For Immediate Release
Dec. 21, 2020
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-775-9053
Bill funds six-week unemployment extension, child care funding for school-aged children, vaccine operations, and grants and increased pay for various workers and businesses
LANSING—The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on the Michigan House’s passage this morning of Senate Bill 748 to pass $465 million in supplemental budget funding to provide immediate help to Michigan workers, families and businesses that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 health crisis. Paired with Senate Bill 604, which the House also finalized this morning, the Legislature has passed and funded a six-week extension of emergency unemployment benefits to tackle one of the more time-sensitive COVID needs. The statement can be attributed to Michigan League for Public Policy External Affairs Director Alex Rossman.
“Today’s action finalizes a desperately needed budget supplemental to address the various impacts of COVID-19 on our families, our workers, our businesses, our public health and our economy. We appreciate the resilience and determination of lawmakers to keep negotiating and not lose sight of their responsibility to tackle this crisis.
“This is a huge amount of funding and supports an extensive list of important priorities that needed to be addressed now. This includes vaccine strategies as shipments start coming in and being administered. This provides six more weeks of emergency unemployment for thousands of struggling workers who were about to have their benefits run out. This is a need for workers and kids, as 56% of Michigan households with children have lost income since the pandemic began. Grants for businesses and workers who have been hit hardest by the pandemic. Child care funding for providers to school-aged children as kids’ and parents’ schedules continue to change. And hazard pay and raises to acknowledge the importance of direct care workers and educators of kids of all ages right now.
“There are still other COVID-related struggles kids and residents are facing right now that were not addressed today, and we hope they are a top priority in the next supplemental that is expected as early as January. This includes funding to address eviction assistance and other housing needs and allocating more federal funding for expanded food assistance benefits for school children who would have received free/reduced-price meals through school if it wasn’t for the COVID-19 emergency and move to virtual schools.”
BACKGROUND: Last week, a new national KIDS COUNT report was released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation on the impact of COVID-19 on parents and kids around the country and here in Michigan: Kids, Families and COVID-19: Pandemic Pain Points and a Roadmap for Recovery. The report showed that an average of 62% of Michigan households with children have lost employment income since March 13, 2020, and that percentage is still hovering at 56%. All Michigan-specific data can be found here.
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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.
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.
Jacob Kaplan 
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. 
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.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
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.
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.
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.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
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.
Needing rental assistance for the month of feb but have been told that there is no funding in our area.
I live in Grand Rapids Michigan and I am not sure why this may be when I see policies such as this.
Thank You,
Brigid