Dear Friends:

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and provide updates about what is going on at Michigan’s Capitol.

I am the state senator for the 18th District – covering all of Barry County and parts of Allegan, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Kent and Ionia counties. Please feel free to contact me with any issues related to state government at SenTAlbert@senate.michigan.gov, or by calling 517-373-1734 (toll-free at 855-347-8018).

Sincerely,

Thomas Albert
State Senator

In recent years, Michigan has seen an increase in crashes injuring or killing road workers, tow truck drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable people on the roadway. Sadly, this trend appears to be continuing in 2026.

Two Michigan Department of Transportation workers were recently killed while patching potholes on U.S. 127 in Ingham County. In Branch County, a tractor driver was struck and killed while mowing alongside I-69. The list goes on and on.

I am calling on the Legislature to take action to help improve roadway safety. A good first step would be finalizing Senate Bills 216 and 217, which were approved by the Senate last year and are now in the Michigan House of Representatives. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House.

I am a sponsor of this bipartisan, bicameral plan designed to improve safety for vulnerable roadway users. This plan also includes a comprehensive and simplified update to Michigan’s “Slow Down and Move Over” traffic law.

Other proposals introduced in the Legislature to improve roadway safety, particularly in construction zones, could also be considered as part of an overall plan. But we must act now.

Typically, I devote most of the space in this newsletter to providing updates on what’s happening in Lansing. But that’s only part of my job representing District 18 in the Michigan Senate. I also spend a lot of time visiting community groups across the region, and I wanted to share a few examples from the past month or so.

I was honored to speak at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a Flat River Outreach Ministries housing project in Lowell. This project will help address the area’s housing shortage while providing occupants with hope and opportunity for a brighter future.

I also spoke at a “Restore the Rapids” ceremony at the Grand River in Kent County. This dam removal project is part of the Grand River Greenway initiative that I have supported in the Legislature for several years. The vision is an 85-mile chain of parks and trails that will change how the river corridor is viewed along the way to Lake Michigan.

In Battle Creek, I was honored to visit Veterans Helping Veterans SWMI. This nonprofit is doing good work assisting homeless veterans and those struggling with post-service transition through mentorship, advocacy and connection to community resources. I also was fortunate to tour Grace Health and Bronson Healthcare. In Otsego, I was blessed to witness a ceremony for outstanding police and fire department service.

Economic growth is an important and consistent theme for my in-district visits. I recently toured the West Michigan Works office in Hastings, and in Middleville I presented a legislative tribute to the Bradford White Corporation for its recognition as the West Michigan Works Employer of the Year.

This is just a recent sampling of the important work being done by community organizations throughout the region.

Dairy is Michigan’s top agricultural commodity, contributing more than $15 billion annually to the state’s economy. Dairy has a huge presence in many of the counties within the 18th Senate District. This should be celebrated year-round, but especially during June, which is National Dairy Month.

It’s a fascinating and important industry, which is why I recently toured Michigan State University’s new Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center. This new facility recently received state funding to generate research to benefit farmers across the state, boost our economy and help preserve a way of life.

The new dairy barn provides a hands-on learning opportunity for students and a state-of-the-art research facility benefiting the entire dairy industry. While I don’t always agree with how the state of Michigan invests public money in universities, this is an example of an investment that makes sense.

One of my favorite summer activities is fishing with my children. Everyone can enjoy this activity with Michigan’s summer Free Fishing Weekend, scheduled for June 13-14.

During the Free Fishing Weekend, fishing license fees are waived. State parks and boating access sites are open without a Recreation Passport. Residents and out-of-state visitors may fish for any species, though all fishing regulations and laws still apply.

The Natural Resources Commission met on May 13 and approved several changes to deer regulations for the 2026 and 2027 hunting seasons.

The full list of NRC-approved changes for the 2026 deer seasons can be found here. Some of the changes include:

The NRC approved the following changes for the 2027 deer hunt in the Lower Peninsula:

The commission did not make changes to the 2027 deer hunting regulations in the Upper Peninsula.