For Immediate Release
June 20, 2019
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-487-5436
Lawmakers plan to take time off, leaving budget, residents’ needs in the lurch
LANSING—With the Michigan House of Representatives passing their state budget bills today and both bodies adjourning for several weeks, the Michigan League for Public Policy continued its call for new revenue and responsible leadership. After a fairly collegial and productive six months of shared political control, passing empty bills and leaving the budget to languish for the foreseeable future is a major blow to good government. Instead, the League urges policymakers to keep working and continue to seek common ground and compromise to serve all Michiganders, and to address the state’s biggest need—revenue.
“Despite Gov. Whitmer’s bold and refreshing call for new revenue to invest in the things we need as a state, lawmakers in the House and Senate dropped the ball on that and the many positive policy improvements she recommended in her budget proposal, and now they are simply taking their ball and going home,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, President and CEO for the Michigan League for Public Policy. “When lawmakers are back home for the next few weeks, I hope they will at least take some time to listen to their constituents about what they want to see in the state budget. And I’d venture a guess that whatever district they live in and whatever they and their family need, it requires revenue and investment, not cuts.”
“The League continues to advocate for additional state revenue to support all of the things that make Michigan a great place to live and work while not having an inequitable impact on residents with lower incomes,” Jacobs added. “We support Gov. Whitmer’s proposed 45-cent gas tax increase—coupled with an increase to the Michigan EITC—as the best and most equitable way to increase revenue, fix our roads and infrastructure, and invest in our schools, public safety, and essential state services, but we are all ears if House and Senate leaders have a viable revenue proposal that meets that same criteria.”
State budget and tax policy are a primary focus of the League’s work each year, including analyzing the state budget at each step in the process. As the dust settles following the first round of budget work, here are some of the League’s key takeaways and focal points of continued negotiations.
Healthy Michigan Plan Work Requirements: The League continues to oppose Healthy Michigan Plan work requirements outright due to the potential lost health coverage for thousands of residents that could come with them. However, that lost coverage can be reduced with sufficient budget funding to implement the requirements and lessen their adverse impact on Healthy Michigan enrollees. Gov. Whitmer and the Senate both included $10 million for supportive services to help people overcome barriers to meeting the requirements, but the House did not include any money—including a placeholder—for that purpose.
Child Care Funding: Child care has been one of the biggest areas of bipartisan compromise in the Michigan Legislature over the last decade because it is so important to families and employers who have trouble attracting and keeping low-wage workers. Michigan’s child care investment has been leveraged even further with an additional $63 million each year in federal funds from the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). For 2020, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended $16.4 million in federal CCDBG for a rate increase for child care providers beginning Jan. 1, 2020, as well as funding for expanding eligibility for child care subsidies. The Senate agreed with the governor on increasing child care provider rates, but the House rejected any additional rate increases.
School Funding: To address inequities in school funding and achievement, Gov. Whitmer proposed a new weighted school funding formula that would have resulted in major funding increases for students who are economically disadvantaged or have special needs, a change the League strongly supports. However, that proposal was largely rejected by the House and Senate. The governor recommended $24.5 million in funding to triple the number of literacy coaches around the state to help students meet the upcoming third-grade reading benchmarks, and reduced local cost-sharing. The Senate agreed to the expansion of literacy coaches, but the House only included $2.1 million. The Senate also increased funding for two of the League’s big priorities: the state’s Early On intervention program for children with developmental delays and disabilities and the 10 Cents a Meal program that provides school meal programs with locally-grown fruits and vegetables.
Child Support Money Pass Through: Currently, Michigan keeps all child support funds that would normally be paid to Family Independence Program (FIP) recipients. Gov. Whitmer recommended that the state adopt the maximum federally-allowed child support pass-through—$200—for the approximately 2,300 FIP families that would be eligible. At a modest cost—less than $1 million in federal funds allocated to the state—Michigan could help some of the state’s most economically vulnerable children by ensuring that child support paid by absent parents actually reaches the children, but the House and Senate both rejected the proposal in their budgets.
Support for Flint Residents: Gov. Whitmer’s budget proposal included $8.1 million for Flint residents for various health and nutrition services, lead poisoning prevention, and bottled water and filters for seniors and people with disabilities. The Senate agreed with the governor on most Flint funding, but included a placeholder to continue discussions on lead abatement contracts. The House rejected the governor’s proposed funding increase, instead retaining current funding of $4.6 million.
Restoring Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): While it has not been discussed much as part of the Legislature’s budget negotiations, the governor’s proposed restoration of the Michigan EITC to 12 percent of the federal credit in her budget should definitely be a part of the conversation and budget negotiations. The EITC has a long history of bipartisan support and is one of the most effective anti-poverty policy tools available, benefiting families directly and having a ripple effect on local businesses and communities.
These are just a few of the League’s key priorities in the budget, and areas advocates will need to engage with lawmakers during the upcoming negotiation process. More information on the League’s in-depth budget analysis can be found at www.mlpp.org/budget, and the League’s Owner’s Manual for Michigan includes the League’s proactive policy priorities.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
