Dear Friends,

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

I am active on social media to help keep you updated. You can check out my Facebook page, my  official account on X or my Instagram for recent updates.

I encourage you to contact me with any state issues. You can call toll-free at 855-347-8030 or email SenMHuizenga@senate.michigan.gov.  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

The Michigan Senate passed bipartisan legislation to ensure Michigan remains part of an interstate medical compact that streamlines physician licensing.

Public Act 6 of 2026 continues Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. The IMLC allows qualified physicians to be eligible for expedited licensure in all participating states, making it easier for patients to access medical care.

The new law also makes Michigan a permanent member of the compact, joining more than half of the states in the U.S., and removes the requirement to pass future measures to remain in the agreement.

Participation in this compact has been a helpful tool to attract more medical professionals to our state and letting it expire would have dramatically impacted access to health care in Michigan. Updating the law prevents a very significant licensing and regulatory burden from going into effect — one that would have caused countless physicians to bypass Michigan when looking for a place to practice medicine and call home.

I was happy to see the Michigan Economic Development Corporation approve a state grant to support the expansion of fairlife LLC in Coopersville.

The city of Coopersville will receive a Strategic Site Readiness Program grant of $17 million to support development, and fairlife LLC will receive a 15-year Alternative State Essential Services Assessment abatement with an estimated value to the company of $2,981,788.

The purpose of the development incentive, which I strongly supported, is to strengthen the regional water system and support the expansion of fairlife’s production facility in Michigan. It will also secure an immediate investment of over $500 million and create 150 new jobs by fairlife in Ottawa County.

It is great to see so much support coming to West Michigan. These resources are designed to help position our state for economic development, create jobs and make Michigan competitive for large-scale developments. I enthusiastically support these developments and await the benefits they will surely bring to West Michigan.

I hold in-person office hours throughout the district on a regular basis because hearing directly from 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 receive help with a variety of state issues.

I will be available to meet on a one-on-one basis with constituents at the following dates, times and locations:

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

In this week’s episode of Conversations with Mark, I sat down with Walker Mayor Gary Carey to discuss how we can continue working at the state level to address the issues that are most important to West Michigan Families, including economic development, bringing good jobs to the region, improving public safety and more.

Click here or on the image below to watch the podcast. The episode is now available on all major platforms, and new episodes drop every other Thursday at noon.

March is Reading Month was a huge success, and I enjoyed visiting schools and sharing my love of reading with students across the district.

Thank you to all the kids and staff at Kenowa Hills Alpine Elementary for inviting me into your classrooms. It was great to see the students get excited as we shared a story about a pigeon who always seems to find trouble.

Congratulations to Pine Rest on the grand opening of their new Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health in Grand Rapids.

The new center is now officially open and will provide essential mental health services to children here in West Michigan and across our state. I was proud to secure state funding for this important project that will help many kids and families.

My office was honored to present this congratulatory tribute and thank them for their vital work.

Calvin University has remained a cornerstone of higher education in West Michigan and beyond for a century and a half.

I applaud their mission of faith-based education and preparing students for their career fields and for a life of meaningful impact. The university’s legacy is measured not only by time, but by the students who went on to pursue successful lives.

Calvin has had a tremendous impact on my own family. My mother and father met there, several of my siblings and I graduated from Calvin and two of my children graduated from Calvin as well.

I want to recognize this amazing milestone and congratulate the university on 150 years of preparing students for life beyond college. I join them in hoping for 150 more years of success in shaping the lives of young Michiganders.

Click here to view my speech acknowledging Calvin’s 150 years of success on the Senate floor.

Licenses are on sale now for two spring turkey hunting seasons that do not require hunters to enter Michigan’s turkey hunt drawing.

Hunts 0234 and 0301 offer more flexible options for hunters, have unlimited quotas and can be purchased throughout the season.

For complete details, including eligible turkey management units for each hunt, visit the 2026 Spring Turkey Regulations Summary. Please note that the print version of the summary included incorrect season dates for statewide TMU 0234. The correct dates are May 2-31.

For licenses purchased at a license agent or online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, you will receive a paper kill tag. If you purchase online, tags will be mailed within 10-15 business days. For licenses purchased through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, you will receive an electronic kill tag immediately in the app. You must have a kill tag in your possession while hunting.

This year, all harvested turkeys must be reported within 72 hours or before transferring possession of the bird, whichever comes first. Similar to deer harvest reporting, harvests can be reported online or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. The reporting system provides real-time harvest information throughout the season.

During the month of April, Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids is offering free admission for patrons thanks to a generous donation from Lake Michigan Credit Union.

Blandford Nature Center features rehabilitated animals that live on the preserve, over 260 acres of land and eight miles of trails that will make a great outing for families to enjoy the outdoors.

More information can be found here.

As the spring season moves in, I want to remind everyone that the annual Fred and Dorothy Fichter Butterflies are Blooming exhibition at Meijer Gardens is once again open to the public.

This exhibit is the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibition in the nation, with more than 60 species from Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.

The two-month-long Butterflies are Blooming exhibit runs from March 1 through April 30 this year and is a great opportunity to experience and learn about nature with your family.

Click here for more information.

The 2025 results for the state’s Master Angler Program are now available. Each year, thousands of anglers submit their biggest catch. The Department of Natural Resources compiles the results as a resource for finding big fish, the best fishing times and the most successful methods. Anglers who submit a qualifying catch receive a patch.

In 2025, the program received 4,391 entries from 3,577 anglers across 760 bodies of water statewide. The program includes more than 45 species. The top five species submitted were bluegill, crappie, pumpkinseed, white bass and yellow perch.

Applications for fish caught between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2026, will be accepted until Jan. 10, 2027.

National Donate Life Month is observed each April to raise awareness about organ donation, encourage donor registration and honor those who have saved lives through donation.

In 2022, the United States reached an important milestone by completing its 1 millionth organ transplant. This achievement was made possible by the generosity of millions of registered donors.

In Michigan, residents can register as organ donors on their state income tax return by checking a box on the form. Residents can also register online or at a Secretary of State office.

For more information, visit GiftofLifeMichigan.org.

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 1-855-347-8030 or emailing SenMHuizenga@senate.michigan.gov.

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.