Latest news with #MichiganBudget
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan lawmakers pitch earmarks, including a critic who called them "quid pro quo"
State Rep. Jim Desana has argued earmarks should be banned from the Michigan budget, but not the kind he's asking for: A $1.75 million grant to renovate a baseball stadium in his district at Taylor's Heritage Park. That's in part because the House has added new layers of transparency to the process, including hours of public hearings this week, the Carleton Republican told Bridge Michigan. "I think that an earmark that benefits a private individual or a private company is especially egregious, but this earmark just benefits the downriver communities, especially Taylor," DeSana said. A baseball fanatic, DeSana helps run a collegiate summer team, the Michigan Monarchs, and he personally offers pitching and batting training through a business he operates out of his home in Carleton. The $1.75 million in taxpayer money he is requesting would be used to help renovate a Taylor baseball stadium that hosts the Junior League World Series. Each year, teams from around the world come to compete for the championship — Taiwan has something of a dynasty at the moment. The money, along with matching funds from the city of Taylor and private donors, would mean "a new edifice, grandstand, new chair-back seating, press box and lighting," DeSana said. The request is a first for DeSana, a staunch conservative who has been a strident critic of earmarks, calling them a form of "quid pro quo" that allows lawmakers to pick " winners and losers " instead of seeking competitive bids, which leads to more expensive projects with more waste. But his request is different, DeSana argued in a recent interview, because the baseball field is in a public, city-owned park, and the World Series draws thousands to the area each year, generating economic activity. "I think that legitimately, this falls under that whole broad category of how to improve your community parks and recreation," he added. Michigan's earmark process has been rife with controversy for years, in part because lawmakers have tucked away requests in huge spending bills that were passed in the dead of night. Some have raised eyebrows, including grants to private firms and projects led by major donors. Others have led to criminal investigations or charges, including millions for rockets and projects led by people with political connections. But House Republicans have moved to reform the process this year under Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township. Under new transparency rules he pushed, lawmakers were required to submit any earmark requests by May 1 – long before any House votes – to allow for public review. Collectively, lawmakers requested nearly $3.4 billion for 791 projects, including money for a therapy program in Warren, bridge repairs in Sheridan Township, services for 'New Americans' in Madison Heights, clock tower repairs at Jackson Community College and more. The House Labor and Economic Opportunity Subcommittee held three marathon hearings on the earmark requests last week, taking testimony from a host of lawmakers and local officials on a litany of requests for taxpayer funding. "There's a lot of needs out there, and it's just a matter of sorting through those and finding out which ones the state can and should be funding," said Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno, a Clayton Republican who chairs the subcommittee. Most of the requests were relatively mundane, such as a request for $2.5 million to build a jetty at the mouth of the Black River in Alcona County. "They're just dredging and dredging where, if we put the money towards the jetty to stop the sand, they would no longer have to dredge," said Rep. Cam Cavitt, a Cheboygan Republican who sponsored the request. Even as the House works through its newly transparent process, it's not yet clear what earmarks will make it into the final state budget. The Democratic-led Senate has not adopted the same earmark process, but Hall has been adamant: Grant requests that don't comply with new House rules won't make it into the budget. "I don't care who the politician is. I don't care what the program is. We're not making an exception," Hall told reporters in late April. In a statement to Bridge Friday, Hall indicated he isn't backing down, arguing the reforms "have made Lansing uncomfortable. That's a good thing." "House Republicans voted to prevent any vote on earmarks that haven't been disclosed, and the House is now bound by that rule. Senate Democrats will now have to adapt to a more open government," he added. But with both chambers locked in negotiations after missing a July 1 budgetary deadline, it's become less clear how the standoff will resolve. