WEEKLY UPDATE OCTOBER 30, 2009

UPDATE -- October 30, 2009

FYI Notes

Tributes and Congratulatory Notes

Looking for a unique way to commemorate a special occasion for a co-worker, friend or family member? My office is pleased to offer legislative tributes in honor of a number of noteworthy events such as retirement, anniversaries of businesses in our community, awards and public recognitions. To request an official state of Michigan tribute from my office, please visit http://www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm, select "Recommend someone for a congratulatory certificate" and fill out the request form.

Coming to Lansing?

As House Republican Leader, I frequently receive invitations to legislative conferences and events. Please know my priority is you. If you plan to visit Lansing for a conference or meeting, please contact my office in advance so I can make every effort to meet with you while you are in town.

Stay in Contact

Mail: P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
E-mail: kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov
Toll-Free: 1-877-536-4105
Phone: (517) 373-0829
Fax: (517) 373-1841

Website: www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm

Blog: http://staterepkevinelsenheimer.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/teamkevin

Budget Update

Governor Granholm signed the remaining budgets for the Fiscal Year 2010. In doing so, she retained the Michigan State Agricultural Extension and Experiment Station. Funding for this was part of the balanced, bipartisan, and bicameral agreement adopted earlier this month by the House and Senate.

Earlier this week, the Senate overwhelmingly defeated a measure to tax physicians in Michigan by a 32-4 vote. The bill had narrowly passed the House (Rep. Elsenheimer opposed the bill).

House Republicans are working on reforms to state government that will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Some of these reforms were previously in our Budget Plan, which can be accessed by going to www.gophouse.com/plan . Please stay tuned to future updates.

Mullet Lake Fishing Ban

State Sen. Jason Allen and Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer are pleased that the Department of Natural Resources will attend a Nov. 7 public meeting on proposed special fishing regulations for Mullet Lake so local residents have the opportunity to voice their opinions on a proposed order that eliminates recreational walleye fishing.

The Natural Resources Commission is set to consider the special fishing regulation at its Nov. 5 meeting, with possible approval as soon as Dec. 3. The change is being recommended because the Little Traverse and Soo tribes have requested an increase in their 2010 walleye harvest from the lake under a 2007 Inland Consent Decree.

“The loss of this fishery to the general public would be a tremendous blow to area recreation opportunities and the local economy,” said Allen, R-Traverse City. “DNR officials have to reach out to all anglers and users of Mullet Lake to see if an acceptable, reasonable agreement can be reached.”

There will be a public meeting with the DNR will be at the Tuscorora Township Hall in Indian River at 2 p.m. Another meeting for concerned residents was expected to be held Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the Ocqueoc Township Hall in Millersburg.

People interested in submitting official comments about the proposed Mullet Lake walleye regulation can send their written statements to the NRC at P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, Michigan 48909, or by e-mail at glodent@michigan.gov.

Earlier this month the DNR staff submitted a recommendation that the recreational walleye limit for Mullet Lake in Cheboygan County be set at zero because it does not believe the lake can sustain an ongoing walleye population alongside the tribes’ increased harvest.

This week Allen and Elsenheimer sent a letter to Director Rebecca Humphries requesting public hearings in the Mullet Lake area regarding her order #FO-206 as soon as possible. Both legislators also have been in contact with DNR staff regarding scheduling additional public hearings in the area.

“This proposal locks one group of residents out of the resource while giving special treatment to another, which is reprehensible, and then there’s the concern of the damage to the local economy that rely on the draw of Mullet Lake as a walleye fishing destination,” said Elsenheimer, R-Kewadin. “There has to be another approach the DNR can take that doesn’t just leave one segment of the population high and dry, and we’re pleased the DNR has recognized that the people deserve to have a public forum with the department director and her staff.”

The directive for lakes with special regulations covers a five-year period beginning next year, but does indicate the zero walleye limit regulation for Mullet Lake will be re-evaluated at the end of the 2010 fishing season.

Changes to Beaver Trapping

Trappers May Use Snares to Take Beaver

As beaver trapping season progresses, the Department of Natural Resources reminds participants that the use of snares is legal during the entire season.

According to the 2009 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide, snares may be used for taking beaver Dec. 1 through March 31. That information is incorrect. Snares may now be used throughout the season.

All additional information concerning cable sizes and allowable sets in the guide are correct.

Halloween Event

Onaway State Park is inviting all families, campers and park visitors to celebrate fall season with a fun spooky evening on Friday, Oct. 30, from 6 until 9 p.m.

Park staff will be telling ghost stories around the campfire in the historic Onaway State Park pavilion. Visitors are invited to share a spooky story while enjoying a warm bon fire, apple cider, donuts and the camaraderie of fellow outdoor enthusiasts.

Campers are reminded that camping and the Shoreview Camper Cabin are still available at Onaway State Park through Nov. 30 this season. Camping reservations can be made online at http://www.midnrreservations.com or by calling the DNR central reservation system at 800-447-2757.

Onaway State park is located at 3622 North M211, Onaway in Presque Isle County. For more information about the park, camper cabin, accessibility, or persons needing accommodations to attend this event, contact the park supervisor at (989) 785-4388 (or TTY/TDD 711 Michigan Relay Center for the hearing impaired), or visit the Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/onaway.

