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 Senate Appropriations Committee last week discussed House legislation to implement a series of best practices into four of Michigan’s retirement systems.

An official from the Office of Retirement Services spoke in favor of the measures, saying that mostly these bills would put in law things they are already doing or are planning to do soon.

House Bills 4263-4266 would amend the retirement systems for public school employees, state employees, the state police, and those using the judicial system – which includes the governor – to make certain reforms such as setting an assumed rate of return on investment.

Placing the assumed rate of return more in line with actual yearly returns will ensure that adequate payments are made into the retirement system providing better long-term solvency. Level dollar payments would prevent payments from spiking in the future and help prevent unfunded liabilities from escalating into the future due to systemic underfunding, saving the state and our schools from drastically increased future costs.

All but one of the bills in the package passed the House without any opposition.

If you would like to see the presentation and Q&A period in committee on these bills, click here to watch the hearing.

Last week, I testified before the Senate Economic and Small Business Development Committee about my legislation to help clean up additional sites in our state.

Senate Bill 562 would allow certain landfills to once again be considered brownfield sites and be eligible for assistance in cleaning up contamination and developing the sites. This was allowed until changes to the law were made in 2016.

I sponsored this bill to help spur economic development, put these sites back to productive use, and protect our environment.

Locally, this reform would help clean up an old landfill in Ottawa County that has been vacant for decades.

Click here to watch the committee hearing.

This week is National Fire Prevention Week! Please consider making a plan in case of a fire and make sure everyone in your home knows it. For more information, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.

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.