June is National Dairy Month – a time to recognize our state’s dairy farmers and dairy processors and the important contribution they make to the state’s economy.

I’m proud to be a fourth-generation dairy farmer and operate my family’s 100-year-old farm, which in addition to raising Holsteins, also grows corn, wheat, and hay.

Dairy is an important part of Michigan’s farming industry. Michigan is home to just over 1,000 dairy farms – 97% of which are family-owned, many by multiple generations of the same family. Michigan’s over 1,000 dairy farms produce more than enough milk to supply the entire state. In 2020, Michigan ranked sixth in the U.S. for milk production, producing more than 3,100 gallons of milk!

The DNR and the Michigan State Police have teamed up to fight wildfires more effectively. The plan, in the works since 2016, involves an MSP helicopter and a 320 gallon collapsible bucket to put out wildfires.

For their part, the Michigan State Police purchased a UH-1 helicopter, known as a “Huey,” from a military surplus store. The Department of Natural Resources purchased a bucket, known as a “Bambi Bucket,” using a federal grant. Together they create a very strong tool for fighting fires.

The Huey flies with a crew of three: a pilot, a radio communicator, and a bucket operator. The helicopter hovers low over a lake to fill the Bambi Bucket with water. It then carries the bucket to where it is needed and pours the load over the burning wildfire. This strategy can help in the early stages of a fire to keep it manageable, particularly in an area that is hard to access. The water can also help cool a wildfire, making it safer for ground crews to move in.

So far this season, the new equipment has been helpful in fighting two wildfires, the May 9 Kirtland Community College fire, and a May 14 fire near Grayling.

Just 24 hours after claiming she wanted to help Michiganders struggling with record-high inflation and gas prices, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed our bipartisan bill to lower taxes by $2.5 billion.

In May, the Senate passed the MI Family Inflation Relief Plan to provide Michigan families, seniors and veterans with $2.5 billion in tax relief. If signed, the new laws would have helped every Michigander by lowering the state’s income tax to 4% and increasing the personal income tax deduction by $1,800. It would have also created a $500 tax credit for each child under the age of 19.

House Bill 4568 would have also increased the tax exemption for Michigan seniors over 67 to $21,800 for individuals and $43,600 for couples.

Government is the only one that benefits from record inflation and gas prices. While the state sits on a $10 billion surplus, Michiganders are struggling to get by.

I was proud to support a bill to incentivize school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to continue working within school systems and grow their mental health care services.

Senate Bill 1012 would establish the Student Mental Health Apprenticeship for Retention and Training, or SMART program, to provide school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists substantial tuition assistance for their commitment to remain within the district they service while completing specialized certifications and master’s level educational requirements.

Michigan ranks second to last among U.S. states and territories for having counselors available to students. This bill would help to provide students with the mental health care resources they need.

June is also Internet Safety Month. It is the perfect time to increase your awareness of online safety and learn ways to protect your identity and data.

These days, kids are spending more time online than ever before. They have come to depend on the internet for education, entertainment and socializing with their friends.

It is more important than ever to make sure they are cyber-safe. Visit www.Michigan.gov/Cybersecurity or www.ProtectMiChild.com for more information.

Pathfinder is a free, online career exploration tool available to every Michigan student, their parents and guidance counselors.

Pathfinder is a valuable tool, developed by the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education in partnership with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, to provide valuable information to help students make informed choices about educational and career options. This free tool recently received an update to include new filter features to help individuals explore jobs, fields and schools. Users now have the ability choose multiple paths and compare them with each other.

For more information or to try the Pathfinder tool, please visit MiTalent.org.