Dear Friends,

To better serve the people of the 30th Senate District, I will now offer this “Week in Review” that I will be sending out every week. I hope you will find it informative about what is happening in Lansing.

I encourage you to contact me with any state issue. You may call 517-373-6920 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,
Roger Victory
State Senator

On Wednesday, I was able to present a pair of special tributes honoring two of Ottawa County’s amazing leaders who are making a positive difference for area families.

Jenison Public Schools Superintendent Tom TenBrink is retiring this summer after 34 years of service. His legacy will live on not only through the lives of those he has advocated for, but also through the newly named Jenison Center for the Arts.

During the regularly scheduled Holland City Council meeting, I was able to thank Sergeant Scott Weiss for his service as a police officer and congratulate him on receiving Holland’s Police Officer of the Year award. His dedication to the community does not go unnoticed.

Last week, I joined three of my Senate Republican colleagues to introduce four bills that would allow law-abiding adults to conceal carry firearms without a license.

Senate Bills 489-492 would repeal the current requirement to obtain a concealed pistol license for individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a pistol and allow concealed carry without a license where either open carry or concealed pistol license holders are currently allowed to do so.

Criminals by definition operate outside of the law, whereas CPL holders are amongst society’s most law-abiding citizens. Yet, it is far more likely that otherwise responsible gun owners find themselves unintentionally violating the current and unnecessary concealed pistol law than it is stopping someone with criminal intent.

The right to keep and bear arms is protected under Article 1, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution. While Michigan is a so-called “shall issue” state, residents must first complete a state approved pistol training course, submit their fingerprints to a state database, and pay a $100 application fee in order to receive a concealed pistol license. The license expires after five years, and license holders must pay $115 to renew a license.

Individuals already undergo a background check when purchasing a firearm and these bills do not stop that requirement. Instead, this forced government revenue stream requires law-abiding citizens to jump through hoops to exercise their constitutional rights.

If approved, Michigan would join at least 20 other states with similar laws on the books.

As you know, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has decided to go to an appointment-only system for services instead of retaining some sort of walk-in option at branch offices.

However, there is a huge backlog of people needed services and some transactions with the secretary of state need to be done in-person and are often last-minute needs, like transferring a title when buying a used car.

In the General Government budget, which contains the secretary of state’s budget, we added a requirement that she have the offices be open for in-person, walk-in services. Until that is enacted, we need the secretary to act.

It’s time for Secretary Benson to reopen branch offices for walk-in customers. There’s no good reason for Ottawa County families to have to wait weeks for routine transactions.

Have you been impacted by closures? Tell your story at www.misenategop.com/openupsos/.

Below is a list of resources available to you if you need any type of assistance. Additionally, you can contact my office at any time for more information.