LANSING – The House Democrats today hailed the action on some provisions in the "Hire Michigan First" package in the State Senate. The plan was first proposed in the Michigan House two years ago, but was stonewalled by Senate Republicans.
"Taxpayer money should not be used to create jobs for people from other states and countries, it should be used to create jobs in Michigan," said State Representative Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens), chief architect of the plan. "Our workers want to get back on the job and this plan will help them do that. Senate action on some of the 'Hire Michigan First' package is a move in the right direction, but more needs to done."
Although Senate action was a good first step, Miller said many key pieces were left out. The Senate Republicans didn't include the portion of the plan that would raise the number of Michigan workers to be hired on state contracts to 100 percent. The plan to require companies that receive taxpayer incentives to follow state law, such as prevailing wage also was left out.
House Democrats passed the "Hire Michigan First" plan in March. The plan that passed the House:
- Rewards companies that hire the most Michigan residents in the pursuit of state tax breaks and other economic development incentives. This rule would apply to projects handled by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and certain state-funded programs, including the Michigan Economic Growth Authority and the Renaissance Zone Act.
- Encourages transparency and accountability by requiring companies that accept incentives to report on who they hire to ensure that Michigan residents come first.
- Cracks down on companies that hire undocumented workers by creating penalties that include requiring them to pay back their tax incentives and barring them from future state contracts.
"It is a good first step, but more needs to be done to reward companies that hire Michigan workers," Miller said. "The public deserves credit for forcing the Senate to end two years of inaction."