Dear Friends,

Welcome to the latest edition of my monthly e-newsletter. 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.

The budget process is still ongoing, and I remain committed to working on a responsible budget that funds critical priorities without raising taxes on Michigan residents who are already hurting.

The Michigan Senate is also working on a number of legislative priorities, including the recently introduced election integrity package — which is a top priority for many of our residents. Voting is the foundation of our system of government, and it is my hope that this legislation helps our residents regain confidence that their elections are being conducted honestly.

I will continue providing updates on the status of the budget and various legislative initiatives as we move forward.

As always, my office is open, and my staff and I are available to assist you. You may contact us by emailing [email protected] or by telephone at 1-855-347-8034.

Also, please check out my social media pages for updates on what’s going on in our state’s Capitol!

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Jon Bumstead
State Senator
34th District

My Republican colleagues and I formally introduced a legislative package aimed at strengthening and improving election integrity in Michigan.

I believe it is important we do all we can legislatively to ensure our elections are conducted fairly and securely. The integrity of our elections should be a priority for every Michigander, and this legislation will strengthen voting integrity without disenfranchising voters.

Over 30 bills were introduced as part of the election integrity package. Some of the proposed changes include improving security at ballot drop boxes, strengthening poll challenger and poll watcher rights, increasing transparency of the audit process, cleaning up outdated voter lists, and requiring photo identification for in-person voting and when submitting an AV ballot application.

Senate Bill 288 and Senate Bill 309 are two bills in the package that I sponsored. Senate Bill 288 would make audits bipartisan and open to the public. The bill gives each major political party the right to appoint an election inspector to oversee audits. This legislation would also allow each political party to appoint two observers to monitor the audit process, and the secretary of state would be required to stream video of the audit live on their website.

Senate Bill 309 would strengthen the rights of poll challengers and poll watchers. Under the bill, poll challengers would be given the right to sit behind the processing table and observe the election process from a reasonable distance. A poll challenger would also have the right to challenge a ballot if an elector is not listed in the poll book or is claiming the identity of another individual, or if the photo identification being used appears fraudulent or invalid.

I have continued to receive emails and phone calls from constituents in the months since the 2020 general election, and an overwhelming number of voters I talk to have lost trust in our state’s election process. Voting is the foundation of our system of government, and it is my hope that this legislation helps our residents regain confidence that their elections are being conducted honestly.

I have created a website to give constituents an opportunity to provide feedback on the newly introduced election integrity package. To view a full summary of the election integrity package, and to provide feedback directly to my office, visit www.SenatorJonBumstead.com.

As elected officials, I believe it is critical we listen to input from the people that elected us to represent them in state government. The election integrity package is a top priority for many of our residents, and I am open to hearing your suggestions on the best way to strengthen and improve election integrity in Michigan.

Last week, the state Senate approved legislation I introduced that would provide restaurants with a metric-based approach to returning to normal business operations.

I worked hand in hand with the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association to develop a plan that would present certainty and consistency to the industry as we continue the fight against COVID-19. This plan is a great step to normalizing operations for this industry, and I am happy to have sponsored legislation to get our restaurants back open and folks back to work.

The hospitality industry is Michigan’s second-largest private sector industry and one of the most important in the state. It was also one of the hardest hit industries by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns. Over the past year, MRLA reported 3,000 restaurants have permanently closed and 200,000 jobs have been lost.

Senate Bill 250 would implement the MRLA’s data-driven plan and outline how to safely open the doors of Michigan’s struggling restaurants and hospitality businesses. The bill provides metrics for how and when restaurants may open and at what capacity and a basis for temporary closure when case numbers get too high.

The legislation does not include curfews for restaurants, and contract tracing is encouraged, not mandatory.

This is a carefully put-together plan based on scientific data. Folks deserve to know what information was used to shut down their business. They deserve transparency from their state government, so their businesses have a clear pathway to safely move forward.

I am happy to see this legislation move through the process. It is a strong step toward safely lifting current restrictions and returning to normal.

SB 250 will now go to the Michigan House of Representatives for further consideration.

The Newaygo Fire Department hosted their first annual chili cook-off on March 16. It was a pleasure to be in attendance along with my district representative, Diane Schindlbeck, who served as a judge during the competition.

The night was filled with great food and conversation with our local firefighters. I would like to congratulate Judge’s Choice winner Wilson Soliz and Firefighter’s Choice winner Deputy Chief Dave Otteren.

The Newaygo Fire Department does a great job protecting our community. I had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer firefighter with the Newaygo Area Fire and Rescue Command for many years. The fire department is filled with nothing but brave and respectful men and women.

I am excited to be part of this new tradition and I can’t wait for next year’s cook-off.