By Scott McClallen
Michigan Capitol Confidential
A West Michigan lawmaker wants to repeal the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve fund, created in 2021 with the goal of attracting businesses to Michigan.
Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, reintroduced legislation in July to eliminate the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund, calling for dismantling of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
“We must fundamentally change how we approach economic development in Michigan — because corporate welfare and the MEDC are failing miserably,” Albert said in a statement. “It’s been one disaster after another, and Michigan taxpayers deserve much better.”
Senate bills 486 through 491 would undo SOAR, which started as a $1 billion program in 2021, in Albert’s words, has since “spiraled out of control with no common sense, accountability or return on investment.”
Albert reintroduced the bills shortly before the state’s top law enforcement official called for a pause in funding for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation until the state establishes better oversight over it.
“Each day we learn new things about this agency that lead me to believe that, until there’s better oversight, perhaps they shouldn’t be receiving any state funds at all," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said on WDIV Flashpoint.
Nessel referred to an ongoing investigation into a $20 million grant the economic development agency approved for a politically connected businesswoman who spent $11,000 on a flight and $4,500 on a coffeemaker.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the SOAR fund, the state’s largest subsidy program, into existence in 2021. The program has spent has spent $670 million in the three years after its inception and has not created any jobs, according to an official report.
Politicians promised that the SOAR would create 8,812 jobs. It has created none.
Albert originally supported SOAR but has voted against funding the program and its escalating project costs since late 2022. In recent years, the Legislature has appropriated $500 million annually to SOAR. Michiganders have received little to nothing to show for that spending, Albert said.
“Projects have either never materialized or, in cases such as the Marshall mega-site, have cost far more than they are ever going to be worth to taxpayers,” Albert said. “SOAR has failed to deliver on its promised quality investments and is a lesson on the failures of big government economic planning. The program is not working as intended and should be scrapped.”
Only one of every 11 jobs promised by Michigan politicians and public officials in business subsidy announcements gets created, according to a study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
The study followed up on two decades of front page news stories about government grants to private businesses, concluding that these deals rarely meet their state job creation goals.
Under the bill, all unspent SOAR money would return to the state’s general fund, where it could be used for other purposes, such as road repairs, or returned to taxpayers.
The legislation also would ban elected state and local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements related to economic development projects using public funds.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation will review the bills, Danielle Emerson, public relations manager, told CapCon in an email.
Albert’s legislation also calls for monitoring already approved SOAR projects through the Economic Development Incentive Evaluation Act.
“MEDC has funneled billions of tax dollars to huge corporations, risky startups and politically connected grant recipients without any real accountability in the process — and that’s why there have been so many problems,” Albert said. “We’d be much better off reinvesting some of this money into road repairs and community improvements and using the rest to lower taxes overall so Michigan becomes a more attractive place to live for everyone.”
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
Michigan Capitol Confidential
A West Michigan lawmaker wants to repeal the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve fund, created in 2021 with the goal of attracting businesses to Michigan.
Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, reintroduced legislation in July to eliminate the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund, calling for dismantling of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
“We must fundamentally change how we approach economic development in Michigan — because corporate welfare and the MEDC are failing miserably,” Albert said in a statement. “It’s been one disaster after another, and Michigan taxpayers deserve much better.”
Senate bills 486 through 491 would undo SOAR, which started as a $1 billion program in 2021, in Albert’s words, has since “spiraled out of control with no common sense, accountability or return on investment.”
Albert reintroduced the bills shortly before the state’s top law enforcement official called for a pause in funding for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation until the state establishes better oversight over it.
“Each day we learn new things about this agency that lead me to believe that, until there’s better oversight, perhaps they shouldn’t be receiving any state funds at all," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said on WDIV Flashpoint.
Nessel referred to an ongoing investigation into a $20 million grant the economic development agency approved for a politically connected businesswoman who spent $11,000 on a flight and $4,500 on a coffeemaker.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the SOAR fund, the state’s largest subsidy program, into existence in 2021. The program has spent has spent $670 million in the three years after its inception and has not created any jobs, according to an official report.
Politicians promised that the SOAR would create 8,812 jobs. It has created none.
