Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to the latest edition of my e-newsletter.

Below you’ll find an update on what’s happening in your state Capitol and some additional resources I hope you find helpful.

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 34th Senate District.

Sincerely,

Roger Hauck
State Senator
34th Senate District

The Senate recently voted on its fiscal year 2024 budget package.

Unfortunately for the people of Michigan, Lansing Democrats, who hold narrow majorities in the House and Senate, have been on a spending spree. The Senate Democrats’ spending plan would blow through our state’s multibillion surplus in a matter of months.

Republicans have been side-lined throughout the budget process. Though we offered more than 170 amendments in an attempt to curb the reckless spending, each one was voted down. Instead of spending money on pools, electric buses and pickleball courts like the Democrats’ plan, our amendments would have reprioritized spending to:

The Michigan Legislature recently approved new bills regarding distracted driving.

Michigan law already bans texting while driving. If the new legislation is signed by the governor as expected, the law will be expanded on June 30 to include bans on the hand-held use of cell phones or other mobile devices in any way. If you want to use a GPS navigation device or make a phone call while driving, it must be done in “hands-free” or voice-activated mode. The only exceptions are emergency situations such as calling 911.

Drivers will not be permitted to use their hands to operate a mobile device beyond a single tap to activate a function or select a phone number, or to use the permanently installed user interfaces of technology integrated into a vehicle.

Monday, May 29, 2023, is Memorial Day — a day set aside to remember the men and women who died in military service to our country.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was first recognized in the 1860s as a day to remember those who died fighting in the Civil War. As the years passed and the U.S. experienced other major conflicts where military lives were lost, the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May and declared it a federal holiday.

Springtime in Michigan is marvelous! Warm sunny days and crisp nights mean more time outside. The beautiful weather also means our lawns grow long and bushes and trees need to be pruned. But did you know, in Michigan the primary cause of wildfires is yard waste burning?

Nationally, nearly nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans, so it is important to make fire safety a top priority. When you burn:

For more information about fire safety, including a map of the daily fire danger rating, visit Michigan.gov/FireManagement.

This summer, several state parks across the state will be receiving much-needed upgrades. Visitors will enjoy new and upgraded camping amenities, park roads, electrical and water distribution systems, and toilet and shower buildings, as well as visitor center enhancements and historic preservation work.

Before you head out, be sure to visit Michigan.gov/DNRClosures to check for closures due to these planned improvement projects, other repairs or weather-related events.