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 can 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

I recently sent a letter to Michigan Department of Transportation Director Brad Wieferich encouraging him to support a $3 million budget amendment for effective measures to prevent wrong-way accidents on freeway ramps.

In April, a 63-year-old husband and father was killed by a wrong-way driver traveling south on U.S. 131 and then a Michigan State Police trooper was hit by oncoming traffic while trying to intervene and stop a wrong-way driver on northbound U.S. 131.

Clearly, additional steps are necessary to reduce these preventable tragedies. While each wrong-way driver incident is unique, and subject to many different variables, I believe that increased signage, reflective delineators, wrong-way detection systems, and other infrastructure tools are needed. These life-saving tools would go a long way toward protecting families in Grand Rapids and all across the state.

I proposed an amendment to MDOT’s fiscal year 2024 budget to add $3 million to specifically help fund additional measures to help eliminate the likelihood of wrong-way drivers. Unfortunately, my amendment did not receive adequate support from the other side of the aisle to be included in the Senate-passed budget bill.

I asked for support from MDOT to secure the funding in the new state budget. When it comes to safety, I believe it is the duty of all public servants to work together to keep our drivers and our families more safe and secure. I remain optimistic that we can come together to make these safety improvements and make a real difference in all our communities.

It was great to host the Boy Scouts of America at the state Capitol earlier this month. I was honored to present a tribute recognizing the positive impact scouting has had on countless youth across our great state. Thank you to all our scouts for your dedication to our shared communities!

The Michigan Senate has approved my legislation as part of a bipartisan package to prohibit children under age 18 from getting married in the state.

We’ve heard terrible stories about people married off by their parents at a young age into abusive relationships — only to be stuck in the marriage until they turn 18. This would help solve that problem. This long-overdue reform is about better protecting our children from sexual and physical abuse by preventing marriages in Michigan until both parties are old enough to make these decisions for themselves.

Functionally, Michigan has no minimum age for marriage. Under current Michigan law, a minor over the age of 16 but under the age of 18 can be married with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. Additionally, someone under the age of 16 can get married with the consent of all living parents or legal guardians and the order of a probate judge.

Among the changes in Senate Bills 209-217 and 246 are:

The Natural Resources Commission and Department of Natural Resources approved new deer regulations at their June 8 meeting that will be in effect for the 2023-2025 hunting seasons.

While many of the regulations remained the same, there were a few important updates made.

Updated regulations include:

For more on deer management, hunting opportunities and more, visit Michigan.gov/deer.

Are your children or your personal information safe online? National Internet Safety Month is the perfect time to increase your awareness of online safety and learn ways to protect your identity and data. Visit Michigan.gov/Cybersecurity for more information.

Internet safety is more than just protecting our businesses; it is also about protecting our children. One tool is the Michigan Child Protection Registry. It is a free and secure program that parents can use to keep their children safe from online predators and unwanted adult advertising. Visit ProtectMiChild.com to register or find out more.

The governor recently announced a new council tasked with turning around Michigan’s population trends. This council is a deflection from the governor’s failed policies that are driving people and job opportunities out of our state.

Gov. Whitmer is again seeking to go-it-alone and her self-spun “bipartisan” council — appointed solely by her — is actually a far cry from true bipartisanship.

If anything, this council is an indictment of the governor’s failed leadership that continues to hurt Michiganders and drive people and businesses away from our great state.

These problems cannot be fixed by a council. Michigan should instead embrace economic growth through competitive tax rates, commonsense regulation, worker freedom and holding the bar high so our students receive a world class education.

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 [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.