As one of its first actions of the 2025-26 legislative session, the Michigan House passed bipartisan legislation to save the state’s tip credit system and protect thousands of hospitality industry jobs.

The votes follow a Michigan Supreme Court ruling mandating changes to minimum wage laws and the elimination of the tipped credit system relied upon by hospitality employees. Without legislative action, these changes will take effect on Feb. 21 and have devastating impacts on small business owners and their employees.

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By Sen. Michele Hoitenga
36th Senate District

Politicians have lost sight of basic governing, and it comes at a tremendous cost for families and communities.

The primary role of government is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens — a goal best achieved through responsible governing and prioritizing budgets that allocate funds to essential services like infrastructure and public safety.

Strong infrastructure — including roads, bridges, clean drinking water and reliable waste systems — is vital for everyday living and economic growth, while effective public safety and first responder systems are key to maintaining order and safeguarding citizens.

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Bipartisan legislation restores forest health, increases resiliency to catastrophic wildfires, and protects communities in AZ-02

This week, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, a bill supported by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), which would improve the health and resiliency of America’s forests.

The legislation was supported by every House Republican and 64 House Democrats.

More than 117 million acres of forests in the United States are overgrown, prone to fires, and in need of active management. The bill would enable expedited approvals for vegetation management, directly benefiting the safety of communities in rural Arizona.

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Last week, Representative Jack Bergman penned a letter to United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, citing a recent decision which adversely impacts the mail processing for the Iron Mountain VA. In his letter, Rep. Bergman demanded answers for why the location’s outbound mail is now being routed to the USPS Processing and Distribution Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, instead of the Green Bay center, as had previously been the case.

Bergman underscored the potential consequences for such a lapse in communication from the USPS, “This lack of communication from your agency is entirely unacceptable, particularly when an operational change of this nature – affecting the delivery process for prescriptions – could have significant impacts on the health and well being of Veterans in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin.”

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In one of his first executive actions of his new administration, President Donald Trump ended the electric vehicle mandate instituted by the previous administration. The rules instituted by the former administration would require two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the United States to be electric by the year 2032.

"The electric vehicle mandate hurt our automakers and made them become more dependent on the Chinese Communist Party, which dominates the EV supply chain. President Trump’s decision to end the EV mandate will help Michigan and give our auto companies the time they need to innovate and create the best technology. It also means Michigan families won’t be pushed toward electric vehicles and will be able to choose the vehicle that best fits their needs," said Congressman John Moolenaar.   more...

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew celebrated President Trump's day-one executive order which immediately halted offshore wind leasing and permitting. The order also lays the legal groundwork to permanently terminate these projects by directing the Department of the Interior (DOI) to review existing leases and examine their ecological, economic, and environmental impact.

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