For Immediate Release
Feb. 6, 2020
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-487-5436
LANSING—The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2021 budget proposal and some specific policy highlights. It can be attributed to President and CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs.
New Revenue Needed:
“What we have here is a failure to rejuvenate. As the governor’s proposal outlined today, the state’s budget revenues are facing significant constraints, due in part to the decisions of her predecessor. Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2011 business tax cuts decimated state revenue then and now, and led to nearly a decade of disinvestment and degrading infrastructure, roads and water systems. All roads lead back to revenue, and the greatest challenge and most outdated infrastructure in our state is actually our tax system. We don’t need more money this year, we need more period, whether it’s reining in business tax cuts, simply keeping up with inflation, or taking bold action to bring in new funds. We don’t need to invest in our roads OR our schools OR public safety OR health and human services, we need to invest in ALL of them. Per the budget director’s comments today, the Whitmer administration remains open to working with the Legislature on a revenue solution to invest in Michigan’s roads and residents’ other priorities. We echo that, as bringing new money and more of it into the state continues to be the ultimate policy change needed in the state to address everything else.”
Child Care:
“Child care is primed to be the next big area of bipartisan agreement in the Capitol, as businesses and a variety of elected officials past and present have joined the League’s call for action on making it more affordable and accessible. Child care costs are rivaling college costs and mortgages and pricing out a majority of working families. At the same time, high-quality care is an essential part of a winning formula for child well-being, development and learning. Tackling this issue is a two-generation strategy that helps parents work and support their families today while solidifying the foundation for Michigan’s future. The governor’s efforts to make child care more affordable will help nearly 6,000 more families in every part of the state, and we hope the Legislature will heed the chorus of support and join the governor in making this a priority.”
Maternal and Infant Health:
“Regardless of your political beliefs, we should all be able to agree that healthy birth outcomes for moms and babies shouldn’t have to do with the color of your skin or the amount of your paycheck. The state’s infant mortality rate is 38th in the nation, and some Michigan communities have infant mortality rates that rival some of the worst in the world. Even worse, nearly half of maternal deaths in Michigan are preventable. There’s no reason that in 2020 our babies and mothers should still be at such high risk. We applaud the governor’s challenge to address this issue, and hope the Legislature will follow suit with the needed funding. Before child care, before primary or secondary school, a child’s health and development is influenced first and foremost by the health of their mother and the prenatal and postnatal care she and her baby receive. The state’s policy priorities and budget investment should reflect that.”
Weighted School Funding Formula:
“As a member of the School Finance Research Collaborative and an organization focused on racial equity, we applaud the governor’s continued efforts to establish a weighted school funding formula that gives more money to students who face higher economic and academic challenges. More funds for students and schools with the highest needs is the best way to promote equity—which is far different from equality—and also will help address some of the racial disparities and concerns with third-grade reading proficiency and potential grade retention.”
Adult Postsecondary Education:
“While our unemployment rate has gone down dramatically, our poverty rate has not seen much of a drop, meaning more people are working, but for lower wages. It’s a Catch-22. Michigan’s older workers need to go back to school to better prepare for the new job market and earn more money, but the cost continues to be a huge barrier. We hope legislators from all over the state recognize this growing problem and work with Gov. Whitmer to address it. The governor’s bold goal is 60 percent of residents getting some type of postsecondary credential by 2030, and Michigan Reconnect, which provides up to two years of training or education for students over age 25, is a great way to get us there.”
Family Leave:
“Gov. Whitmer’s budget today shows that she and her advisors understand that there are many policy improvements that can translate to improvements in maternal and infant health, including longer family leave policies. Giving state employees 12 weeks of paid family leave will help the state’s nearly 50,000 workers and their children, and leads by example in an effort to encourage lawmakers and private-sector businesses to follow suit and expand paid family leave for all workers in Michigan.”
RELEVANT LOCAL DATA:
The Michigan League for Public Policy is a data-driven organization, and every year we put together a variety of geographic fact sheets compiling local data to help residents and elected officials from all over the state better understand how their neighbors, their communities, their constituents and their districts are doing.
We just released our 2020 county census data fact sheets. These include data on the number of people and percentage without health insurance; economic information like the median household income, the median wage for men and women and the gender wage gap, and the poverty rate; and the level of educational attainment by residents over 25 for each county.
As part of our annual Kids Count in Michigan Data Book, the League also puts together Kids Count county profiles for all 83 counties. These include county data on the number of kids on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, mothers receiving prenatal care, babies born with low birthweights, infant mortality, the number of 3- and 4-year-olds not in preschool, and third-grade reading proficiency.
ADDITIONAL BUDGET AND POLICY INFO:
The state budget is a big area of focus—and a big area of progress—for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and the League has released our 2021 budget priorities, many of which align with Gov. Whitmer’s proposals unveiled today.
Many of the issues discussed today are also part of the League’s Owner’s Manual for Michigan proactive policy agenda. Too many people in our state are working but not making enough to survive, let alone thrive, and the real-world struggles and kitchen-table budgeting of Michiganders are too often overlooked in state policy decisions. The Owner’s Manual is designed to change that, and was informed by residents from across the state and shared with legislators from every district. Several Owner’s Manual priorities were passed in 2019, and if the governor’s budget proposal is any indication, many more are poised to be addressed in 2020.
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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.