Albert originally supported SOAR but has voted against funding the program and its escalating project costs since late 2022. In recent years, the Legislature has appropriated $500 million annually to SOAR. Michiganders have received little to nothing to show for that spending, Albert said.
“Projects have either never materialized or, in cases such as the Marshall mega-site, have cost far more than they are ever going to be worth to taxpayers,” Albert said. “SOAR has failed to deliver on its promised quality investments and is a lesson on the failures of big government economic planning. The program is not working as intended and should be scrapped.”
Only one of every 11 jobs promised by Michigan politicians and public officials in business subsidy announcements gets created, according to a study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
The study followed up on two decades of front page news stories about government grants to private businesses, concluding that these deals rarely meet their state job creation goals.
Under the bill, all unspent SOAR money would return to the state’s general fund, where it could be used for other purposes, such as road repairs, or returned to taxpayers.
The legislation also would ban elected state and local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements related to economic development projects using public funds.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation will review the bills, Danielle Emerson, public relations manager, told CapCon in an email.
Albert’s legislation also calls for monitoring already approved SOAR projects through the Economic Development Incentive Evaluation Act.
“MEDC has funneled billions of tax dollars to huge corporations, risky startups and politically connected grant recipients without any real accountability in the process — and that’s why there have been so many problems,” Albert said. “We’d be much better off reinvesting some of this money into road repairs and community improvements and using the rest to lower taxes overall so Michigan becomes a more attractive place to live for everyone.”
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
Op-Ed: Delivering Tax Cuts, Economic Opportunity for Ottawa County
By U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga
On July 4, President Trump and House Republicans delivered on our promise to stop the largest tax hike in American history and unleash our nation’s economic potential by enacting the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act.
Now law, the OBBB will help Americans across all walks of life by making tax cuts permanent and increasing take-home pay through provisions such as No Tax on Tips and No Tax on Overtime. These important policies will create bigger paychecks with real annual wages estimated to increase by $4,000-$7,200 per worker.
The OBBB delivers lower tax rates for low- and middle-income families in Ottawa County and across Michigan’s 4th Congressional District. Taxpayers earning between $30,000-$40,000 will see federal taxes reduced by 16 percent. Those making between $40,001-$50,000 will see taxes cut by 14 percent, and those making between $50,001-$60,000 will see taxes cut by 13 percent. Despite what some in Washington are saying, the top 1 percent will actually pay more in taxes compared to before the original 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
This important legislation also delivers for middle and low-income seniors, reducing their federal tax burden by $6,000 for individuals and $12,000 for couples. Families will see their Child Tax Credit increased from $2,000 per child to $2,200 per child, while indexing the tax credit to inflation. The OBBB further addresses the rising cost of childcare by expanding the Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit and Flexible Spending Account as well as strengthening the Paid Family and Medical Leave Credit and the Employer-Provided Childcare Credit.
Additionally, the OBBB enhances the Adoption Tax Credit, making it easier for families to welcome children into their new forever home. Importantly, this law permanently extends the doubled standard deduction which protects $15,000 in value for Ottawa County taxpayers.
According to the House Ways & Means Committee, a couple with two children and a combined income of $100,000 will see their federal taxes reduced from $6,115 to $3,247 resulting in a tax cut of $2,868. The One Big Beautiful Bill is designed to make life more affordable for families, seniors, and taxpayers across Ottawa County by providing meaningful tax relief, creating bigger paychecks and helping you keep more of your hard-earned money.
Without the Republican led Congress and President Trump taking this action, the average taxpayer in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District would have faced a massive 25 percent tax increase, and that’s not all. More than 70,000 families would have had their per child tax credit cut in half, tax rates for nearly 42,000 small businesses would have soared to 43.4 percent, and 95 percent of the more than 452,000 taxpayers in Southwest Michigan would have seen their standard deduction slashed in half. This would have been financially devastating for both residents and bustling small businesses on Main Street here in Zeeland.
This new law protects Medicaid for those who need it most by reining in waste, fraud, and abuse. It does this by reinstating commonsense work requirements like those pioneered by former Michigan Gov. John Engler. To maintain benefits, individuals must work, study, train, or volunteer at least 20 hours per week.
