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

This week, I helped secure meaningful relief for every Michigan taxpayer by protecting an automatic state income tax rate cut.

At a time when families are being crushed by inflation and rising costs, I worked to find a solution to this problem and deliver lower income taxes for West Michigan families — allowing them to soon be able to keep more of their hard-earned money.

This tax cut will provide real relief to hard-working families.

I have supported — and continue to support — removing taxes on retirement income and expanding the number of families that qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), but House Bill 4001, as enacted, would have meant higher taxes in the long run — so I could not support it.

Lowering the personal income tax rate is the first step as part of a commonsense plan to provide West Michigan families with real relief from inflation. I remain ready to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to solve problems facing our working- and middle-class families by enacting bipartisan legislation to provide them with immediate relief.

Under a 2015 law, if revenues in Michigan’s general fund increase past a certain point, an automatic and permanent reduction to the state income tax rate is triggered. The House and Senate fiscal agencies estimate that Michigan was $700 million over the trigger’s threshold in fiscal year 2022, which would reduce the income tax rate from 4.25% to 4.05%.

If enacted by April 18, HB 4001 would have stopped that cut by retroactively moving $800 million from the general fund to a new fund to provide one-time $180 rebates in 2023.

Click here or on the image below to see my video comments on why I opposed HB 4001.

I am holding in-person office hours throughout the district 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.

I was recently able to celebrate Corewell Health’s 300th successful lung transplant by presenting them with a Legislative tribute. This significant achievement is a testament to the steadfast dedication of the hospital’s medical professionals and staff, who have worked tirelessly to provide exceptional medical care and life-saving treatments. Their unwavering commitment has given countless individuals the chance to enjoy life to the fullest. This remarkable milestone demonstrates their unwavering commitment to providing outstanding patient care and showcases the remarkable expertise and proficiency of their medical team.

Click here or on the image below to see a video of the ceremony and presentation.

Our budget surplus is a once-in-a-generation opportunity — an opportunity to provide real tax relief, invest in infrastructure, support our schools, and improve our entire state in so many ways.

This week, I sponsored an amendment to House Bill 4016 that would have used our surplus more wisely.

HB 4016 allocates more than $1.3 billion in supplemental spending, earmarking $630 million for site development at Ford Motor Co.’s newly announced battery plant near Marshall and $170 million to the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund, which is intended to further support the plant.

Instead of a massive giveaway of historic proportions to one industry — that has already seen enormous financial support this year — my amendment would have invested these funds directly into our local roads and our local communities.

My amendment would have redirected the $800 million in corporate support to instead go toward fixing our local roads. The funds could only be used for the repair, reconstruction, preservation, or lane expansion of existing roads and bridges. Unfortunately, the amendment was not adopted.

I will continue on working toward commonsense solutions to the problems facing West Michigan families. Click here or on the image below to see my Senate session comments on my amendment.

Michigan’s state parks are largely self-supporting thanks to the Recreation Passport program. Funds derived from purchase of a Recreation Passport go directly into maintaining and improving our state parks.

The Recreation Passport program was established by the Legislature in 2010, giving residents the opportunity to purchase a passport through the secretary of state when renewing a license plate. A Recreation Passport gives year-round access to over 100 state parks and recreation areas, more than 1,000 state-managed boating access sites, over 140 state forest campgrounds, and parking at thousands of miles of trails and other outdoor spaces.

The 2010 statute that created the program included a provision to adjust the fee based on the Consumer Price Index. This fee structure ensures the rates keep with the pace of the economy. Effective March 1, the Recreation Passport resident vehicle fee increases from $12 to $13 and from $6 to $7 for motorcycles. This is the first such increase since 2020.

The Michigan attorney general and the Department of Health and Human Services have alerted EBT users about a phishing text message scam claiming a user’s EBT benefit card has been locked. The message includes a phone number to call for help, however responding to this message may result in the scammer having access to the card’s funds.

Always remember, Michigan agencies will NEVER:

For more information about how to avoid this and other government imposter scams, visit the Michigan Department of Attorney General consumer alerts page. Consumers can report suspected phishing or other consumer scams to the attorney general by completing this Consumer Complaint/Inquiry Form.

Join the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division for season six of the “Wildtalk Podcast.” New episodes are released monthly and feature DNR staff and other wildlife experts as they discuss all things Michigan wildlife. From deer, moose and elk, to birds, frogs and ticks, each episode features timely and insightful interviews and answers to listener-submitted questions.

New and past episodes can be heard online at Michigan.gov/DNRWildtalk on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

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.