As we come into the closing days of 2025, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for giving me the honor to represent you in Lansing. From my family, my staff and myself, Merry Christmas to you!

The Michigan Senate recently passed legislation to protect residents from being forced to repay unemployment benefits issued during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a mistake by the government.

Senate Bill 700 would prohibit the Unemployment Insurance Agency from attempting to collect most improperly paid benefits three or more years after the payment date. The bill would also protect businesses by prohibiting the state from recouping costs from the Unemployment Insurance Agency Trust Fund, which is fully funded by employers, to pay for the state’s mistake.

The amended bill then passed the Senate UNANIMOUSLY. Now we need to encourage the state House to take up SB 700, and once it is signed by the governor, we will have protected both our residents and our employers!

I want to congratulate the city of Sault Ste. Marie on securing a state grant for road improvements and repairs to Meridian Street.

A fiscal year 2027 grant in the amount of $375,000 has been awarded to Sault Ste. Marie to resurface Meridian Street from the I-75 Business Spur to West Eighth Avenue. The project includes cold milling and resurfacing the road, ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter replacement, and pavement markings.

Meridian Street is an all-season roadway serving an industrial area, Lake Superior State University and Sanderson Field Airport. This project will improve the road condition and allow commercial traffic to continue using the roadway safely.

The total project cost is $790,000, with TEDF Category F funding covering 47% of construction costs, up to $375,000. Category F grants are competitive grants made to eligible road agencies to preserve and/or expand all-season road networks within urban areas of rural counties.

The project also includes $415,000 in matching funds from the city of Sault Ste. Marie.

I’m happy to see MDOT recognize the need for this funding in the Upper Peninsula. Many small towns, especially those in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, simply don’t have the resources to keep up with deteriorating roads, and these grants are critical to filling those funding gaps.

These repairs will certainly improve access to the airport and local parks, while also improving roadway safety for the residents who drive these streets every day.

The Legislature recently voted to make Michigan’s $25 pheasant license permanent.

At one time, small game hunters harvested more than 1 million pheasants annually in Michigan. For many, pheasant hunting was their introduction to hunting and sparked a lifelong interest. In recent years, however, harvest numbers have dropped to fewer than 60,000 roosters annually, and fewer new hunters were participating in small game hunting.

To help revive the sport, the Legislature created a pheasant hunting license in 2020. That law included a Jan. 1, 2026 sunset to allow lawmakers and the Department of Natural Resources to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Based on its success, the Legislature voted to make the license permanent.

A pheasant license is not required to hunt on private land that is not enrolled in the Hunter Access Program, on licensed game preserves, or on public land in the Upper Peninsula. Hunters under the age of 17 are also exempt. Revenue generated from the license is dedicated to releasing live pheasants on state-owned land.

Michigan’s trail system offers winter recreation opportunities for all ages and interests. Many trails are open and groomed from Dec. 1 through March 31. Trail users can use the DNR’s interactive trail maps to plan ahead and check trail reports and trail closures for current conditions.

Before heading out, snowmobilers are required to purchase a trail permit, review Michigan’s snowmobile handbook, and check to see when a child needs a safety certificate to operate a snowmobile.

Off-road vehicle riders should know where riding is permitted. ORVs are allowed on county roads open during the summer and on DNR-designated multiuse trails. Snowmobile-only trails, which can be identified by numbers only on diamond-shaped signs, are closed to ORV use from Dec. 1 through March 31.

Fat-tire bikes are allowed on all trails that permit bicycles, and many trails are groomed by volunteer organizations specifically for winter riding.

Those planning winter hikes should keep in mind that late antlerless firearm season is extended in parts of the Lower Peninsula. Wearing blaze orange is recommended when using trails during this time.

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