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Office Hours
My aim is to provide the best service possible for the hardworking people of the 36th District. My staff and I are excited about continuing a regular series of office hours throughout the district and hearing directly from constituents about state and pocketbook issues. Our next set of office hours will be on Monday.
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Residents unable to attend the office hours may contact my office toll-free at 1-855-347-8036 or via email at [email protected].
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Rep. Joel Johnson and I had the opportunity to speak with Gladwin County Register of Deeds Ann Manning and Gladwin County Clerk Laura Brandon-Maveal at the Michigan United County Officers Association meeting in Lansing.
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I had a great time welcoming a 4th grade class from St. Brigid Catholic School in Midland to the Michigan Capitol.
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Congratulations to the Otsego County Sportsplex on 20 successful years of serving the greater Gaylord community! Best wishes for 20 more!
Photo: Bill Michaels and Senator Stamas
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I had the opportunity to ride on the Lake State Railway and tour the facility with Sen. Ken Horn, Sen. Mike Green and the Michigan Railroads Association last week. Railroads are an important part of keeping our economy moving forward, specifically for Michigan’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors!
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#NationalDayofPrayer was a few weeks back, and I had the privilege of being visited by pastors Dr. Dan Dickerson and Dr. Mike Reece from Calvary Baptist Church in Midland and pastors Mike Reece Jr, Gene Haymaker and Jim Bartos. The chosen Scripture for this year was Isaiah 58:1a: “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.”
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I had the pleasure of welcoming the owners of two great Michigan establishments to my office. They were here as part of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association’s Day at the Capital.
Photo: Moe and Bird Smith from Talley’s Log Cabin Bar in Lewiston and Sharlyn and Dick Corbat from Sanford Lake Bar & Grill.
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It was a great morning to be in Gaylord supporting the VFW Post 1518 as Mike Reiling and Eagle 101.5 help raise funds for a new pavilion. Thank YOU Mike and everyone for all that you do.
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The Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation Council gave a very informative presentation on net-pen aquaculture in the Great Lakes to the Senate Natural Resource Committee. Rachel LeFever from Arenac County did an excellent job presenting legislation pending in the Michigan House and Senate. Thank you for coming to Lansing and sharing your research!
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At the benefit spaghetti dinner for the signs marking the Corpsman Aaron D. Ullom Memorial Bridge on U.S. 10 in Midland with Debi and Kevin Ullom.
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Incoming MLTA President and CEO Diana Richeson, Sen. Jim Stamas and retiring MLTA President and CEO Steve Yencich.
It was an honor to be recognized for supporting Michigan tourism, which supports thousands of small businesses and generates billions of dollars in revenues for local communities, schools and the entire state. The Pure Michigan program provides a great return on investment and a direct, measurable effect on boosting tourism in Michigan. For every dollar we invested in Pure Michigan, the state got back more than seven dollars in revenue last year. That’s good for both Michigan tourism and Michigan taxpayers.
Incoming MLTA President and CEO Diana Richeson and retiring MLTA President and CEO Steve Yencich presented the award to Stamas during the 2016 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism on April 18.
The lodging and tourism industries have long been critical drivers of Michigan’s economy, and tourist spending directly supports more than 214,000 Michigan jobs. I want to thank the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association and its members for their dedication to our state, and I look forward to working with them to continue the growth in Michigan tourism.
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Long-term solution to contaminated Oscoda well water
I recently sent a letter to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Keith Creagh requesting a meeting with the DEQ, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Office, and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee to discuss possible state and federal funding to address contaminated well water near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base.
I am working on both short- and long-term solutions for affected residents. The federal government caused this problem and they need to be held accountable, and I have already introduced legislation to require the U.S. Air Force to fix the water safety problem that they caused.
