Congress recently sent state lawmakers a giant pot of money and now it’s up to them to figure out what to do with it.

Just a few weeks ago, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which earmarked $5.7 billion in lightly restricted funds to the state of Michigan for lawmakers to spend between now and the end of 2024.

That’s a lot of money.

So it won’t surprise you when I tell you that every special interest group on the books – and certainly soon a batch of new ones – has their hand out in Lansing.

We’re encouraging lawmakers to do something a little different. We’re asking them to be patient, to be cautious, and to be thoughtful.

The Michigan Freedom Fund at the end of March cosigned and delivered to the legislature and Governor Whitmer a letter outlining five principles we hope they’ll consider as they weigh how to spend $5.7 billion new one-time dollars.

You can read the letter yourself at this link.

We’re asking them to consider each spending item carefully. We’re encouraging them to refuse to undermine previous policy decision. We’re urging them to address Michigan’s long-term financial picture and to consider paying off debt.

We trust they’ll make wise decisions.

Sincerely,


Tony Daunt
Executive Director
Michigan Freedom Fund

Deadline Detroit: Detroit Councilman Gabe Leland’s Criminal Case Nears an End

“Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland, who his facing a felony charge of misconduct in office for allegedly accepting a campaign contribution in cash, is scheduled to appear in Wayne County Circuit Court on Monday, April 19. He’s expected to plead guilty in the case.”

Capitol Confidential: State’s Private Sector Workers Lost Income in 2020; Public Sector, Not So Much

“For all the new debt-funded largesse, there has been little attention paid to whether municipal governments actually need extra money. But payroll records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests suggest that state and local government employees may have been a protected class throughout the pandemic.”

Detroit News: Finley: State Too Messed Up to Spend COVID Windfall

“Twice lawmakers have sent Whitmer bills to spend $652 million of the original money to aid small businesses, help private schools, shore up the unemployment fund and support summer learning programs. None of those funds were tied to revoking the governor’s emergency powers. Still, she vetoed them both times, saying they weren’t negotiated with her office and don’t fully reflect her priorities.”