With the state budget now finalized, Michigan legislators are turning their attention to improving transparency in earmark practices and advancing economic development initiatives. A key change adopted during the budget process requires members of the state Senate to disclose spending requests before votes are cast, aligning with a policy already implemented earlier in the year by the Republican-led House of Representatives. Critics had previously pointed out the Senate’s slower pace on transparency measures under Democratic leadership. n nState Senator Sarah Anthony, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, expressed optimism about the progress, noting that these procedural updates represent a step toward greater openness. She is sponsoring legislation aimed at codifying these reforms into law, including mechanisms to ensure accountability. One such provision would allow the state to reclaim funds from recipients who fail to meet project commitments—a process she described as historically too slow. n n“Clarity and speed in recovering misused funds are essential,” Anthony stated following a recent committee session. “This bill will help make that happen going forward.” n nPublic scrutiny over legislative spending has intensified, particularly regarding economic development grants. Earmarks—budget allocations directed by individual lawmakers to specific projects—have come under increased oversight, especially after several investigations revealed potential misuse of public money, including in projects related to a health center in Clare and a nonprofit in Southeast Michigan. n nBeyond earmark reform, the state faces uncertainty in business incentive programs. The recent budget allowed the expiration of funding for the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) program, which supported major economic investments. Additionally, workforce training initiatives like Going Pro, which assists employers with employee skill development, saw significant funding reductions. n nOverall, the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity experienced a budget cut of approximately 25 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. Despite this, department head Susan Corbin emphasized ongoing efforts to strengthen workforce readiness. She highlighted achievements in expanding apprenticeships and credentialing programs, and outlined plans to further support underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, veterans, and individuals with justice system involvement. n n“We’re committed to ensuring inclusive economic growth,” Corbin said in a recent interview. “Our focus remains on creating pathways for all Michiganders to succeed in the state’s evolving economy.” n— news from Michigan Public
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With budget finally signed, some Mich. lawmakers take on earmark transparency, economic development
Now that the state budget is done, Michigan lawmakers are working on earmark transparency legislation. n nOne of the compromises in that budgetary process involved changing state Senate rules to require lawmakers to publicly list spending items they were requesting in the budget before voting on them. n nThe Republican-led state House of Representatives adopted a similar policy earlier in the year and criticized the Democratic-controlled state Senate for not moving as quickly. n nSenate Appropriations Committee Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) said the result still moved the budget process in the right direction. She sponsors a bill to put some of those earmark reforms into state law. n n“Things that we did … are making us closer to making this more transparent and so I’m excited about that. It’s one of the things that we can fight about it in the press but ultimately the work that we’re going to do behind the scenes and hopefully informed by the public is going to make this place more transparent,” Anthony said after a committee hearing on the bill Wednesday. n nWhen Democrats controlled the Legislature the past two budget cycles, they included language that required a similar naming of earmarks — but not until after the spending had occurred. n nThis is all as public scrutiny has intensified on legislative earmarks, especially when it comes to spending on economic development projects. Earmarks are budget line-items that direct money to certain projects or purposes, often at the behest of a particular legislator. n nMultiple criminal investigations have been launched in recent years into allegations that earmark recipients misused state funds. That includes a health center project in Clare, and a Southeast Michigan-based nonprofit. n nAnthony’s bill includes claw-back provisions for earmark recipients who don’t deliver on promises. She said it has taken too long for the state to get its money back in the past. n n“It should be very clear and very quick to receive those funds back. And this legislation will help to address that in the future,” Anthony said. n nAside from legislative-directed earmarks, policymakers are contending with an uncertain future around business grants meant to spur investment. The new state budget allowed funding for the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund, known as SOAR, to expire. n nOther programs aimed at training, like Going Pro, which helps employers cover the cost of training their workers, lost out on millions of dollars too. n nOverall, the state Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity saw its budget cut by around a quarter compared to the last fiscal year. n nDespite that, department leadership is still pushing a focus on workforce readiness and job creation programs. Director Susan Corbin said she wants to build on progress the state has made getting people into apprenticeships and credentials. n n“We’re going to be placing even more emphasis on helping people with disabilities getting into the workforce. We’re going to continue our work with veterans and justice-involved individuals so that anybody can make it here in Michigan,” Corbin said in an interview this week.