Resource Recommendations report based on its review of the needs of the Michigan judiciary. The review of trial court judgeships begins with a statistical analysis. Case filings are weighted to reflect the amount of judicial time necessary to handle each case type.

The 2019 report recommended that a judge be added to the 20th Judicial Circuit in Ottawa County. House Bill 5259, sponsored by Rep. Luke Meerman, R-Coopersville, would add the additional circuit court judge starting on Jan. 1, 2023. The initial term would be for eight years to stagger the judgeships, so that no more than two of the judges are up for re-election in the same year.

The Senate last week approved a measure to extend the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The continuation of MAEAP was an intensely debated part of the state budget negotiations that took place earlier this year.

I am proud to have worked with the bill sponsor to preserve this voluntary program that teaches effective practices to help Michigan farmers identify and prevent environmental issues and work to comply with state and federal environmental regulations.

It is very important for the future of our agricultural industry that we continue to support MAEAP, which helps Michigan farms prevent agricultural environmental issues.

Senate Bill 494 would extend the current sunsets on pesticide and fertilizer fees to Dec. 31, 2025. These fees are used to support the program. The bill does not alter or increase the fees.

MAEAP-verified farms represent the highest standards of environmental stewardship, and as of September 2020, there have been 5,764 statewide MAEAP verifications on 3,381 unique Michigan farms.

With bipartisan support, the Senate last week approved my legislation to enable the public to know if their local clerk has met the state’s election training requirements.

This is about integrity and accountability. Ensuring local officials are effectively trained on how to properly run an election is critical to restoring the public’s confidence in our elections. Thankfully, most of our local clerks take their jobs seriously, and this will only help reassure their communities that they are staying up-to-date with their training.

My reform would also inform clerks if they fall behind on training and let the public know if their clerk has failed to meet state standards.

In December 2019, the state auditor general released a performance audit of the Bureau of Elections that found several issues in need of attention. The audit noted 32 counties, 83 cities, and 426 townships where the clerk had not completed the training necessary to be accredited. In total, the audit found that 21% of jurisdictions were without a fully accredited election official.

Senate Bill 306 would require the secretary of state to submit a report to the Legislature no less than 60 days before each general November election detailing the names of each county, city, and township clerk who are not current with all training and continuing education requirements. The report would also be required to be posted online.

To provide clerks who are incomplete in their training with proper notice, the secretary of state would be required to send them a notice not less than 90 days before each general November election. The clerks would then have 30 days to provide proof that they have completed their training.

SB 306 would also allow a clerk to have their name removed from the website after completing the required training. The bill has been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

We will not be having an update next week, so I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for as Americans, and Thanksgiving offers us a chance to gather together with family and friends and give thanks for our many blessings. We’re blessed to live in the greatest nation on Earth, where everyone has the chance — through hard work and determination — to achieve the American dream.

As Michigan families enjoy turkey and honor other enduring traditions, I encourage everyone to recognize the true spirit of Thanksgiving. It is a moment to take the weight of the world off our shoulders and take time to warmly express our gratitude to our family and friends for their love and friendship throughout the year. I also encourage everyone to give thanks for the brave men and women who protect us, especially those who are unable to be with their families this holiday season as they serve our country.

Did you know that Ottawa County is home to one of the state’s largest turkey producers? The graphic below illustrates some of the turkey numbers in Michigan and the country.

Below is a list of resources available to you if you need any type of assistance. Additionally, you can contact my office at any time for more information.