The House of Representatives passed legislation this month to fund economic development programs that are designed to help businesses locate and expand facilities in Michigan, creating good-paying jobs for the people of the state.
In order to ensure Michigan stays competitive with other states, we need to invest in attracting growing industries. These bills will invest in site readiness and create incentives for growing industries to locate here in Michigan.
The bills also include critical safeguards to make sure that your taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. Deposits and disbursements must receive legislative approval, businesses must meet set performance metrics in order to receive funding, and, if companies don’t hold up their end of the bargain, there are penalties and clawbacks in place to ensure the state can recoup its investment.
This is only part of the work left to do to put Michigan back on top. We also need to invest in our aging infrastructure, continue our historic funding for public schools, and make sure that everyone has clean drinking water no matter where they live. This economic development package is one of many tools to make sure Michigan stays competitive for years to come.