Updates About Appropriations

On March 8, Governor Whitmer signed a $1.3 billion supplemental appropriations bill that funds economic development incentives for Ford to build a new electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, recruitment and retention dollars for healthcare workers, and funding for community violence intervention grants. Specifically, the following were included:

• $630 million for Ford Motor Company’s new EV battery plant to be built in Marshall, MI
• $75 million to support health care recruitment and retention programs
• $67 million to support long term care workforce recruitment and retention programs
• $63.5 million to increase long term care reimbursement rates
• $10.8 million to establish and office of community violence intervention services
• $60 million for a competitive grant program to provide grants to community centers
• $170 million to deposit in the state’s Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund (SOAR)
• $25 million to deposit in the Water Shutoff Prevention Fund
• $212 for energy efficiency updates completed by homeowners/landlords

On September 28, one of the final session days ahead of the November 8 election, the Michigan State Legislature finalized a $1 billion supplemental appropriation bill, most of which would additional funding to the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund for various economic development projects.

In light of the negotiations, Representative Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) announced during the House Appropriations committee meeting that he would be resigning as chair due to his concerns with approving additional spending. Albert, who again addressed the chamber during his no-vote explanation, said he could not support the spending during a “period of economic uncertainty”. Representative Mary Whiteford (R-Casco Township) will serve as the Appropriations Chair for the remainder of the 2021-22 legislative session.

Following an agreement struck between the Whitmer administration, local clerks and lawmakers, the Michigan State Legislature also took up a package of bills related to election security and preprocessing of absentee ballots. All bills in the package passed out of both chambers and now head to the desk of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. House Bill 4491 would allow county clerks to remove deceased individuals from the qualified voter file as well as allow absentee ballot preprocessing up to two days before the election. Currently, Michigan only allows preprocessing 24 hours prior to an election and only in municipalities of at least 1,500 voters. House Bill 6071 would increase access to polling locations. Senate Bill 8 defines “verified electronic signature” for military personnel, while SB 311 allows the electronic return of ballots for military voters.

The legislation is expected to be signed into law and be in effect for the upcoming November general election.

On Friday, June 10, Governor Whitmer signed House Bill 6012, legislation to, among other things, provide supplemental appropriations to Oxford High School following the devastating shooting that occurred on November 30, 2021.

Sponsored by Representative Pamela Hornberger (R-Chesterfield), a former public-school teacher, the funding aims to implement risk assessments to identify campus safety and determine where further investments are needed as well as ensure emergency plans and protocols are effective. A total of $14 million will be awarded to all schools for $2000 grants to complete comprehensive safety and security assessments. The bill also provides direct funding to Oxford Community Schools to hire mental health professionals, enhance security, and other student supports.