The state Senate last week approved my legislation to renew the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) and continue to help Michigan farmers adopt cost-effective practices that reduce environmental risks.

MAEAP is a program that has proven to be successful in helping Michigan farms of all sizes voluntarily reduce environmental risks. MAEAP-verified farms represent the highest standards of environmental stewardship and the renewal of this voluntary program will ensure our farmers are supported in their conservation practices.

The program was developed in 1999 by a coalition of farmers, commodity groups, and environmental groups, as well as state and federal agencies. MAEAP verification can be earned in one or more of four areas: farmstead; cropping; livestock; and forest, wetlands and habitat. The program helps farmers adopt practices that reduce erosion and runoff into ponds, streams, and rivers. This, in turn, helps farmers comply with state and federal laws.

Farmers who earn MAEAP verification receive a sign to place on their farm.

Senate Bill 494 would renew MAEAP and extend the sunset of the Freshwater Protection Fee that funds the program for another four years with no change to current fertilizer license and registration fees. The existing sunset was set to expire this year.

This legislation positions our farmers to continue improving how we care for our land and water and ensures farmers can continue feeding our communities for generations to come. I am grateful to see such widespread support for this bill and I look forward to it being signed into law.

I joined many of my colleagues to approve a resolution denouncing the Biden Administration’s heavy-handed mandate forcing businesses with more than 100 employees to require employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination or be tested for the virus weekly.

Deciding whether to receive the vaccine should be a personal choice and this mandate takes the decision-making process away from Michigan workers. This mandate compromises our individual freedoms and forces people into a threatening ultimatum. The American people should never have to choose between their personal beliefs and putting food on the table for their families.

Over the last year, we have experienced a major workforce problem. Everything from teacher shortages, hospital staff shortages, supply chain issues, and problems in countless other professions and this mandate will only further instigate these issues. Our economy is floundering. It’s time for government to get out of the way. We need pro-growth and pro-jobs policies that will help us on the road to recovery, not heavy-handed mandates that drive us toward more government dependence.

President Biden announced his administration's plan to impose strict COVID-19 vaccine requirements on private businesses in September. A recent announcement confirmed the policy will take effect Jan. 4.

According to the policy, employers with over 100 employees will be required to ensure workers are vaccinated or impose burdensome weekly testing regimens. It also mandates vaccines for health care workers, federal contractors, and most federal workers.

You can read the full text of Senate Resolution 83 here.

Earlier this year, I introduced legislation to provide financial relief to businesses that were shuttered during the pandemic.

Senate Bill 393 would provide businesses with additional property tax relief for tax years 2020 and 2021.

The legislation includes a two-year refundable tax credit for businesses that were shut down due to the pandemic for at least six weeks and lost at least 25% of their sales. This is an income tax credit that would allow the eligible business to claim a credit equal to the amount of property taxes attributable to the business during the same calendar year.

The property on which the credit is based must be used in connection with the afflicted business. It would not apply to property held by a business that is used for other purposes.

SB 393 is before the House Committee on Tax Policy as members continue taking public testimony from affected business owners.

The heavy-handed orders and shutdowns from Gov. Whitmer’s administration forced countless mom-and-pop shops to permanently shut their doors. While I know it’s too late for some, and I feel for those who didn’t make it, I introduced this bill to try and help as many businesses as possible keep their heads above water.

This isn’t an exemption — businesses still have to pay their taxes. This is just a way to help recover some of their losses through their annual tax return.

James Madison once said: “The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is, in its nature, an inalienable right.”

In recent years, we have seen a growing number of attacks on religious practices and policies that continue to chip away at an individual’s right to worship.

I voted in favor of Senate Resolution 88 to reaffirm that as Americans, we have the right to practice religion free of government interference.

As elected officials, we all took oaths to uphold both the United States and Michigan Constitutions, and I was proud to reaffirm that obligation.

The state Senate recently adopted my resolution calling on Congress to reject recently proposed IRS reporting requirements that pose a grave threat to the privacy of each and every U.S. citizen.

Senate Resolution 85 urges the U.S. Congress to oppose the unnecessary and harmful changes to Internal Revenue Service reporting requirements proposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

The department has proposed requiring financial institutions to report financial account information for accounts with a gross flow threshold or fair market value of $600 or more. The proposal calls for financial institutions to report gross inflows and outflows with a breakdown for physical cash, transactions with foreign accounts, and transfers to and from another account with the same owner. The proposed rules would apply to both business and personal accounts, including bank, loan, and investment accounts at financial institutions subject to the proposed requirement.

Since being announced, the updated income reporting requirements being proposed by the Treasury Department in Washington have been nearly universally opposed by the people and businesses they would affect. People all over the country have spoken out and voiced their concerns about what this means for their privacy and made it clear they don’t support this obvious money grab from the federal government.

The new proposals, if enacted, would also put more stress on community banks and credit unions, who are already struggling with overly burdensome regulations.

I don’t believe this is a step in the right direction. It’s simply a rule change so the government can get their hands on more of people’s hard-earned money.

One of Michigan’s most important industries recently took over the state Capitol to demonstrate just how important their products are to the state’s economy.

It was my pleasure to welcome Michigan Sugar to Lansing, as well as the Michigan Sugar Queen Ally Kemp (left) and Queen’s Court Attendants Raven Wieland and Kenna Karst.

I had the wonderful opportunity to host several municipal clerks and deputy clerks from Lapeer County. It was great to be able to have such a hard-working group of public servants down visiting the Capitol!

It was a beautiful and humbling day as I joined several of our nation’s heroes at the Veterans Day Celebration in Lapeer! It was my pleasure to attend the event and pay respects to the men and women in uniform.

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.

The 31th state Senate District includes all of Bay, Lapeer, and Tuscola counties.