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for reforming the earmark process in her 2025 State of the State address, and at the time Brinks had sounded open to change. "The transparency issues in terms of earmarks — it's something that we've already been working on in the Senate over the last two years, so we will continue that work," Brinks told Bridge immediately following the speech. A spokesperson for Brinks didn't immediately reply to a request for comment on this story. The Senate in June approved a budget without any apparent earmarks, but legislators close to negotiations said they still expect some to make it into any final deal. The grants have usually not appeared in the state budget until shortly before final votes. The House has yet to pass a general government budget, but has passed a proposal for school funding. House Democrats joined Republicans in filing advance earmark requests but did not participate in this week's hearings, aside from a staffer for state Rep. Karen Whitsett, a Democrat who has sided with Republicans on issues in the past. In a statement, House Democrats' spokesperson Jess Travers called the hearings a "political stunt" and accused Republicans of "delay tactics" rather than passing a full state budget. "House Democrats are focused on passing a full budget that protects school lunches, SNAP and Medicaid," she added.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Michigan lawmakers pitch earmarks — including a critic who called them ‘quid pro quo'
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — State Rep. Jim Desana has argued earmarks should be banned from the Michigan budget, but not the kind he's asking for: A $1.75 million grant to renovate a baseball stadium in his district at Taylor's Heritage Park. That's in part because the House has added new layers of transparency to the process, including hours of public hearings this week, the Carleton Republican told Bridge Michigan. 'I think that an earmark that benefits a private individual or a private company is especially egregious, but this earmark just benefits the downriver communities, especially Taylor,' DeSana said. A baseball fanatic, DeSana helps run a collegiate summer team, the Michigan Monarchs, and he personally offers pitching and batting training through a business he operates out of his home in Carleton. The $1.75 million in taxpayer money he is requesting would be used to help renovate a Taylor baseball stadium that hosts the Junior League World Series. Each year, teams from around the world come to compete for the championship — Taiwan has something of a dynasty at the moment. The money, along with matching funds from the city of Taylor and private donors, would mean 'a new edifice, grandstand, new chair-back seating, press box and lighting,' DeSana said. The request is a first for DeSana, a staunch conservative who has been a strident critic of earmarks, calling them a form of 'quid pro quo' that allows lawmakers to pick ' winners and losers ' instead of seeking competitive bids, which leads to more expensive projects with more waste. But his request is different, DeSana argued in a recent interview, because the baseball field is in a public, city-owned park, and the World Series draws thousands to the area each year, generating economic activity. 'I think that legitimately, this falls under that whole broad category of how to improve your community parks and recreation,' he added. 'Sorting through' requests Michigan's earmark process has been rife with controversy for years, in part because lawmakers have tucked away requests in huge spending bills that were passed in the dead of night. Some have raised eyebrows, including grants to private firms and projects led by major donors. Others have led to criminal investigations or charges, including millions for rockets and projects led by people with politicalconnections. But House Republicans have moved to reform the process this year under Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township. Under new transparency rules he pushed, lawmakers were required to submit any earmark requests by May 1 – long before any House votes – to allow for public review. Collectively, lawmakers requested nearly $3.4 billion for 791 projects, including money for a therapy program in Warren, bridge repairs in Sheridan Township, services for 'New Americans' in Madison Heights, clock tower repairs at Jackson Community College and more. The House Labor and Economic Opportunity Subcommittee held three marathon hearings on the earmark requests last week, taking testimony from a host of lawmakers and local officials on a litany of requests for taxpayer funding. 'There's a lot of needs out there, and it's just a matter of sorting through those and finding out which ones the state can and should be funding,' said Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno, a Clayton Republican who chairs the subcommittee. Most of the requests were relatively mundane, such as a request for $2.5 million to build a jetty at the mouth of the Black River in Alcona County. 'They're just dredging and dredging where, if we put the money towards the jetty to stop the sand, they would no longer have to dredge,' said Rep. Cam Cavitt, a Cheboygan Republican who sponsored the request. Budgetary standoff Even as the House works through its newly transparent process, it's not yet clear what earmarks will make it into the final state budget. The Democratic-led Senate has not adopted the same earmark process, but Hall has been adamant: Grant requests that don't comply with new House rules won't make it into the budget. 