Dear Friends,

To better serve the great people of West Michigan, I’m offering this e-newsletter on what’s happening in the new 30th Senate District and across our state.

I encourage you to contact me with any state issues. You may call toll-free at 855-347-8030 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,

Mark Huizenga
State Senator

I have turned in legislation to update the state’s trademark laws. This is about helping Michigan businesses — especially our locally owned small businesses — protect their brand and identity with a smoother, easier and less expensive trademark process.

Michigan’s outdated trademark requirements have been used by the state to deny protections that would normally have been approved in other states. We need to support our family businesses by simplifying our state’s trademark process and putting it in line with the rest of the country.

Senate Bill 218 will be formally introduced on Tuesday and would update and clarify Michigan’s trademark statute. It is a reintroduction of SB 1035, which was unanimously approved by the Senate in 2022, but was never taken up for a vote in the House of Representatives.

This bill would solve the problem of the state’s inconsistent approval of trademarks that include the name of the business seeking the trademark. For example, if Sample Business, LLC applied to trademark “Sample Business,” there is currently no consistency on whether it would be approved or denied; and denials are common.

Click here or on the image below to see my comments on the legislation.

To help celebrate National Reading Month and encourage reading, I am once again providing three videos of me reading children’s books to viewers.

Reading is critical to a successful education; and reading to children at a young age can help them develop an interest in learning, foster a creative spirit, and build self-confidence. These three videos are an effort to virtually share a love of reading with West Michigan children, and I encourage parents to join in the effort to help our children succeed through reading.

In the videos, I read “Hedgie’s Surprise,” “If You Take a Mouse to School,” and “‘Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,’ said the Sloth.”

You can access the videos by clicking on the linked titles above or on the image below for the video on “Hedgie’s Surprise.”

Due to a scheduling conflict, I had to reschedule one of my office hours this month. I am holding these office hours on a regular basis because hearing directly from the people about the issues they are facing is an important part of representing everyone in West Michigan. These meetings give local residents a chance to express their viewpoints about what needs to be done and offer help to people dealing with a variety of state issues.

This month, I will be available to meet with constituents on:

Office hours are open to all residents, and no appointment is necessary. Anyone who is unable to attend the office hour may contact my office.

The last few weeks have brought ice storms and other weather events across our state that have left a path of broken branches and damaged limbs. Follow these safety tips to keep yourself safe and give mature trees the best chance at survival:

Spring turkey season runs from April 22 through June 7, and while the spring turkey application period is closed, there are still opportunities to hunt this season.

Hunters who were not selected in the drawing may purchase a leftover turkey license from any license agent, online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, on a first-come, first-served basis until 10 a.m. on March 20.

Hunters who did not enter the drawing can purchase leftover licenses or a Hunt 0234 license beginning at 10 a.m. on March 20. The Hunt 0234 license is a guaranteed license that offers hunters flexible hunting options between May 6-31. This license has no quota and can be purchased throughout the entire spring turkey hunting season.

Learn more about this hunt and season dates in the 2023 Spring Turkey Digest.

The 2023 Pure Michigan Spring/Summer Travel Guide features stunning sites, exciting places to visit and fun activities to experience all around the Great Lakes state. Whether your summer plans include the Great Lakes shoreline, golfing or a craft beer tour, the Pure Michigan Travel Guide is a great place to start. The publication includes regional highlights and inspiration for every traveler.

The travel guide is available to download for free.

The agriculture industry is a critical economic driver for our state. Michigan farms contribute billions to our economy each year through products grown, harvested, processed and prepared in Michigan. Farms also employ a significant portion of the state’s workforce.

March 21 is Ag Day — an annual celebration to recognize the importance of Michigan agriculture to our economy and show our support for Michigan’s hardworking farmers, whose hard work feeds Michigan families and helps keep our grocery store shelves stocked.

One way you can show support for our local family farms is to purchase some “Made in Michigan” products.

Serving the people of West Michigan is very important to me and I encourage you to contact me with any state issues. You may contact me by calling toll-free 1-855-347-8028 or emailing [email protected].

I look forward to serving you, and I encourage you to contact me if I can assist you in any way or if you have an idea to help move our state forward.