Senator Wayne Schmidt

Photo caption: State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, testifies on Senate Bill 80 before the House Committee on Judiciary. Pictured from left to right are Shannon Kochis, John Collins and Mary Jo Pomeroy, friends and relatives of Billy Kochis, the namesake of Schmidt's legislation.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, listens as Sault Ste. Marie City Manager Oliver Turner provides testimony on House Bill 4892 before the Senate Committee on Elections and Government Reform.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, joined area residents, business owners, and tourists on Friday at the annual Traverse City Sidewalk Sale. The annual sale is an opportunity for locals and tourists alike to purchase and promote many made-in-Michigan products.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, (standing, left) on Tuesday attended the governor's ceremonial bill signing of Senate Bill 102, Schmidt's legislation to allow certain personal property to be transferred to community foundations.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed World War II veteran Leonard Robinson and his family to the state Capitol on Thursday for the Michigan Senate's 23rd Annual Memorial Day Service, which honored members of the military from Michigan who died within the past year. Robinson is also the grandfather of Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (Navy SEAL) Heath Robinson, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Pictured from left: Heath's father Dan Robinson, Dan's wife Kathy Archer, Helen Robinson, Leonard Robinson and Schmidt.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, and Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, welcomed board members and staff from Michigan Community Action (MCA) to the Capitol on Tuesday after the Senate approved Stamas' and Schmidt's resolution to declare May 2017 as Community Action Agency Month. Pictured from left: Schmidt, Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency Executive Director Lisa Bolen, Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency Executive Director John Stephenson, Mid Michigan Community Action Executive Director Jill Sutton, and Stamas.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, (second right) presents a special tribute for the Douglas House at the state Capitol on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed fourth-grade students from Wolverine Elementary School to the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday. Schmidt talked with the students in the Senate chamber about the state's representative form of government and answered their questions.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, listens as former Michigan State Police Director of Forensic Science, and cousin of Billy Kochis, John Collins, testifies in support of Senate Bill 80 before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The bill would help empower law enforcement by closing a loophole that prevents them from administering drug tests or from obtaining drug test results on at-fault motorists in traffic accidents that lead to serious injury or death.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, (left) welcomed Pastor Steve Habusta from the Sault Ste. Marie E-Free Church to the Senate Tuesday morning to offer the invocation.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, pictured left, welcomed Carlin Smith, president of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, to Gov. Rick Snyder's 2017 State of the State address Tuesday night. Smith joined Schmidt on the floor of the House of Representatives for the speech.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt was honored as 2016 Legislator of the Year by the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. Pictured are, from left, Michigan Fraternal Order of Police Treasurer Ken Willis; Vice President Mike Sauger; Schmidt; President Joe Adams; Executive Director Dave Hiller; and Director of Labor Services Dave Willis.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, joined Gov. Rick Snyder, Michigan Sheriffs' Association CEO and Executive Director Terrence Jungel, and Katie Sherwood, widow of fallen Clare County Deputy Kevin Sherwood, who died 10 years ago while on duty, at a ceremonial bill signing on Tuesday. Schmidt's legislation, now law, provides health care benefits for the surviving spouse and dependents of officers who die in the line of duty.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, (left) is presented the 2016 Michigan Sheriffs' Association Legislator of the Year Award by association CEO and Executive Director Terrence Jungel on Sunday, Oct. 16.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, (second, left) and Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, (second, right) pose for a photo with I-500 race Chairman Ric Federau (right) and Dave Thomas, from mBank in Sault Ste. Marie (left), during a ceremony at the state Capitol celebrating the groundbreaking of a new, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose building project at the Sault Ste. Marie race site. Schmidt was presented with a shovel used during the August ground breaking.

