Dear Friends,

To better serve you, I am offering this e-newsletter on what’s happening in the 30th Senate District and across our state.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions about any of the content discussed in this e-newsletter or if I can be of assistance to you or your family. You may call toll-free at 1-855-347-8030 or email SenMHuizenga@senate.michigan.gov. 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

As one of its first actions of the 2025-26 legislative session, the Michigan House passed bipartisan legislation to save the state’s tip credit system and protect thousands of hospitality industry jobs.

The votes follow a Michigan Supreme Court ruling mandating changes to minimum wage laws and the elimination of the tipped credit system relied upon by hospitality employees. Without legislative action, these changes will take effect on Feb. 21 and have devastating impacts on small business owners and their employees.

House Bills 4001-4002 maintain the current 38% tip credit while moving toward a higher minimum wage year over year. They also introduce more flexibility for earned paid sick leave to better reflect the needs of Michigan workers. The Senate should follow the House’s lead and move quickly to pass this legislation to save Michigan’s hospitality industry.

I recently met with several local restaurant owners and employees who are very concerned about upcoming regulations that will eliminate the tipped wage system for service workers and raise prices for restaurants and customers.

Click here or on the image below to see a video of my discussion with Real Food Café owner Jeff Lobdell and his staff.

Jody’s Restaurant in Rockford recently decided to close in the face of the new regulations. Click here to watch a video of my discussion with owner Don Mendham.

I also sat down with an employee of Sundance Grill & Bar in Cascade to talk about this issue. Click here to watch a video of that discussion.

During her “Road Ahead Address” at the Detroit Auto Show, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for higher taxes and even more money for corporate welfare — showing just how out of touch she and Lansing Democrats are with the struggles of Michiganders.

After blowing through a record $9 billion budget surplus on things like pickleball courts and swimming pools, the governor now says she must raise taxes to fix our roads. She has also handed out over $1 billion of taxpayer dollars to wealthy corporations, with little to show for it.

Many Michigan families are already struggling to make ends meet, and we should not be burdening them with even higher taxes. The governor calling for even more corporate welfare is an irresponsible use of your hard-earned money.

From now until March 2, you and your family can bundle up and head down to the World of Winter in downtown Grand Rapids! Whether it’s guided tours, scavenger hunts or a singing tree, you will find activities for all ages.

I am holding in-person office hours throughout the district on a regular basis because hearing directly from people about the issues they are facing is an important part of representing everyone in West Michigan. These meetings give local residents a chance to express their viewpoints about what needs to be done and offer help to people dealing with a variety of state issues.

On Friday, Feb. 14, I will be available to meet with constituents at the following times and locations:

Office hours are open to all residents, and no appointment is necessary. Anyone who is unable to attend the office hours may contact my office.

I want to congratulate Calvin University President Greg Elzinga on his inauguration. As both an alumnus and legislator, I look forward to working with him.

Earlier this week, West Michigan’s own Doris Smeckert celebrated her 108th birthday! My office was honored to present Doris with a special tribute to honor this life milestone.

The snow may be falling today, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is already planning ahead for summer. Managers for Michigan’s state parks, boating facilities, and outdoor spaces are looking to fill 1,300 summer jobs. Roles include greeting visitors, answering questions, registering campers, cleaning park buildings, mowing grass, maintaining trails, and more.

These short-term summer positions are perfect for those looking to start a career in natural resources, stay active in retirement or simply enjoy the outdoors during the summer. Many DNR employees started their careers as summer park workers and have since transitioned to fulfilling roles as rangers, park supervisors, accountant assistants and trail coordinators.

The first steps are to express interest, share your contact information and identify the Michigan state park where you would like to work. The hourly rate is $15.25, and schedules are flexible.

If you can't fit another deer in your freezer but still want to hunt, consider donating your harvest to Hunters Feeding Michigan. This program partners with processors to provide venison to local food banks. Please be sure to call a processor before drop-off to confirm they are accepting donations. All deer must be legally harvested, harvest-reported and whole to be accepted for donation.

A monetary donation can be made by visiting this site, when purchasing a hunting license on the DNR eLicense website, at any DNR retail license agent location or on the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

Michigan ranks second in the nation for the number of ski areas and resorts, offering everything from family-friendly learning areas and high-speed chairlifts to powdery slopes and the tallest vertical drop in the Midwest. There’s no better place to experience winter than in Michigan. Winter adventures can be found on more than 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails, 3,000 miles of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails, and in more than 100 state parks and recreation areas.

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 SenMHuizenga@senate.michigan.gov.

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.