Dear friends,

The state’s 2026 fiscal year budget was recently passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor. Just like every Michigan family, state government needs to live within its means. This year, we passed a balanced bipartisan budget that finally forces Lansing to do that.

I VOTED YES ON HOUSE BILL 4706 — THE GENERAL FUND OMNIBUS BUDGET

Although not perfect, this budget was good and reflects a necessary shift in priorities and transparency. This budget includes $2 million for rural broadband, bringing high-speed internet to Montmorency, Alcona, Oscoda and Iosco counties.

Some additional budget highlights include:

I VOTED YES ON SENATE BILL 166 — SCHOOL AID BUDGET

This budget allocates record-high funding for schools, increasing the investment by $442 per student and raising the total foundation allowance to $10,050. It also provides school districts with significant flexibility in how they utilize the per-pupil grants, allowing them to tailor spending to their specific needs.

Other highlights include:

I realize no one will be completely satisfied with a budget adopted during an era of divided government, with Republicans leading the House and Democrats running the Senate and the governor’s office — but this budget is a step in the right direction.

My team and I are always available for you. If you have any questions, want to set up a meeting or need help with casework, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at SenMHoitenga@senate.michigan.gov or 517-373-7946.

Sincerely,

Michele Hoitenga
State Senator
36th District

The 2025 deer season is off to a strong start with 60,708 deer harvested so far. Because hunters must report a successful harvest within 72 hours, up-to-date statistics are available to the public through the Deer Harvest Report Summary.

All deer hunters are required to wear hunter orange during Michigan’s regular firearm deer season, Nov. 15–30. It must be the outermost layer and visible from every direction. Camouflage is acceptable as long as the pattern is at least 50% hunter orange.

Hunters Feeding Michigan processed 140,000 pounds, or about 560,000 servings, of donated venison during the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30. You can make a monetary donation online or through the DNR eLicense website, a DNR retail license agent location or the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

Organizations that are committed to protecting Michigan’s waters are encouraged to apply for Clean Boats, Clean Waters grants. Grants of up to $3,000 are available for lake associations, watershed groups, nonprofits and local or tribal units of government to fund educational signage, invasive species removal or outreach materials.

Funds are provided through a partnership between the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and MSU Extension. The deadline to apply is Jan. 30, 2026.

The Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. During this time, Michigan seniors make important decisions about their health insurance and prescription drug coverage. As a result, they may be the target of scams and high-pressure sales tactics.

To avoid Medicare scams, keep these safety measures in mind:

The new MI Options call center offers free counseling to help people navigate Medicare plan options or enrollment. Call 800-803-7174 for assistance.

SNAP benefits could end Nov. 1, and I know that could be tough for a lot of families. The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan has a website that lists multiple food events at www.fbem.org/find-food/. Here is a list of some local food pantries (by county) so folks know where they can go if funding stops:

Alcona
Lott Baptist Church — 4257 S. State Road, Glennie, MI 48737
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Mikado — 2227 S. F-41, Mikado, MI 48745
Harrisville UMC — 217 N. State St., Harrisville, MI 48740
Alcona County Commission on Aging — 207 S. Church St., Lincoln, MI 48742

Alpena
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Alpena — 2635 US-23 S, Alpena, MI 49707
United Way of Northeast Michigan — 108 Water St., Alpena, MI 49707
Alpena Senior Citizens Center — 501 River St., Alpena, MI 49707
Salvation Army — 722 N. Second Ave., Alpena, MI 49707
Hubbard Lake Bible Church — 13508 Hubbard Lake Road, Hubbard Lake, MI 49747

Arenac
Au Gres Christian Charities — 415 S. Court St., Au Gres, MI 48703
Resurrection of the Lord Food Distribution Center — 423 W. Cedar St., Standish, MI 48658

Bay
Safe Harbor — 706 Joseph St., Bay City, MI 48706

Crawford
Crawford County Community Christian Help Center Food Pantry — 300 Huron St., Grayling, MI 49738

