LANSING – The Michigan House of Representatives today passed a plan proposed by State Representative Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens) that will ensure that Michigan workers get the first crack at jobs created by companies that benefit from state economic development programs or tax breaks. Miller's "Hire Michigan First" plan will also crack down on companies that hire undocumented workers by canceling their state contracts and tax incentives. It now goes to the Senate for approval.
"This aggressive plan will ensure that Michigan workers are put first when companies get incentives that are paid for with taxpayer dollars," said Miller, the lead sponsor of the package. "Michigan's workers have the skills and the know-how to get any job done. We must stand by our working families during these tough times and create new opportunities for our workers, and that's exactly what this plan will do. This plan fights unemployment by rewarding companies that hire Michigan residents."
The "Hire Michigan First" plan will:
- Give priority for tax breaks and other economic development tools to companies that hire the most Michigan residents. This rule would apply to projects handled by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and certain state-funded programs, including the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, the Renaissance Zone Act and several others.
- Encourage transparency and accountability by requiring companies that take economic development incentives to report on who they hire to ensure that Michigan residents are put first.
- Crack down on companies that hire undocumented workers by canceling their state contracts and tax incentives. The plan would also require them to pay back incentives already received and bar them from future contracts.
"When Michigan tax dollars create jobs, those jobs should go to Michigan workers first – it's that simple," Miller said. "By putting our workers back on the job now, we will get more money flowing into our local communities, and that will help get Michigan's economy moving in the right direction."