Michigan Legislature looks to pass budget before summer recess

The Michigan Legislature reconvenes Tuesday with the goal of wrapping up the state budget as well a few other items of business before starting a summer recess on Thursday.

House and Senate Democratic leaders want to finish budgets for state departments, aid to local governments and spending on K-12 schools, community colleges and public universities and get them to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk.

Also on the to-do list is a controversial re-tooling of the state’s economic development incentives program. Whitmer has called for putting $350 million into a new Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund.

Many details are still being negotiated, but Democratic state Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) said he hopes it can get done this week.

“What we have put forward is a comprehensive, larger and long-term economic development package that includes housing, job attraction, placemaking. It’s a huge package that would have a significant impact if we are able to do it,” Morgan told the Michigan Public Radio Network.

That will almost certainly require votes from Republicans as well as Democrats because alongside bipartisan support is bipartisan skepticism for state business subsidies.

State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) said he would like to see a program to help Michigan land the kinds of development deals that have been going to other states. But he said Democrats and the Whitmer administration have to show the benefits will be spread across the state.

“There are some specific details that I think are alarming to a lot of us,” he said. “You know, the amount of money that’s being spent locally, is that the right amount? Does that make us uncompetitive?” Are there a bunch of sort of highly politically charged things attached to it? That’ll be what turns at least Republicans off.”