State Rep. Brad Slagh, R-Zeeland, will hold office hours for local residents in Zeeland, Hudsonville and Jenison on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Rep. Slagh will be available at the following times and locations:
• 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Big Apple Bagel, 306 Baldwin St., Jenison
• Noon to 1 p.m. at Arrows Restaurant, 4225 32nd Ave., Hudsonville
• 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at The Farmhouse Restaurant, 430 Washington Ave., Zeeland
In addition to hearing from the people he represents, the representative said he looks forward to providing a legislative update about the beginning of the new term, including the first bills approved by the House. House Bills 4001 and 4002 address the needs of local job providers and their hardworking employees amid uncertainty surrounding Michigan’s tipped wage laws and sick leave policies.
Rep. Slagh voted in support of the measures, which received overwhelming, bipartisan support before advancing to the Senate.
“I’m passionate about finding a solution for our local restaurant workers and the small business owners who employ them,” Slagh said. “Their pleas for help have been too loud to ignore – but sadly they fell on deaf years last term. I’m glad to be able to cast my vote to show the people we are listening.”
Slagh has also reintroduced measures he sponsored last term that sat stagnant under the Legislature’s previous Democrat majority, including a bill to better protect private property owners against unauthorized trespassing on their land, and another to require cash be accepted as a form of payment for any toll roads and bridges in Michigan. Now that Republicans have regained control of the House, Slagh said he is hopeful that these measures will gain better traction this time around.
“These bills aren’t partisan in nature, but unfortunately they still did not get the attention they should have last term,” Slagh said. “These aren’t major, glamorous issues, but they’re important to the people I represent here in West Michigan who brought them to my attention. I’m committed to making their voices heard in Lansing.”
No appointments are necessary to attend office hours. Those unable to attend at these scheduled times but would still like an opportunity to talk with Rep. Slagh may call his office at (517) 373-0830 or email BradleySlagh@house.mi. gov.
Rep. Slagh will be available at the following times and locations:
• 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Big Apple Bagel, 306 Baldwin St., Jenison
• Noon to 1 p.m. at Arrows Restaurant, 4225 32nd Ave., Hudsonville
• 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at The Farmhouse Restaurant, 430 Washington Ave., Zeeland
In addition to hearing from the people he represents, the representative said he looks forward to providing a legislative update about the beginning of the new term, including the first bills approved by the House. House Bills 4001 and 4002 address the needs of local job providers and their hardworking employees amid uncertainty surrounding Michigan’s tipped wage laws and sick leave policies.
Rep. Slagh voted in support of the measures, which received overwhelming, bipartisan support before advancing to the Senate.
“I’m passionate about finding a solution for our local restaurant workers and the small business owners who employ them,” Slagh said. “Their pleas for help have been too loud to ignore – but sadly they fell on deaf years last term. I’m glad to be able to cast my vote to show the people we are listening.”
Slagh has also reintroduced measures he sponsored last term that sat stagnant under the Legislature’s previous Democrat majority, including a bill to better protect private property owners against unauthorized trespassing on their land, and another to require cash be accepted as a form of payment for any toll roads and bridges in Michigan. Now that Republicans have regained control of the House, Slagh said he is hopeful that these measures will gain better traction this time around.
“These bills aren’t partisan in nature, but unfortunately they still did not get the attention they should have last term,” Slagh said. “These aren’t major, glamorous issues, but they’re important to the people I represent here in West Michigan who brought them to my attention. I’m committed to making their voices heard in Lansing.”
No appointments are necessary to attend office hours. Those unable to attend at these scheduled times but would still like an opportunity to talk with Rep. Slagh may call his office at (517) 373-0830 or email BradleySlagh@house.mi. gov.
Whitmer Budget Won’t Fix Michigan Roads, Critics Say
By Jamie A. Hope
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Republican lawmakers are pushing back against a new budget that is on track to increase state spending by 47 percent since 2018 and contains no plan to fix the state’s roads.
Whitmer’s $83.5 billion proposal for the 2026 state budget adds $1 billion in spending to the current year’s total. That total is 47 percent higher than the $56.8 billion budget in 2018, the year before Whitmer took office.
Whitmer made fixing the roads a key part of her 2018 election campaign. Her next budget proposal does not contain any mechanism for achieving that goal.
The governor’s budget calls for spending increases, Rep. Donni Steele said in a press release, but it fails to address the road problem.
“The governor’s proposal includes a billion dollar increase to the state budget over last year, which includes 800 new state employees and no additional funding to fix local roads,” the Orion Township Republican said.
Spending on education is a key point of disagreement between Whitmer, a Democrat, and Republican legislators. Whitmer proposed increasing public school funding by $800 per pupil, with charter schools getting an $18 increase for each student.
