The Michigan Messenger

The Michigan House of Representatives has approved a plan it says will create more than 29,000 jobs for Michigan workers. House members say their version of the bill strengthened the weaker plan that was approved by the Senate. House Democratic spokesman Greg Bird said that strength comes in the form of added projects for colleges and state parks. He added that the economic stimulus plan will pump more than $1.8 billion in state and federal funds into Michigan’s economy.

“The hundreds of construction projects included in this plan will create jobs in Michigan now and well into the future,” said House Speaker Andy Dillon after Thursday’s vote. The Redford Township Democrat said. “Not only will this plan create tens of thousands of jobs for our residents, but it will help our world-class universities produce the next generation of top-notch workers for our great state.”

The stimulus package will speed up funding for hundreds of construction projects around the state at universities, colleges, airports, military facilities and state parks. In addition to creating jobs now for Michigan’s workers, the plan also will create new jobs in emerging fields by providing our colleges and universities with the facilities they need to train students for high-tech jobs in homeland security, life sciences and other cutting-edge fields. Some of the projects included in the package are an expansion of the Plant Sciences Bio-Economy facilities at Michigan State University which will create more than 2,000 jobs and the construction of the new Multi-Disciplinary Biomedical Research Building at Wayne State University. The plan also will bring 240 jobs to Livonia as workers build a Public Safety/Homeland Security Classroom Building at Schoolcraft College and 448 jobs are expected to be filled as crews build a Health Sciences Building at Saginaw Valley State University.

Continued – “The benefits of this plan will be realized for years to come,” said State Rep. Morris Hood III (D-Detroit), Chair of the Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee. “The thousands of jobs it creates will help get working families back on their feet, and it will equip our colleges and universities to train students for high-tech jobs that will make Michigan a magnet for businesses looking to expand or relocate.”

The bill now goes back to the Senate for approval but its passage is uncertain. While the Senate democrat caucus says it supports the additions the house made, there has been disagreement in the Republican controlled senate over the bill which uses a combination of federal and state funds. Senate Democratic caucus spokesman Tom Lenard said he imagines there will be a compromise. One issue on the senate side is the federal dollars available for airport improvements. Some Republicans have balked at the amount of state and local money that would be needed to secure the federal money, but democrats say it is small investment. Lenard said, “This is too important to local economies to let the (federal) money slip through our fingertips.

State Senator Mark Schauer has called for bipartisan cooperation on the measure to provide funding for local airports. He is concerned, because the federal government has set a June 1 deadline for the legislature to approve matching funds or the federal portions of the projects could be stripped away. The Battle Creek Democrat said, “This funding will help us put shovels in the ground right now, stimulate our economy, and position us for greater job growth and investment in the future.”  Lenard said one good example of why this is a good value is the project planned for the W.K. Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek, noting that out of the $2,016,000 total cost, only $50,400 will come from state and local sources.