Holland Rep. understands small business

Bill Huizenga

Name: Bill Huizenga
Position: State Representative
District: 90th (Holland, Zeeland and
surrounding areas)
Political Party: Republican
Committees: Energy & Technology
(Vice Chair), Commerce, Transportation,
Employment Relations.

Background: Rep. Huizenga received a BA in political science from Calvin College in 1992. After several years in real estate development, Huizenga was director of public policy for U. S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra for six years. He is also co-owner of Huizenga Gravel Co. in Jenison.

Huizenga has been involved in numerous organizations, including Right to Life of Michigan, the Michigan Rural Health Association, Habitat for Humanity and Compass Arts. The West Michigan chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association presented him with its “Advocate of the Year” award in 2000, and he served on the board of directors for the Vanderbilt Public School Academy from 1998 to 2001.

Q. How did you get involved in politics?
A. I was involved in politics before I could vote. My father was a longtime city council member in Zeeland and county commissioner in Ottawa County. Community involvement is a family tradition.

While in college, I volunteered for several state representatives and Gov. John Engler’s first gubernatorial campaign.

After college, I was working in real estate when the opportunity arose to work for (U.S.) Rep. Pete Hoekstra. My six years with Congressman Hoeskstra were a great opportunity. I was his eyes and ears in the district.

In that time I built a lot of relationships, learned a lot about the district and the issues that concern the people in the 10-county area I worked. That experience was extremely valuable, and this job was a natural progression out of that work.

Q. Tell us about your business background.
A. Being in business for oneself is another part of our family tradition. My father was a longtime owner of Huizenga Gravel Co., of which I am now a co-owner. In college, my dad and I started up a real estate development firm, and I worked as a licensed Realtor as well.

Growing up in a family with a small business shapes your work ethic, how you deal with people and your relationships. It makes you more sensitive to their needs.

Q. How do you view the issue of item pricing?
A. I fully understand the impact that this issue has on retailers. I’ve been working with Rep. [Craig] DeRoche (R-Novi) on it and I’m prepared to back up retailers.

I think some interesting things can be done with it. Michigan is lagging behind other states—most have done away with archaic item pricing laws. It’s time for us to pull that constraint off business.

Q. What are your thoughts about sales tax fairness and the Streamlined Sales Tax Initiative?
A. This is a fairness issue.

Right now, remote sellers have a 6 percent sales tax advantage, and then when free shipping is thrown in, as many online retailers are doing, traditional Michigan merchants will lose even more sales.

I’m conscientious—I pay my sales tax on remote sales at tax time. But as it stands now, taxpayers are expected to figure it out, and many consumers aren’t even aware of it.

First, we have to educate the consumers that they are supposed to pay these taxes, and secondly, we need to put into place a system that ensures the collection of those taxes.

Q. DTE and Consumers Energy want to open up PA 141 in order to rescind the Electric Choice program. The program has saved 15 to 20 percent for small businesses in our state, many of which have just started to take advantage of the program. Are you in favor of this plan?
A. There are many competing interests, of course. The recent blackout showed us the vulnerabilities in the utilities system and its infrastructure. Utilities need to make a reasonable profit to plow money back into infrastructure.

At the same time, competition is good—it’s good for retail, but also for utility providers. I want to make sure that we’re being reasonable, and that the utilities can have a stable expectation of the future, because the decisions they make are long-term and very capital intensive. There’s a far-reaching impact to those decisions.

Q. Tell us about your philosophy of the relationship between business and government.
A. Government has just got to get out of the way of small business. The small business owner has enough things to worry about: price, employees, the marketplace, the competition.

When government insists on more paperwork or another inspection, it’s as though it is saying, “we’re not sure we trust you.” Obviously, we have to stop potential abuses. But this assumption of guilt is not healthy either.

Most retailers, like other people, are just trying to put food on their families’ tables, trying to provide jobs. Often, small businesses provide entry-level jobs, the kind that show young people how to work and develop a work ethic.

Government interference hinders employers’ efforts to provide these valuable jobs. We need to make sure we don’t make things harder for folks.

Q. You support the new economic stimulus plan recently announced by House Republicans. Tell us about the part of the plan that involves tax incentives for new businesses.
A. It would exempt new startups from taxes for two years, and then phase in taxes over the next four years. Some would argue that the state can’t afford to give these tax breaks. But this is money we currently don’t have anyway.

It may even mean that we’ll gain tax money, from payroll tax and income tax. If the plan adds two jobs or 200, it would be a positive step for the state. Then as the exemption runs out, and the new business is on its feet, we get the full benefit of their taxes.

Q. What has been the high point of your legislative career? Of what are you most proud?
A. It was a huge honor being elected by my colleagues to be assistant floor leader, and I take the responsibility very seriously.

I’m proud of my work to build consensus. I’ve tried hard to build relationships across party lines and within my caucus. Despite philosophical and operational differences, I’ve been fortunate to put together some tough bills by building consensus.