Dear Friends,

To better serve the people of the 30th Senate District, I will now offer this “Week in Review” that I will be sending out every week. 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

On Monday and Thursday last week, I held in-person office hours in Grand Haven and Holland to meet with Ottawa County families about state issues and talk with them about their priorities.

There were good turnouts at both office hours, and we talked about several issues — from the Senate’s election reform package to the state’s emergency COVID-19 health orders. The topic of pending legislation regarding short-term rentals was also brought up. Senate Bill 446 and House Bill 4722 would provide that the short-term rental of a house or condo (for 30 days or less) is a permitted residential use of property that is not subject to a special or conditional use permit. Although both of these measures are still in the committee stage, it’s always helpful to hear from people about reforms that might eventually come up for a vote.

We continue to have a great response to these district office hours, and I look forward to holding them each month throughout Ottawa County.

If you were unable to attend any of the office hours this month and need assistance, click here to contact my office.

The elections process – from start to finish – must be fully transparent to the public. The Senate Elections Committee last week took testimony on election reforms dealing with increasing public transparency in our elections, providing more time for results and ensuring the process in bipartisan.

Senate Bills 275 and 276 would allow video recording of tabulation and audit proceedings. SB 288 would require the secretary of state to livestream election audits on its website in precincts randomly selected for election audits. SB 299 would extend the time local clerks have to submit their official results until noon the day after the election.

SB 296 would provide parameters for expanding canvassing boards in large counties. SB 297 requires that at least one canvasser from each party must always be present during the canvass, and that any assistants hired by the county to assist with the canvass must be approved by the board of canvassers. SB 298 expands the canvassing period from 14 to 21 days.

People can click here to watch last week’s Senate committee meeting. Details about the 39-bill Senate election reform package are available at www.misenategop.com/election-reform.

The Senate Economic and Small Business Development Committee on Thursday heard testimony in support of bipartisan bills intended to provide additional flexibility for local governments to push for the development of affordable housing.

I sponsored Senate Bills 360 and 361 as part of the package. Under the bills, businesses would be able to receive a 50% income tax credit for any investment in a qualified affordable housing project as approved by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which would determine eligibility for the credits.

In West Michigan, wages have increased by nearly 6% since 2015, but the average price of a home has increased by 60% over that same time. This has created significant issues for many of our hardworking families and also for local employers trying to attract talent. This bipartisan package is an effort to enlist businesses in addressing this problem, help us double our investment in affordable housing and ensure it goes where it’s needed most.

SBs 362 and 364 would allow local governments to establish affordable housing districts and expand incentives for use of neighborhood enterprise zones.

After state fiscal and economic leaders met on Friday for the state’s annual May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference, they announced their revised state tax revenue projections.

Largely due to federal relief funds and increased consumer spending, we have $2 billion more in revenue than initially expected for this fiscal year and will have $1.5 billion more in 2022 than estimated in January.

The historic amount of funding available comes with a responsibility to use it in a smart and effective manner. Instead of going on a spending spree, we should ensure the one-time federal funding goes to help support people, businesses and communities affected by the pandemic and free up state resources for long-lasting investments.

With these official revenue projections in hand, we can now take the next step in working with the House and the governor to finalize a state budget on time that puts our taxpayer dollars to productive use to meet our current needs, support our people and economy, and invest in a brighter future.

This week is National Safe Boating Week. It’s a time to remind boaters that water safety starts with them. Make sure you and your friends always have properly fitting life jackets on while enjoying a day on the water. For more information about staying safe, visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com.

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.