Iosco
New Hope Church — 686 Aulerich Road, East Tawas, MI 48730
St. John’s Christian Charity and Thrift — 115 First St., Tawas City, MI 48763
Oscoda United Methodist Church — 120 W. Dwight Ave., Oscoda Township, MI 48750
Oscoda Church of Christ — 5726 Oscoda St., Oscoda Township, MI 48750
Oscoda-AuSable Senior Center — 653 State St., Oscoda Township, MI 48750
Sacred Heart Catholic Church — 5300 US-23, Oscoda Township, MI 48750

Kalkaska
Kalkaska Area Interfaith Resources (KAIR) — 324 S. Cedar St., Kalkaska, MI 49646

Manistee
ECHO His Love — 525 Michael St., Manistee, MI 49660
Matthew 25:35 Food Pantry at Manistee Catholic Central School — 1200 US-31, Manistee, MI 49660
Manistee Friendship Society Food Pantry — 50 Filer St. # 316, Manistee, MI 49660

Missaukee
Missaukee County Cooperative Ministry Food Pantry — 6180 W. Sanborn Road, Lake City, MI 49651
Good Neighbor Food Pantry — 5804 W. Houghton Lake Road, Lake City, MI 49651

Montmorency
Montmorency County Commission on Aging – Atlanta — 11780 M-33, Atlanta, MI 49709
Atlanta Church of Christ — 11463 McArthur Road, Atlanta, MI 49709
New Beginnings Ministries — 16960 N. County Road 459, Hillman, MI 49746
Montmorency County Commission on Aging – Hillman — 431 Pineview Ct., Hillman, MI 49746
Hillman Lions Club — 14797 State St., Hillman, MI 49746
First Baptist Church – Lewiston — 5560 County Road, 612 Lewiston, MI 49756
Montmorency County Commission on Aging – Lewiston — 2811 Kneeland St., Lewiston, MI 49756

Oscoda
Oscoda County Commission on Aging — 429 N. Mt. Tom Road, Mio, MI 48647
Together We Can Food Pantry — 1889 Caldwell Road, Mio, MI 48647

Ogemaw
Ogemaw Hills Free Methodist Church — 3480 W. M-76, West Branch, MI 48661
First United Methodist Church — 2490 State Road, West Branch, MI 48661

Otsego
Otsego County Food Pantry – Food Distribution Center — 116 E. Fifth St., Gaylord, MI 49735

Presque Isle
Courtesy Club Food Pantry — 20523 State St., Onaway, MI 49765
Rogers City Area Senior and Community Center — 131 E. Superior St., Rogers City, MI 49779
God Loves You! Food Pantry, Grand Lake Community Chapel — 8025 E. Grand Lake Road, Presque Isle, MI 49777

Roscommon
Roscommon County Food Pantry — 725 Loxley St., Houghton Lake, MI 48629 MI

Wexford
Feeding America West Michigan – Cadillac — 101 Clay Drive, Cadillac, MI 49601
Love Inc. — 753 Sunnyside Drive, Cadillac, MI 49601
Buckley Food Pantry — 205 E. Wexford Ave., Buckley, MI 49620
First Baptist Church – King’s Storehouse Food Pantry — 125 Stimson St., Cadillac, MI 49601

A huge thank you to Lake State Railway and to the legislators who made the trip to our district! We began at the Standish Grain Elevator and traveled by rail to Grayling, where we toured the ARAUCO facility. We were treated to wonderful views of the autumn foliage and gained valuable insights into the local employers in our Northern Michigan communities.

A lot of us are still feeling the sting of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It was good to gather on the lawn of the state Capitol recently to remember his positive impact and the importance of defending our faith, families and great nation. Click here to see a short video I took during the event.

It was great to meet with some of the crew from M&M Excavating of Gaylord recently as they attended a Michigan infrastructure rally at the Capitol. Investing in and improving Michigan's infrastructure strengthens our communities and ensures hardworking businesses like M&M thrive and continue providing jobs.

It’s exciting to see new businesses like Warbird Pro take root in our communities, especially one dedicated to life-saving solutions with high-quality personal protection gear like body armor and trauma plates. This family-owned venture is a perfect fit for Kalkaska and the surrounding region, combining local values with a critical mission on a global scale.

I recently enjoyed an informative tour of Precision Forestry in Onaway, where I was impressed by their innovative use of technology in forest management.