The next step is to meet with state and federal officials to talk about funding options that may lead to a long-term solution.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force and the DEQ sent some homeowners near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base letters concerning tests of their well water. The tests indicated that perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were present in the water.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) followed up with a letter recommending impacted residents avoid drinking their well water or using it for cooking. The DHHS held a public open house and meeting in Oscoda on March 23 to discuss the situation.
The PFCs in the well water were caused by firefighting foams used at the Air Force base when it was in operation. While my legislation would help residents by forcing the Air Force to supply an access to safe water, I must also continue to look for a long-term solution for the Wurtsmith site and its impacted neighbors.
Senate Bill 950 would require the U.S. Armed Forces responsible for an active or inactive military base to connect homeowners near a base to a safe, community water system if the DHHS has issued a drinking water advisory for the area and the U.S. Armed Forces acknowledges that the subject of the advisory migrated from a military base and is present in the groundwater.
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License plate helps Michigan veterans
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May is Military Appreciation Month and a good time to remind motorists about the new Support Michigan Veterans specialty fundraising license plate.
Revenue from sales of the license plate will be distributed by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to support efforts that benefit Michigan veterans and their families, including funding for county and local veterans’ organizations and tuition support for Michigan National Guard members. Find more information at www.michigan.gov/sos.
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Memorial Day: A time to honor our fallen
Memorial Day is a time for us to stand together and remember those who have given their lives in service to our country. Please take the time to honor our fallen heroes so their sacrifice is never taken for granted. We must never forget to preserve the “memorial” in Memorial Day.
New bait rules
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission recently approved new regulations on the collection and use of bait in an effort to protect against the spread of fish diseases, such as viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) and aquatic invasive species. The new rules require bait to be used on the same water in which it was collected and include new testing requirements for commercially harvested bait. In addition, the list of susceptible fish species has been expanded. Find more information on the regulation changes in the online version of the 2016-2017 Michigan Fishing Guide at www.michigan.gov/fishingguide.
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New guidebook for touring Pure Michigan byways
Nothing says summer quite like a road trip! The Michigan Department of Transportation offers a driving guide for download that covers 20 special byways and tour routes across Michigan. Each byway description highlights scenic, natural, historical, cultural and archaeological attractions along the route. The electronic booklet provides pictures, videos, maps, planning tips and other tourist information. Access the guidebook at www.michigan.gov/byways and enjoy Michigan by taking the road less traveled.
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Senate bill set to improve state’s recycling programs
Michigan consumers return more than 90 percent of their bottles and cans. Yet, the state residential recycling rate of other products such as glass, paper, plastics and metals lags behind most other states.
I supported Senate legislation — recently signed into law — that strengthens Michigan's guidelines for recycling reporting. Public Act 55 of 2016 creates a data reporting system to help calculate the recycling rate. This will make it easier to measure progress and put Michigan in a position to increase participation in programs that keep recyclable waste out of our landfills.
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Reduce red tape for schools
Less is more when it comes to cutting red tape and focusing school resources directly on the classroom and helping our children learn!
I supported Senate legislation to end unnecessary and redundant reports that schools must provide to state and federal agencies. The plan eliminates time-consuming, repetitive paperwork while making sure important information and data is still reported. By streamlining requirements, more time can be spent educating our kids and focusing on student achievement. The reform has received the support of education leaders across the state.
Senate Bills 754-767 have been sent to the House for consideration.
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Michigan recognized for spending transparency
Taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent.
Michigan's efforts to make its spending more transparent to taxpayers earned the state a top grade in the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s annual Following the Money 2016 report. In fact, Michigan was cited as the most improved state this year with a score of 100, up from a score of 87 in 2015. The state was one of only five states in the nation to receive a grade of A+.
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The 36th Senate District
The 36th Senate District is made up of 10 counties, which includes: Presque Isle, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Oscoda, Alcona, Iosco, Arenac, Gladwin and Midland counties.
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Thank you for subscribing to my electronic newsletter! I am honored to represent you in the 36th Senate District of Michigan. 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 36th District E-news. You may sign up for it also at my website or via Facebook.
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