By: State Rep. Pauline Wendzel

On Wednesday at noon, representatives, along with their friends and family, convened at the Michigan State Capitol as the 103rd Legislature was sworn in and began its work on behalf of the people of Michigan.

In the coming days and weeks, members will receive their committee assignments, and House Republicans will begin keeping the promises we made to Michigan voters this past year—lowering the cost of daily life, keeping our communities safe, improving our economy, and holding the administration accountable.

Even before the official swearing-in on Wednesday, House Republicans were already hard at work holding government accountable and demanding answers from the DNR over an exposed plot to destroy Michigan’s forests and give public land to solar developers.

Recently, DNR leadership requested bids for a solar project on public lands, which was only brought to the attention of local officials and legislators through media reporting. The reporting uncovered that the DNR plans to bulldoze 400 acres of forest land, destroying habitats and killing wildlife, to make Democrats’ Green New Scam a reality for Michigan. This runs completely contrary to the mission of the DNR, which is to protect and manage our natural resources—not to engage in business with unknown companies and foreign technologies with very little history of success.

The report and demands for answers from Republican legislators have ignited a media firestorm, and the deal has not yet received final approval. Republicans and our forthcoming Oversight Committee will continue demanding accountability from the administration and ensuring that departments stay true to their mission.

I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the hardworking people of Southwest Michigan. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at 517-373-1799 or at PaulineWendzel@house.mi.gov.