“It’s outrageous and offensive that anyone would feel that charter school students are only worth about 2 percent of what other students are worth,” said Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, a charter school association, in an email to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
Government waste should be cut so that Michigan families, many of whom who are considering leaving the state, can get tax cuts, said Rep. Parker Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs.
“People across Michigan are struggling right now, yet the governor continues to propose increased government spending instead of returning those tax dollars to the people who earned them,” Fairbairn wrote in an email to CapCon.
Other Republican members of the House called the overall budget bloated, but the parties could find common ground, Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township, said in a statement.
“Some of the governor’s recommendations fall right in line with the priorities Republicans in the House have been highlighting,” Bollin wrote, “making life more affordable, making sure our kids receive a quality education, and making our communities safer.”
Bollin chairs the House Appropriations Committee.
The governor said that her budget plans will “lower costs and help Michiganders combat inflation, improving financial stability for residents.”
Lawmakers look forward to crafting the budget, according to Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“I look forward to working with Gov. Whitmer to build on our past successes, and I welcome Chair Bollin to the budget process with the hope that we will approach it with the same sense of integrity, fiscal responsibility, and commitment to delivering for every Michigander,” Anthony wrote in an email to CapCon.
The budget continues to provide taxpayer-funded meals for all K-12 students and cover some of the cost of tuition for college students.
This is the kind of excessive government spending that can lead to an inflation increase, said Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell.
“Excessive government spending, both state and federal, is a major cause of the inflation that has hurt families in Michigan and across the nation the past few years,” Albert said.
Michigan should pass a sustainable budget based on what the state collects and spends from its taxes and fees, said James Hohman, fiscal policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“Lawmakers should pass a sustainable Michigan budget and increase spending by no more than inflation plus the growth of the state population,” he told CapCon.
Hohman suggested the state spend a maximum of $48.5 billion in state funds. Whitmer’s 2026 budget recommends spending $48.1 billion.
—————
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Republican lawmakers are pushing back against a new budget that is on track to increase state spending by 47 percent since 2018 and contains no plan to fix the state’s roads.
Whitmer’s $83.5 billion proposal for the 2026 state budget adds $1 billion in spending to the current year’s total. That total is 47 percent higher than the $56.8 billion budget in 2018, the year before Whitmer took office.
Whitmer made fixing the roads a key part of her 2018 election campaign. Her next budget proposal does not contain any mechanism for achieving that goal.
The governor’s budget calls for spending increases, Rep. Donni Steele said in a press release, but it fails to address the road problem.
“The governor’s proposal includes a billion dollar increase to the state budget over last year, which includes 800 new state employees and no additional funding to fix local roads,” the Orion Township Republican said.
Spending on education is a key point of disagreement between Whitmer, a Democrat, and Republican legislators. Whitmer proposed increasing public school funding by $800 per pupil, with charter schools getting an $18 increase for each student.
“It’s outrageous and offensive that anyone would feel that charter school students are only worth about 2 percent of what other students are worth,” said Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, a charter school association, in an email to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
Government waste should be cut so that Michigan families, many of whom who are considering leaving the state, can get tax cuts, said Rep. Parker Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs.
“People across Michigan are struggling right now, yet the governor continues to propose increased government spending instead of returning those tax dollars to the people who earned them,” Fairbairn wrote in an email to CapCon.
Other Republican members of the House called the overall budget bloated, but the parties could find common ground, Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township, said in a statement.
“Some of the governor’s recommendations fall right in line with the priorities Republicans in the House have been highlighting,” Bollin wrote, “making life more affordable, making sure our kids receive a quality education, and making our communities safer.”
Bollin chairs the House Appropriations Committee.
The governor said that her budget plans will “lower costs and help Michiganders combat inflation, improving financial stability for residents.”
Lawmakers look forward to crafting the budget, according to Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“I look forward to working with Gov. Whitmer to build on our past successes, and I welcome Chair Bollin to the budget process with the hope that we will approach it with the same sense of integrity, fiscal responsibility, and commitment to delivering for every Michigander,” Anthony wrote in an email to CapCon.
The budget continues to provide taxpayer-funded meals for all K-12 students and cover some of the cost of tuition for college students.
This is the kind of excessive government spending that can lead to an inflation increase, said Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell.
“Excessive government spending, both state and federal, is a major cause of the inflation that has hurt families in Michigan and across the nation the past few years,” Albert said.
Michigan should pass a sustainable budget based on what the state collects and spends from its taxes and fees, said James Hohman, fiscal policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“Lawmakers should pass a sustainable Michigan budget and increase spending by no more than inflation plus the growth of the state population,” he told CapCon.
Hohman suggested the state spend a maximum of $48.5 billion in state funds. Whitmer’s 2026 budget recommends spending $48.1 billion.
—————
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
EGLE Plugs Up Leaking Wells in Ottawa County Lake
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Geologic Resources Management Division this past year tackled two leaking wells in an Ottawa County lake – only the second time they had encountered such a challenge in roughly 30 years.
