Dear Friends,

To better serve the great people of West Michigan, I’m offering this e-newsletter on what’s happening in the 30th Senate District and across our state.

I encourage you to contact me with any state issues. You can call toll-free at 855-347-8030 or email [email protected]. Also, please check out my Facebook page. Let me know if I can assist you in any way or if you have an idea to help move our state forward.

Working for you,

Mark Huizenga
State Senator

As someone who has run several businesses and raised a family, I understand the importance of having a healthy economy and advancing pro-growth policies that build a more prosperous state.

Unfortunately, instead of prioritizing solutions that help hardworking families, the past legislative term ended with a historic 29-hour lame duck session where the majority rammed through a range of out-of-touch proposals that would only further increase the financial burden for West Michigan families.

Instead of addressing critical issues like protecting tipped workers or delivering a permanent road funding solution, Lansing Democrats introduced proposals increasing water rates, allowing the creation of toll roads and lanes in our state and adding further cost at the gas pumps with a 19-cent per gallon tax increase.

I look forward to working with the new House Republican majority in 2025 and focusing on the issues that matter most to hardworking West Michigan families. Click here or on the image below to see my remarks from the Senate floor regarding the end of the 2023-24 legislative term.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, providing jobs for thousands of hardworking Michiganders.

Starting on Feb. 21, restaurants and bars across West Michigan will face new regulations that phase out the tipped wage system, raising costs for business owners and customers while leaving servers with less money in their pockets.

As legislators, we have the ability to act and fix this problem before thousands of businesses are impacted and face financial uncertainty.

While I am tremendously disappointed that the Legislature failed to pass a solution last year, I will continue fighting to enact a plan that enables servers and bartenders to keep their tipped wage. I know that if we work together, we can achieve a solution that works for both workers and employers.

With a new year here, I want to thank the people of West Michigan for their continued efforts in making our region such an amazing place to live.

In 2025, let’s work hand in hand for the betterment of our community and renew our commitment to working toward a brighter future for all. From my family to yours, I wish you a wonderful new year filled with hope, prosperity and togetherness.

Click here or on the image below to see a video I recorded about the new year.

Like many of you, I was saddened to hear that Jody’s Restaurant decided to close in December after serving the people of Rockford for 44 years.

My office was honored to present a tribute to owner Don Mendham, thanking him for being a valued member of the community and celebrating his well-deserved retirement.

Do you have a stack of old yearbooks collecting dust? The Library of Michigan would like to take them off your hands.

The library is accepting yearbooks as part of an initiative to preserve complete sets of yearbooks from every high school, college, university and vocational institution in Michigan.

Yearbooks offer a unique snapshot of history and are a valuable resource for tracing family histories, local communities and Michigan's evolution over time. While the library already has thousands of yearbooks in its collection, several areas of the state are not yet represented.

Schools, libraries and members of the public are invited to donate their yearbooks to the Library of Michigan. Those who wish to donate are asked to contact the library by calling 517-335-1477 or emailing [email protected] to ensure the yearbooks they have are not already in the collection.

With 103 state parks and recreation areas, Michigan offers endless opportunities for outdoor activities year-round. From downhill skiing and cross-country skiing to snowboarding, snowshoeing and winter hiking, it is never too late to try something new this winter.

Most state parks and recreation areas are open for winter hiking, and many also offer cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Many state parks also have designated snowmobile areas. There’s even a luge run at Muskegon State Park!

Use the DNR Recreation Search tool to find the perfect park for your favorite winter activities. Filters can be used to search for amenities, activities, parking, accessibility, and more.

Michigan’s state parks system is largely state-funded. Funds raised through the sale of the Recreation Passport go directly back into maintaining and improving the outdoor spaces we all love and protecting natural resources for future generations. A Recreation Passport can be purchased through the secretary of state when registering your license plate or upon visiting a state park.

Michigan is home to more than 51 ski and snowboarding areas, over 260 lifts and nearly 1,000 ski runs scattered from southeast Michigan to the farthest reaches of the Upper Peninsula. The Keweenaw Peninsula receives an average of 300 inches of snow per year, making it an ideal destination for winter sports.

Advanced skiers will want to try one of the three world-renowned ski jumps located in Negaunee, Iron Mountain and Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula. These jumps have held dozens of ski jump records throughout the years. Beginners can hit the bunny slopes at family-friendly locations in the lower peninsula.

Visit Michigan.org for winter sports and activities, including a comprehensive guide to skiing in Michigan.

Serving the people of West Michigan is very important to me and I encourage you to contact me with any state issues. You may contact me by calling toll-free 1-855-347-8030 or emailing [email protected].

I look forward to serving you, and I encourage you to contact me if I can assist you in any way or if you have an idea to help move our state forward.