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

The Michigan Senate recently voted to pass bills that would strengthen ID requirements for voting and make it easier for residents to get a free state ID card.

There is strong bipartisan support among Michigan voters to have people verify their identity with an ID when voting. We must remain vigilant to protect the integrity of our elections, and this legislation will help to fix vulnerabilities in the system while also increasing access to IDs.

A 2021 poll, conducted by the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Glengariff Group, showed that 79.7% of Michigan voters support requiring voters to present a government-issued ID in order to vote.

Senate Bill 303 would require voters to show proper identification when voting in person and require absentee voters to write their Michigan driver’s license number or state ID card number on their absentee ballot application to verify their identity. Under the bill, voters could also write the last four digits of their social security number on their application or present their ID to their clerk to get an absentee ballot. SB 303 would also prohibit the use of third-party money for elections administration in Michigan and ban the secretary of state or other government officials from sending unsolicited absentee ballot applications to voters.

SB 304 would allow in-person voters without proper identification and absentee voters who fail to fill in the identifying information to cast a provisional ballot and return to their local clerk within six days after the election to verify their identity so that their vote can be counted.

House Bill 5007 would make getting or renewing an official state identification card free of charge to Michigan residents.

Current law requires that schools have at least 75% of students attending school in person on an average daily basis in order to receive full state aid payments. This has created challenges for schools that are working hard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and have students temporarily out of the classroom due to close contact with a positive COVID-19 case.

Senate Bill 664 would allow schools to count quarantined students toward the average daily attendance requirement. It also allows those students to be counted for the purposes of count day under certain conditions. Furthermore, quarantined students may learn online without specific requirements applying as long as there are daily two-way interactions.

SB 664 was passed unanimously by the Senate and has been sent to the House for consideration.

October is Firewood Awareness Month! By choosing to buy firewood where you burn it you help prevent the spread of tree pests and diseases.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are 140 pests and diseases that can be moved with firewood. Some are already present in Michigan, while others, including the Asian longhorn beetle, beech leaf disease and spotted lanternfly, are infesting nearby states.

By following these simple rules, you can help prevent the spread of harmful invasive species:

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.