State Rep. Franz reflects on 2015.

Rep. Ray Franz

A letter to the editor by State Rep. Ray Franz (Republican-Onekama), 101st House District. 

I would like to thank my family, friends and all those living in the 101^st House District for their sincere support over the past year. I have been blessed with the opportunity of serving in the Michigan House of Representatives for nearly five years now and I am truly privileged to be your elected state Representative.

2015 was an unforgettable year for Michigan. Some great things happened in our state and some unfortunate events occurred as well. That is life. We take the good with the bad and we carry on. I would like to spend some time talking about the achievements we have made to move Michigan forward in the Legislature this past year.

The docket on the House floor was nothing short of eventful, and as chair of the House Regulatory Reform Committee, I had a steady stream of bills pour in and they varied in all shapes and sizes. With the co-sponsorship and support of my colleagues, the House successfully passed legislation to allow rural convenience stores in Michigan to legally sell beer, wine and gas to consumers. We also amended the Michigan Liquor Control Code to remove the prior ban on prorated license and transfer fees for businesses, to therefore, allow the proration of quarterly fees for those business licensees.

Supporting our veterans, and those currently serving in our military, is an issue that I hold near and dear to my heart. I strongly support legislation that will smooth the transition from active military duty to everyday civilian life. Returning home from war is no easy task and I supported a bill that will ensure veterans with disabilities, visible or not, be permitted to enter a public or private establishment with their service dog. Service dogs offer a warm companionship that is of tremendous value to our veterans struggling with disabilities and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the brave men and women serving our great country today and thank you for protecting our freedoms. We are eternally grateful and proud of your loyal service to the state of Michigan and this country. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost a service member or local hero this year. We will always honor and remember those who have died protecting our community and defending our country.

When personal privacy concerns arose in regards to anonymity for Michigan lottery winners, I sponsored a bill to amend the current Lottery Act, preserving the lottery winner’s individual right to privacy by allowing them the option to be publically identified by the Michigan Lottery Commission.

I wish you all health and happiness in 2016 and look forward to serving you another year as your state representative.