GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Dec. 12, 2025 — State Reps. Carol Glanville (D-Walker) and Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) hosted a press conference this morning to raise awareness of the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee’s maneuver this week to strip away nearly $645 million in previously appropriated work project funds, and to urge residents to contact House Republicans and the governor’s office to restore the funding as soon as possible. The conference was held in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, one of the many organizations in Grand Rapids impacted by the cuts.

“The decision to cancel all these funds is shocking, deeply harmful and a blatant violation of the people’s trust,” Grant said. “In these unprecedented times, accountability matters. This decision was made by a single Republican-controlled committee in the Michigan House, and as a result, nonprofits, clinics and service providers are now questioning whether they can keep their doors open. These cuts strike at core programs families rely on: prenatal and infant support, mobile neighborhood health clinics, workforce and small-business assistance, career training, mental health outreach and community-safety efforts. These dollars were promised to our communities, and it will be the most vulnerable Michiganders who will pay the price.”

“These are not theoretical or inconsequential dollars that House Republicans have disapproved — this is funding that is supporting projects already in progress to keep our community fed, improve access to health care and renovate our community spaces, including in the space we stand today,” Glanville said. “We need our fellow legislators, community leaders and the people who elected us to demand better from House Majority leaders and to call for immediate accountability as soon as possible.”

The legislators were joined by West Michigan-based organizations directly impacted by the cuts, including Meals on Wheels Western Michigan, which would use the funding to renovate their kitchen that currently produces over 4,000 meals a day to feed over 6,000 older adults in Kent and Allegan counties, and the West Michigan Teacher Collaborative, which was using their grant from the State of Michigan to fill classroom vacancies.

“In 2024, students in over 120 classrooms in West Michigan did not have a permanent, certified teacher to teach them due to the shortage of certified teachers in Michigan. The West Michigan Teacher Collaborative, through a grant from the State of Michigan, is working to fill these vacancies by helping hundreds of area residents become certified and highly-qualified teachers,” said Dr. Ron Gorman, Superintendent of Kent ISD. “Unfortunately, $2 million of this state grant was unexpectedly cut this past Wednesday as part of $640 million in programs wiped out by the House Appropriations Committee. Speaker Hall cited ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ as the reason for these cuts. The West Michigan Teacher Collaborative simply seeks to remove the barriers for adults to fulfill their dreams of becoming a teacher. Our model program provides highly qualified and caring teachers to help thousands of students who would otherwise languish in classrooms without a permanent teacher. Helping children learn and unlock their potential is never wasteful, fraudulent, or abusive.” 

Other Western Michigan organizations potentially impacted by the funding cuts include, but are not limited to:

  • Grand Rapids Public Museum
  • Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
  • Blandford Nature Center
  • West Michigan Teacher Collaborative
  • City of Grand Rapids
  • Mental Health Clinic of Grand Rapids
  • Cherry Health
  • Van Andel Institute.

 

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