Known as Van Single 1 and 2, the wells are located in the Bend Area Park, just north of Jenison. Both wells were drilled in 1940 to a depth of 1,750 feet. Van Single 1 operated as an oil well from 1940 to 1976 while the Van Single 2 was a dry hole and plugged immediately after drilling.
The wells were originally drilled in a lightly wooded area, but by the late 70’s, a gravel pit was dug around the wells, exposing the wells’ metal casing. When the gravel pit closed, the pit filled with water and has since become a quiet little lake owned by Ottawa County Parks. The only things marring the scenic spot were two well casings rising 15 feet out of the water like submarine periscopes.
In July of last year, GRMD’s orphan wells team mobilized drilling contractor Taplin Environ- mental, along with drilling subcontractor Excel Site Rentals to the complex offshore plugging project.
A boat launch was constructed at the lake and a barge system was delivered to begin the work. The barge had its own propulsion system so that it could motor out to the wells with a drilling rig and other necessary equipment on board.
Once the wells were cleaned out, they were re-cemented all the way to the surface and the exposed well casings were cut and capped just above the lake bottom. The plugging operation and site restoration activities were completed by the end of October.
With the well capping project completed the boat launch was removed, and all shoreline and upland disturbances were fully restored to the satisfaction of Ottawa County Parks.
If you visited Bend Area Park today, you would never guess that a pair of 85-year-old wells have been safely plugged and abandoned below the tranquil surface of the lake.
Known as Van Single 1 and 2, the wells are located in the Bend Area Park, just north of Jenison. Both wells were drilled in 1940 to a depth of 1,750 feet. Van Single 1 operated as an oil well from 1940 to 1976 while the Van Single 2 was a dry hole and plugged immediately after drilling.
The wells were originally drilled in a lightly wooded area, but by the late 70’s, a gravel pit was dug around the wells, exposing the wells’ metal casing. When the gravel pit closed, the pit filled with water and has since become a quiet little lake owned by Ottawa County Parks. The only things marring the scenic spot were two well casings rising 15 feet out of the water like submarine periscopes.
In July of last year, GRMD’s orphan wells team mobilized drilling contractor Taplin Environ- mental, along with drilling subcontractor Excel Site Rentals to the complex offshore plugging project.
A boat launch was constructed at the lake and a barge system was delivered to begin the work. The barge had its own propulsion system so that it could motor out to the wells with a drilling rig and other necessary equipment on board.
Once the wells were cleaned out, they were re-cemented all the way to the surface and the exposed well casings were cut and capped just above the lake bottom. The plugging operation and site restoration activities were completed by the end of October.
With the well capping project completed the boat launch was removed, and all shoreline and upland disturbances were fully restored to the satisfaction of Ottawa County Parks.
If you visited Bend Area Park today, you would never guess that a pair of 85-year-old wells have been safely plugged and abandoned below the tranquil surface of the lake.
Huizenga Credit Union Bill Passes U.S. House
The U.S. House of Representatives last week unanimously passed House Resolution 975, the Credit Union Board Modernization Act.
This bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., will bring federal regulations in line with state regulations for credit unions in good standing by allowing the credit union boards to meet every other month instead of monthly. Delivering this regulatory parity will improve the ability of credit unions to focus their resources on supporting economic activity and better serve both individuals and small businesses across Southwest Michigan.
“Credit unions play a critical role in helping local small businesses access credit while expanding economic opportunity for families across all walks of life,” said Huizenga, who is vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. “The Credit Union Board Modernization Act will go a long way in providing necessary regulatory relief for credit unions in Southwest Michigan and around the country. These commonsense reforms will allow federally chartered credit unions in good standing to be afforded the same, reasonable governance practices that already exist at the state level.”
“It’s time to change this outdated requirement to allow credit unions more flexibility,” said Vargas. “This legislation will help credit unions dedicate more time and resources to their true mission – providing quality financial services to our communities.”
The legislation goes on to the U.S. Senate.
This bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., will bring federal regulations in line with state regulations for credit unions in good standing by allowing the credit union boards to meet every other month instead of monthly. Delivering this regulatory parity will improve the ability of credit unions to focus their resources on supporting economic activity and better serve both individuals and small businesses across Southwest Michigan.
“Credit unions play a critical role in helping local small businesses access credit while expanding economic opportunity for families across all walks of life,” said Huizenga, who is vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. “The Credit Union Board Modernization Act will go a long way in providing necessary regulatory relief for credit unions in Southwest Michigan and around the country. These commonsense reforms will allow federally chartered credit unions in good standing to be afforded the same, reasonable governance practices that already exist at the state level.”
“It’s time to change this outdated requirement to allow credit unions more flexibility,” said Vargas. “This legislation will help credit unions dedicate more time and resources to their true mission – providing quality financial services to our communities.”
The legislation goes on to the U.S. Senate.
