The following year-end letter from Representative Bill G. Schuette was published in the Midland Daily News on Monday, Dec. 29:

The month of December and the end of 2025 marks the end of my third year representing the people of Midland and Gladwin counties in the Michigan House of Representatives.

I remain grateful to wake up and work every day in service to the people of Mid-Michigan. It is an honor to represent my hometown community and I am proud of the accomplishments the legislature was able to deliver this last year.

Those accomplishments start with a state budget that ensured value for the Michigan taxpayer dollar. After years of bloated budgets and wasteful spending, I worked with House Republicans to pass a budget that focuses on our priorities: public infrastructure, public education and public safety.

Focusing on those priorities meant there were more resources for important issues here in Mid-Michigan. Two of the largest infrastructure needs in our region, lowering costs of assessments for rebuilding the Four Lakes Dams and flood reduction infrastructure, received a total of $19.8 million in the state budget. Those are real results and investments in our region.

Placing the right priorities on our budget also means Michigan will allocate record levels of funding directly to our students in public schools. That means every local school district in Mid-Michigan: from Beaverton to Bullock Creek; Meridian to Midland will have large increases in resources to dedicate toward teaching our children to read, write and do math.

Our budget creates a public safety trust fund to ensure our brave women and men in law enforcement have the resources they need to keep us safe.

And finally, thanks to House Republican leadership we delivered $1.9 billion in road funding to finally fix those local roads.

We also started the year with our restaurant industry and small businesses across our state facing down a freight train with the planned elimination of the state’s tip credit and an unworkable sick time policy. As the Chair of the House Select Committee to Protect Michigan Employees and Small Businesses, we were able to deliver policy solutions that protect our restaurant workers’ hard-earned tips and ensure that employees and small business will have sick time and paid leave policies that work for them.

In a year where partisan gridlock limited the number of bills signed into law by the governor to a record low, I am proud to be the sponsor of PA 55 an important fix ensuring Michiganders receive their full allotment of the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program. As your State Representative, improving affordability and delivering real results for Michiganders are top priorities.

Going forward, I am focused on finding ways to lower the costs and burdens the government places on you. With my colleagues in the House, I am leading a bipartisan package of more than 50 bills that overhaul our state’s licensing, regulations and permitting processes so we can eliminate some of the expensive ways government gets in your way. We can do a lot to make life more affordable for you by cutting government red tape.

2025 gave Team Schuette another opportunity to serve thousands of 95^th District residents. We answered 6,000+ calls, emails and letters. We helped more than 500 constituents resolve issues with state departments, had 12 “Ask Bill G.” sessions in-person, online and on the phone and held 48 office hours in Midland and Gladwin Counties. In total, we communicated directly with constituents over 90,000 times.

Thank you to everyone who reached out or attended office hours this term, I hope you continue to do so in 2026!

It is an honor to serve Mid-Michigan in the State Legislature and I look forward to the year to come.

Please never hesitate to contact me or my office at [email protected] or 517-373-0152.

I hope you all have a Happy New Year.