Dear Friends,

Welcome to the most recent edition of my monthly e-newsletter.

Below you’ll find news out of our state capital and the 31st Senate District that I hope you find helpful and interesting.

As always, my staff and I are here for you. My priority is to listen and understand the issues facing the individuals and families across the state. Please continue to share your thoughts with me at [email protected] or at 517-373-1777.

Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the Michigan Senate. I am grateful each and every day to work for the people of the 31st Senate District.

Sincerely,

Kevin Daley
State Senator
31st District

The Senate Committee on Agriculture recently heard from Tuscola County resident Anthony Bierlein and Denmark Township Supervisor Chuck Heinlein on my legislation to amend the Farmland Preservation Act.

Senate Bill 1167 would allow up to one acre of land, that falls under a Public Act 116 agreement, to be relinquished from the agricultural conservation agreement.

PA 116, which was passed in 1974, allows farmers to enter into an agreement with the state to ensure the land remains dedicated to agricultural use for a minimum of 10 years — and up to 90 years.

SB 1167 was reported favorably without amendment out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and is now headed to the Senate floor for consideration.

Currently, there is no way for farmers to remove a parcel of their land from a PA 116 conservation agreement. This legislation would allow farmers to relinquish unfarmable land from such an agreement, which ends up being a win-win for everyone.

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other veteran organizations to hold its second Veterans Experience Action Center.

The three-day event, held Oct. 4-6, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT, is an opportunity for veterans to receive one-on-one personalized assistance with their VA benefits, health care, crisis resources, and many other benefits they have earned for their service.

At the VEAC, veterans attend a virtual appointment with a local veterans service officer who can facilitate a direct transfer to VA experts and community partners who can immediately address their specific needs. The first VEAC, held in 2021, served more than 600 Michigan veterans during the three-day event.

For more information or to register for the Michigan VEAC, visit the VA website.

Behind every great student is a teacher who took the time to invest in and enrich his or her life – and Michigan schools are filled with many wonderful teachers.

Each year, one teacher is named Michigan’s Teacher of the Year. The Michigan Teacher of the Year serves as a representative and advocate for Michigan's more than 90,000 teachers and works with nine fellow regional Teachers of the Year to make up the Michigan Teacher Leadership Advisory Council. Each regional teacher of the year, from the 10 regions across Michigan, brings recognition to the district he or she represents and has additional opportunities for professional development and opportunities to share their experience and expertise. The MTOY also attends the State Board of Education meetings as a non-voting member and serves as Michigan’s applicant for National Teacher of the Year.

Nominations for the 2023-24 Michigan Teacher of the Year are open from now until Oct 24. For more information about the MTOY year program, or to nominate a teacher, visit the Michigan Department of Education’s MTOY page. Nominations can also be made using the online form.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering an opportunity to enjoy time outdoors, earn money and help plant trees in state forests.

From Sept. 1-30, red pine cones can be collected and dropped off by appointment at several DNR locations in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula where red pines are most abundant. A bushel, or approximately two 5-gallon buckets, of fresh red pine cones will earn $100.

Foresters are looking for quality seed pine cones from the red pine tree. However, finding the right cones is no easy task. To get started, keep these things in mind:

My priority is always serving the people of my district. If you plan to visit Lansing for a conference, meeting, or just for fun, please contact my office in advance so I can make every effort to meet with you while you are in town.

My office is happy to offer legislative tributes in honor of noteworthy events such as retirement, anniversaries of businesses in our community, awards and public recognitions.

Michigan Senate website: www.senate.michigan.gov
Michigan House of Representatives website: www.house.michigan.gov
Michigan Legislature website: www.legislature.mi.gov
Michigan Citizen’s Guide: Citizen’s Guide to State Government, 101st Legislature