A cargo ship passes through the Poe Lock in Ste. Sault Marie, the only one of the four Soo Locks large enough to accommodate the modern vessels that commonly traverse the Great Lakes.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed Major General Clark W. LeMasters, Jr. as his guest for the Senate's 22nd Annual Memorial Day Service. LeMasters is the commanding general of the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed, from left, State Police Troopers Matthew Williams and Sgt. Timothy Fitzgerald, Michigan Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Karole White, and Government Relations Manager Elena Palombo, to the Senate on Thursday, May 19.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed, from left, State Police Troopers Matthew Williams and Sgt. Timothy Fitzgerald, Michigan Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Karole White, and Government Relations Manager Elena Palombo, to the Senate on Thursday, May 19.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed the 2015-2016 National Cherry Queen Danielle Bott to the Senate on Wednesday. Bott, of Kingsley, crowned last summer during the National Cherry Festival, was in Lansing for the 12th Annual Ag Day at the Capitol. Pictured are, from left, Schmidt, Bott, and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed the 2015-2016 National Cherry Queen Danielle Bott to the Senate on Wednesday. Bott, of Kingsley, was crowned last summer during the National Cherry Festival, was in Lansing for the 12th Annual Ag Day at the Capitol. Pictured are, from left, Sen. Goeff Hansen, R-Hart; Schmidt; Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart; Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; and Bott.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed the 2015-2016 National Cherry Queen Danielle Bott to the Senate on Wednesday. Bott, of Kingsley, crowned last summer during the National Cherry Festival, was in Lansing for the 12th Annual Ag Day at the Capitol.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt stands before the Senate rostrum with Lake Carriers Association President James Weakley (left). Weakley joined Schmidt for Gov. Rick Snyder's sixth State of the State address Tuesday night.

Members of the Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Economic Development and International Investment committees on hear testimony on Senate Resolution 105 at a joint committee hearing at Lake Superior State University on Monday, Nov. 2. The resolution encourages the federal government to support plans to upgrade the Soo Locks.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt with the 2015 Michigan Manufacturers Association Legislator of the Year Award.

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed Dwight Bucko Teeple, who is Pipe Carrier of the Bay Mills Indian Community to lead the Senate invocation on Thursday. Teeple and members from 12 Native American tribes were in Lansing for Michigan Indian Day. Pictured are, from left, Schmidt, Teeple and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley

Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, helps make fudge at JoAnn's Fudge Shop in Mackinaw City. The shop was the final stop on Sen. Jim Stamas' two-day 2015 Heritage Route 23 tour.

Photo caption: Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, and guests, Brian Lesperance of the Fenn Valley winery (center) and Marie-Chantal Dalese of the Chateau Chantal winery (right) testified before the Senate Commerce Committee in support of Senate Bills 369-70, which would help Michigan wineries by clarifying the companies' sales and use tax industrial processing exemption.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, visited with Jeff Gardner and staff from North Central Community College and Northern Lakes Economic Alliance during an event at the state Capitol on Wednesday to promote the groups' Fab Lab initiative. Fab Lab is a state-of-the-art mobile training classroom designed to help prepare students for high-tech computer numerical controlled (CNC) machining careers.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt poses for a photo with the 2015 Michigan High School Athletic Association Class D state champion girls basketball team from St. Ignace La Salle High School. Schmidt honored the team with a special tribute during Senate session on Thursday, April 23, 2015.

Katy Sherwood, widow of Clare County Deputy Kevin Sherwood, testifies in support of Senate Bill 218, which would guarantee health care benefits for the surviving spouse and dependents of officers who die in the line of duty. Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, who sponsored the bill, is pictured left.

Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wrigglesworth testifies in support of Senate Bill 218, which would guarantee health care benefits for the surviving spouse and dependents of officers who die in the line of duty. Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, who sponsored the bill, is pictured right.

Shannon Kochis speaks in support of Billy's Law, Senate Bill 153, sponsored by state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City (pictured left) at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.

Mary Jo Pomeroy speaks in support of Billy's Law, Senate Bill 153, sponsored by state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City (pictured left) at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, welcomed Bonnie Alfonso, president and CEO of Alfie Logo Gear and chairwoman of the board of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM), to Wednesday's committee hearing. Alfonso, who is from Traverse City, was on hand as SBAM staff testified before the committee on Michigan's economic climate, entrepreneurialism and workforce development.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, stands at his desk in the Senate chamber with Lake Superior State University President Dr. Thomas Plager (left). Plager joined Schmidt for Gov. Rick Snyder's fifth State of the State address Tuesday night.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, stands at his desk in the Senate chamber with Captain Sean M. Cross, commanding officer for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Air Station Traverse City (middle), and Commander Shad S. Soldano, executive officer - USCG Air Station Traverse City (right). The guardsmen joined Schmidt for Gov. Rick Snyder's fifth State of the State address Tuesday night.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, (second from left) poses for a photo with his family after being sworn in by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young (far left).