Hall says Michigan's Public Safety Trust Fund next priority for House Republicans
Having passed a Republican-led plan to fund repairing Michigan's crumbling roads through the state House, pending negotiations to get the Democratic-led state Senate on board with the plan, House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) has his eyes set on the Public Safety Trust Fund that didn't make it to the finish line last session.
A $75 million Public Safety Trust Fund allocation in the state budget to fund local law enforcement initiatives and community violence prevention programming gained bipartisan support in the Michigan legislature last session, but the bills that would have created the fund itself were left behind in the chaos of the final days of the previous session in 2024.
House Reps. introduce plan to finalize boost to public safety spending
Public safety is a priority of the new Republican majority of the Michigan state House, Hall said during a news conference Wednesday and that safety is ensuring roads and other infrastructure are properly maintained and local communities have the funds to support tailored approaches to safety. When the House returns from its spring break in April, Hall says the Public Safety Trust Fund will be the body's top priority.
'We can invest more in our local communities by, for the first time in the history of Michigan, investing state dollars in our local communities for public safety,' Hall said.
House Bills 4260 and 4261, introduced earlier this month, would create the fund, dedicating $75 million to local safety efforts, along with additional funds coming from sales tax revenue to support grant programs for community violence prevention resources. The bills have bipartisan sponsorship.
Lawmakers are working with community leaders to ensure the formula for distributing funds works well for communities where the need is greatest, Hall said, noting that legislators have engaged with Detroit's Mayor Mike Duggan, who was a vocal supporter of the fund last session.
In Detroit, one arena where the city had planned to use the fund is the ShotStoppers program as federal dollars expire after the city reported drops in violent crime up to 83% where programs were implemented. Created through a $10 million investment from the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan Act, ShotStoppers utilizes performance grants to community organizations to develop and implement violence reduction initiatives.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
4 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Zohran Mamdani's Chances of Winning NYC Mayoral Race: New Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democratic mayoral primary winner and New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is the clear frontrunner in a new poll released on Monday in the race to be the city's new mayor. Why It Matters Mamdani's surge to be the face of the Democratic Party in New York City has intensified debate over the future direction of the party as a whole, as his platform sharply contrasts with those of more centrist and establishment-aligned figures. Mamdani has taken a more aggressive approach than many establishment Democrats—who have historically championed incremental reforms and avoided expansive tax policies targeting high-earners. The New York City frontrunner has proposed increasing taxes on residents earning more than $1 million annually, raising corporate tax rates and implementing a citywide rent freeze. These positions are central to his campaign, which he has framed around affordability, housing justice and public investment in services such as free child care and public transportation. As Mamdani awaits critical Democratic backing from party leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, he sat down with business leaders in July, where he said he would discourage the phrase "globalize the intifada," according to The New York Times, citing three people familiar with discussions. New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani can be seen attending a campaign event on August 17, 2025, in Prospect Park in New York City. New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani can be seen attending a campaign event on August 17, 2025, in Prospect Park in New York City. Photo byWhat To Know In the poll—taken on August 11—Mamdani secured nearly 42 percent of the vote compared to former Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's 23 percent and current Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams' nearly 9 percent. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa received almost 17 percent of the vote, while nearly 8 percent were undecided. Independent mayoral candidate Jim Walden secured 1.4 percent of the vote. The poll reached 1,376 registered New York City voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percent. When asked who their backup candidate was, 35 percent of those polled said Adams, 24 percent said Cuomo, 8 percent said Mamdani, 15 percent said Sliwa, and nearly 3 percent said Walden. Mamdani's favorability rating in the poll is 47.2 percent, Adams' is 24.9 percent, Sliwa's is 31.3 percent, Cuomo's is 38.3 percent, and Walden's is 8.5 percent. What People Are Saying Columbia University professor Robert Y. Shapiro to Newsweek via email on Monday: "Based on this poll and other polling data, no single candidate could simply catch up to Mamdani. At least either Sliwa and/or Adams would have to drop out to give Cuomo a chance. If one dropped out, then Cuomo would have to pick up the undecided voters to make it close. Or Cuomo would have to drop out and all his supporters would have to go toward Sliwa or Adams. Shapiro continued: "If his supporters went to Adams especially, Adams would have to pick up the undecideds. So at this point it looks like it is Mamdani's as the leader's race to lose. This has the clear potential at this point to hold into the election period, barring a major scandal or something negative and completely unexpected for Mamdani." Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana on X on Monday: "Zohran Mamdani is a socialist whack job—so why is it so hard for Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to stand up to him?" Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on X in July: "The oligarchs are united. Within our corrupt campaign finance system, they will spend whatever it takes to defeat @ZohranKMamdani— a candidate who fights for the working class. Let us stand together and elect Zohran as mayor of New York City." What Happens Next The mayoral general election is scheduled for November 4, 2025; multiple polls in August indicated Mamdani led in split fields, but the presence of independent bids from Cuomo and Adams could alter vote dynamics and create opportunities for vote-splitting come election day. Analysts and campaigns are expected to watch polling trends, turnout models for younger and progressive voters, and any public involvement by national figures such as President Donald Trump — all factors that could shift the race in the final months.
The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
California Democrats introduce redistricting legislation
California Democrats on Monday unveiled legislation to move forward with their plan to counter a Republican redistricting proposal in Texas with new congressional maps in the Golden State. 'We decided as a delegation that we could not just stand there and allow Trump to distort the next election, and continue to harm the people who we represent. And so we have worked to try and identify a map that is consistent with the goals that we believe in,' Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said at a press conference. Lofgren confirmed that Democrats have identified five GOP-held seats that could, if the maps are adopted, flip into the Democrats' column. A draft of the map dropped on Friday. 'Unlike the Republicans in Texas, we're not just doing this in secret. We are revealing the proposed maps. The legislature will talk about their process … We are going to put it to [the voters] to decide,' Lofgren said. The legislation introduced on Monday is part of an effort, spearheaded by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), to put redistricting before voters in a special election this fall, allowing the Legislature to bypass California's independent redistricting commission and redraw lines mid-decade. The legislation includes a state constitutional amendment and a call for a special election on Nov. 4. 'Donald Trump lit this fire when he pressured Texas to change the rules in the game. California is answering that attack not by breaking democracy but by protecting it,' California Assembly elections chair Gail Pellerin said at the presser, stressing that 'the bills we are introducing today only take effect if another state rigs the rules.' Proponents have underscored not only that the new maps would only be triggered by moves in red states, but that they would only hold for the '26, '28 and '30 elections, before the authority to redraw reverts to the independent commission. Newsom has explained that the Legislature is introducing a constitutional amendment 'that includes new maps that will be done in a transparent way, to request of the voters on a special election on November 4th to move forward with mid-decade redistricting, which in essence will neutralize, or neuter, whatever happens in Texas.' 'We won't move forward – it's a trigger – unless Texas or other Republican states move forward. It will be temporary. It will be done on an emergency basis. It will also be done in a way that reinforces our commitment to nationwide independent redistricting,' Newsom said in a video shared to X on Monday. A bill and a constitutional amendment introduced in the state Assembly deal with the proposed maps and the system changes, and a bill in the state Senate handles funding for the special election, according to the Assembly's redistricting page. The state Legislature, where Democrats boast supermajority control, was reconvening after a summer break on Monday afternoon and expected to move quickly to set up a special election in November. Meanwhile, Texas state House Democrats who fled the state to stall a GOP redistricting plan returned to the state Legislature Monday, all but ensuring the Lone Star State maps advance — which would trigger the California changes, assuming Golden State voters approve the plan.
Fox News
4 minutes ago
- Fox News
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo takes aim at Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on the issue of decriminalizing prostitution
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo argues if Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani wins election, 'New York City would become the prostitution capital of the country'