All motor vehicles entering a state park or recreation area must display a Motor Vehicle Permit, available for purchase at the park entrance. Cost is $24 for a resident annual and $6 for a resident daily. A nonresident annual is $29 and a nonresident daily is $8.

For a listing of other events taking place at Michigan state parks and recreation areas visit the GO-Get Outdoors Calendar at http://www.michigan.gov/dnrgogetoutdoors.

WEEKLY UPDATE

UPDATE -- October 2, 2009

Tributes and Congratulatory Notes

Looking for a unique way to commemorate a special occasion for a co-worker, friend or family member? My office is pleased to offer legislative tributes in honor of a number of noteworthy events such as retirement, anniversaries of businesses in our community, awards and public recognitions. To request an official state of Michigan tribute from my office, please visit www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm, select "Recommend someone for a congratulatory certificate" and fill out the request form.

Coming to Lansing?

As House Republican Leader, I receive invitations to countless legislative conferences and events. Please know my priority is you. If you plan to visit Lansing for a conference or meeting, please contact my office in advance so I can make every effort to meet with you while you are in town.

Stay in Contact

Mail: P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
E-mail: kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov
Toll-Free: 1-877-536-4105
Phone: (517) 373-0829
Fax: (517) 373-1841

Website: www.gophouse.com/elsenheimer.htm

Blog: http://staterepkevinelsenheimer.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/teamkevin

Budget Update

As you may know, the state government shut down for 107 minutes this past Wednesday as we were unable to reach a budget agreement or pass a continuation budget. Shortly after midnight, we did pass a budget for October and Governor Granholm signed it into law.

House Republicans were sincere in July when we proposed and published our plan to balance the budget without raising taxes on Michigan families and job providers. We believed then, as we do now, it is the best way to strengthen our floundering economy and move Michigan forward. There is plenty of blame to go around in the legislature and no one should feel that they have captured the moral high ground.

However, fourteen of the fifteen budgets were passed by the Legislature. Many of these budgets were passed with Republican votes in the House to meet the agreement spelled out by House Speaker Andy Dillon and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop.

There is still plenty of work to do. We have not completed the K-12 School Aid Budget yet and negotiations are ongoing.

You may be interested in an article published by the Lansing State Journal which highlights some of the changes the budgets make:

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090930/NEWS04/309300025

No New Taxes, More Reforms

Discussions among Democrats are already beginning on new taxes and fees to further hurt Michigan families and businesses. Some taxes being considered are on healthcare, satellite television service, bottled water and fast food.

I am opposed to any new taxes on Michigan's citizens and businesses. We are losing thousands of jobs and Michigan family budgets have declined by almost $10,000 this decade. We passed budgets that reflected these decreases in your income by reducing spending in the state's checkbook.

Without a doubt these cuts were hard choices to make, and now we must continue to live within our means. But that doesn't mean the discussion should end there.

I've had countless ideas to reform and reduce waste in state government sent to me by the people of northern Michigan. I, along with my colleagues, will be proposing reforms in the coming weeks to streamline how our government operates. These reforms will help resize the state's checkbook and save money so that we can focus on the programs that are critical to our success without taking more of your money.

If you have additional suggestions to reduce waste or reform government, please feel free to contact me. You can see some of our ideas in our budget plan, available here: www.gophouse.com/plan

Agriculture Data

Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Don Koivisto unveiled a set of food and agricultural county profiles for each of Michigan’s 83 counties and nine agricultural regions. The profiles highlight the diversity of Michigan agriculture, the economic impacts of the agri-food industry from a systemic view including food processing and distribution. The profiles also include information on current food and agricultural trends like locally produced and organic foods.

“These county profiles can be used by policymakers and private sector partners looking for opportunities to bolster the already successful food and agriculture industries in Michigan,” said Koivisto. “As the state’s second-leading industry, there are numerous entrepreneurial prospects and expansion possibilities for the state’s established agri-food businesses to create new jobs and economic growth in Michigan.”

Michigan produces more than 200 commodities and is second in the nation in terms of agricultural diversity. For example, the thumb area is number one in the state for dry beans and edible grain production, while western Michigan is tops for fruit and vegetable production. The majority of the state’s livestock producers are located in central Michigan.

When combined, the state’s 10 million acres of farmland, 1,000 licensed food processors, and more than 50,000 retail and food service establishments, Michigan’s food and agricultural systems are a potent economic driver and jobs provider.

“With the recent increase in consumer demand for local food and ag products, these profiles are a tremendous marketing tool for municipalities,” said Koivisto. “Agriculture has long been the state’s economic workhorse and MDA is proud to be able to help communities identify and capitalize on additional opportunities to unlock its economic potential.”

The profiles combine data drawn from USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) 2007 Census of Agriculture and other public sources. The county and region profiles also contain food processing and distribution data, and information about local sources of food such as farmers markets and food banks.

For a complete listing of the county profiles, visit www.michigan.gov/mda. For additional information, visit USDA-NASS at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Michigan/Publications/Charts_and_Maps/Census/index.asp