'I don't care who the politician is. I don't care what the program is. We're not making an exception,' Hall told reporters in late April. In a statement to Bridge Friday, Hall indicated he isn't backing down, arguing the reforms 'have made Lansing uncomfortable. That's a good thing.' 'House Republicans voted to prevent any vote on earmarks that haven't been disclosed, and the House is now bound by that rule. Senate Democrats will now have to adapt to a more open government,' he added. But with both chambers locked in negotiations after missing a July 1 budgetary deadline, it's become less clear how the standoff will resolve. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for reforming the earmark process in her 2025 State of the State address, and at the time Brinks had sounded open to change. 'The transparency issues in terms of earmarks — it's something that we've already been working on in the Senate over the last two years, so we will continue that work,' Brinks told Bridge immediately following the speech. A spokesperson for Brinks didn't immediately reply to a request for comment on this story. The Senate in June approved a budget without any apparent earmarks, but legislators close to negotiations said they still expect some to make it into any final deal. The grants have usually not appeared in the state budget until shortly before final votes. The House has yet to pass a general government budget, but has passed a proposal for school funding. House Democrats joined Republicans in filing advance earmark requests but did not participate in this week's hearings, aside from a staffer for state Rep. Karen Whitsett, a Democrat who has sided with Republicans on issues in the past. In a statement, House Democrats' spokesperson Jess Travers called the hearings a 'political stunt' and accused Republicans of 'delay tactics' rather than passing a full state budget. 'House Democrats are focused on passing a full budget that protects school lunches, SNAP and Medicaid,' she added. ___ This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan lawmakers miss July 1 deadline to pass state budget. How will it impact schools?
Michigan lawmakers missed their own legally mandated July 1 deadline to pass the state's budget for the next fiscal year. For many government departments, the delay is a pain, but there's a more pressing impact for schools. Districts across the state do not have a clear view of the funding coming from the Michigan government. Despite that uncertainty, budget and education experts said classes will begin as scheduled this fall, but certain programs could be on the chopping block. "It's a challenging situation for school districts," said Jason Helsen, the associate executive director of business and finance with the Michigan School Business Officials. Normally, state lawmakers can finalize their budget and get it to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk for her signature by their deadline, but that didn't happen this time around. "It's not unusual that the district would have to make some decisions about what they estimate the state funding might look like, but certainly feeling like we're not close to having a deal and we're sitting here on July 2 is pretty disappointing," Helsen said. Helsen noted the state budget isn't the only uncertainty for school districts. Federal funding, already allocated by Congress for things like before and after-school programs, money for English learners and funding for academic support, won't be released by the U.S. Department of Education, according to an announcement earlier this week. "We very well may see districts having to make some reductions in order to account for that loss of revenue," Helsen said. Doug Pratt with the Michigan Education Association said it's too early to tell what changes will need to be made in schools because of funding. "What we need to focus on right now is making sure that money that's available to help bring education funding in Michigan up, uh, to support student needs, doesn't get diverted elsewhere," he said. Pratt said he's hopeful lawmakers will be able to agree in the coming weeks. "Is there uncertainty? Sure. Are there opportunities ahead to get this finished? We believe with real negotiation in Lansing that can happen and happen quickly," he said.
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
A Lawsuit to Seal Michigan's Pork Barrel
Michigan's constitution is supposed to make it hard to earmark money to pet projects, but patronage always tries to find a way. The state's latest budget includes nearly $1 billion for parochial interests. But now there's a lawsuit asking the courts to step in and say no. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy sued Michigan's labor department Tuesday, arguing that the budget tramples legal restrictions on earmarks. The state constitution that voters approved in 1963 requires two-thirds of legislators to approve any public money spent for local or private purposes. Lawmakers thumb their noses at the substance of that provision by using write-arounds.
