After an incredibly busy summer in the district, we are back in session in Lansing.

While the last two weeks have been packed with policy conversations about a busy fall session, my office has also been filled with visitors from the district. It was a pleasure to enjoy some very productive conversations as my staff, and I hosted local manufacturers, firefighters, and pharmacists as they attended their legislative days at the Capitol.

Thank you to the Michigan Manufacturers Association for recognizing me as Legislator of the Year for 2023!

We must rebuild our manufacturing base in Michigan and throughout the United States. It’s a matter of jobs, economic growth and national security. America needs to be able to make things as a nation. For too long, we have sat back and watched as bad policies drove our great manufacturing businesses out of state and overseas. The Michigan Manufacturers Association is at the center of the effort to restore our manufacturing heritage, and I am so proud to receive this honor from such an esteemed organization.

Our work together has just begun!

As part of Public Act 166 of 2022, the Michigan Legislature appropriated $5 million to provide free well water testing for Michigan residents who rely on a household or private well for their drinking water.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will work with local water departments across the state to test private wells for the most common water quality concerns. Some of the most common water quality concerns for private wells include bacteria, nitrates, and harmful metals like arsenic.

Private well owners can contact their local health department or visit Michigan.gov/EGLEPrivateWells to request a sample kit. The website also contains information including contact information for local health departments, well records, and an interactive Water Well Viewer that displays the locations of various water wells across Michigan.

Bear season in Michigan has begun; however, the season varies greatly depending on hunt management areas. A full description of hunting dates and bear management areas in both the Upper and Lower peninsulas is available at Michigan.gov/Bear.

Michigan’s Bear Cooperator Patch Program is coordinated by the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, in partnership with the DNR, in an effort to keep Michigan's black bear population healthy and protect their habitat. Anyone may purchase a patch for $7. Hunters, 17 years old and younger, can receive a free patch by sending in a copy of their current bear hunting license.

This week, I spent some time with Isaiah Wunsch, owner of Third Coast Fruit Co. in the Grand Traverse peninsula.

We discussed an awesome initiative they have taken to sell apples while helping fight food insecurity. For every half bushel of apples sold at market price, Third Coast Fruit Co. will match that purchase with a donation of the same amount of purchased apples to the local food bank.

If you’re in the area, this is a great way to get some great local produce, while helping those in need!

You can find out more by clicking here.

My family and I enjoyed another wonderful year participating in the Mackinac Bridge Walk.

It is always nice to enjoy one of our district’s most recognizable and memorable structures, and getting the opportunity to talk with so many constituents and visitors was certainly a highlight of my summer. My wife Margo and I couldn’t help but stop to get a picture with this stunning sunrise behind us.

As the summer winds to an end, I look forward to working hard in Lansing to make sure our district is well-represented during this fall session.

Michigan’s 37th Senate District includes Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Leelanau counties and portions of Mackinac and Chippewa counties.