Dear Friends,

To better serve the people of the 30th Senate District, I am offering this “Week in Review.” 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

Last week, the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee considered and approved legislation to add a circuit court judgeship in Ottawa County starting in 2023.

Every two years the State Court Administrative Office releases the Judicial Resource Recommendations report based on its review of the needs of the Michigan judiciary. The review of trial court judgeships begins with a statistical analysis. Case filings are weighted to reflect the amount of judicial time necessary to handle each case type.

The 2019 report recommended that a judge be added to the 20th Judicial Circuit in Ottawa County. House Bill 5259, sponsored by Rep. Luke Meerman, R-Coopersville, would add the additional circuit court judge starting on Jan. 1, 2023. The initial term would be for eight years to stagger the judgeships, so that no more than two of the judges are up for re-election in the same year.

During the committee hearing, we heard from Ottawa County Chief Judge Jon Van Allsburg about the need for this additional position and the importance of staggering the terms. HB 5259 now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

Click here to watch the committee hearing on the bill.

My goal is to continue to provide the good people of Ottawa County with chances to meet with me about state issues and talk with me about their priorities. We’ve had a great response to coffee hours in the past, and we plan on continuing to hold them frequently throughout the district.

Our next coffee hour is next week. I will be available to meet with constituents on Monday, Nov. 15 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Good Earth Cafe, located at 14 E. 7th St. in Holland.

Coffee hours are open to residents to express their opinions or concerns about state government or to request assistance with a state issue. No appointment is necessary, but space may be limited.

Residents who are unable to attend the coffee hour and need assistance may click here to contact my office.

The Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a measure to extend the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The continuation of MAEAP was an intensely debated part of the state budget negotiations that took place earlier this year.

It is very important for the future of our agricultural industry that we continue to support MAEAP, which helps Michigan farms prevent agricultural environmental issues. The program consists of four phases: education, on-farm risk assessment, implementation and third-party verification.

Senate Bill 494 would extend the current sunsets on pesticide and fertilizer fees to Dec. 31, 2025. These fees are used to support the program. The bill does not alter or increase the fees.

MAEAP-verified farms represent the highest standards of environmental stewardship, and as of September 2020, there have been 5,764 statewide MAEAP verifications on 3,381 unique Michigan farms.

I am proud to have worked with the bill sponsor to preserve this voluntary program that teaches effective practices to help Michigan farmers identify and prevent environmental issues and work to comply with state and federal environmental regulations.

Click here to watch last week’s hearing on the bill.

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.