Pregnant women, families with children under 14, seniors, and those medically unable to work are exempt from these requirements. These reforms ensure the most vulnerable get the support they need while promoting responsibility and independence.
Additionally, the OBBB makes the largest border security investment in our nation’s history. It provides the resources to hire more border patrol agents, deploy advanced technology, and add physical barriers to reverse the fallout caused by the Biden/Harris open-border policies. This year, we have seen illegal crossings plummet, and zero illegal immigrants have been released into the U.S over the last three months. This new law ensures this progress becomes the rule, not the exception.
Finally, the OBBB unleashes American energy to lower your family’s costs, critically upgrades air travel safety, and modernizes our military with a $150 billion investment into deterrence, the Golden Dome, and our military families. This important legislation directly increases economic opportunity for individuals, families, and small businesses while keeping more money here in Ottawa County.
As your voice in Congress, I will continue working to make our community an even better place to call home.
On July 4, President Trump and House Republicans delivered on our promise to stop the largest tax hike in American history and unleash our nation’s economic potential by enacting the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act.
Now law, the OBBB will help Americans across all walks of life by making tax cuts permanent and increasing take-home pay through provisions such as No Tax on Tips and No Tax on Overtime. These important policies will create bigger paychecks with real annual wages estimated to increase by $4,000-$7,200 per worker.
The OBBB delivers lower tax rates for low- and middle-income families in Ottawa County and across Michigan’s 4th Congressional District. Taxpayers earning between $30,000-$40,000 will see federal taxes reduced by 16 percent. Those making between $40,001-$50,000 will see taxes cut by 14 percent, and those making between $50,001-$60,000 will see taxes cut by 13 percent. Despite what some in Washington are saying, the top 1 percent will actually pay more in taxes compared to before the original 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
This important legislation also delivers for middle and low-income seniors, reducing their federal tax burden by $6,000 for individuals and $12,000 for couples. Families will see their Child Tax Credit increased from $2,000 per child to $2,200 per child, while indexing the tax credit to inflation. The OBBB further addresses the rising cost of childcare by expanding the Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit and Flexible Spending Account as well as strengthening the Paid Family and Medical Leave Credit and the Employer-Provided Childcare Credit.
Additionally, the OBBB enhances the Adoption Tax Credit, making it easier for families to welcome children into their new forever home. Importantly, this law permanently extends the doubled standard deduction which protects $15,000 in value for Ottawa County taxpayers.
According to the House Ways & Means Committee, a couple with two children and a combined income of $100,000 will see their federal taxes reduced from $6,115 to $3,247 resulting in a tax cut of $2,868. The One Big Beautiful Bill is designed to make life more affordable for families, seniors, and taxpayers across Ottawa County by providing meaningful tax relief, creating bigger paychecks and helping you keep more of your hard-earned money.
Without the Republican led Congress and President Trump taking this action, the average taxpayer in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District would have faced a massive 25 percent tax increase, and that’s not all. More than 70,000 families would have had their per child tax credit cut in half, tax rates for nearly 42,000 small businesses would have soared to 43.4 percent, and 95 percent of the more than 452,000 taxpayers in Southwest Michigan would have seen their standard deduction slashed in half. This would have been financially devastating for both residents and bustling small businesses on Main Street here in Zeeland.
This new law protects Medicaid for those who need it most by reining in waste, fraud, and abuse. It does this by reinstating commonsense work requirements like those pioneered by former Michigan Gov. John Engler. To maintain benefits, individuals must work, study, train, or volunteer at least 20 hours per week.
Pregnant women, families with children under 14, seniors, and those medically unable to work are exempt from these requirements. These reforms ensure the most vulnerable get the support they need while promoting responsibility and independence.
Additionally, the OBBB makes the largest border security investment in our nation’s history. It provides the resources to hire more border patrol agents, deploy advanced technology, and add physical barriers to reverse the fallout caused by the Biden/Harris open-border policies. This year, we have seen illegal crossings plummet, and zero illegal immigrants have been released into the U.S over the last three months. This new law ensures this progress becomes the rule, not the exception.
Finally, the OBBB unleashes American energy to lower your family’s costs, critically upgrades air travel safety, and modernizes our military with a $150 billion investment into deterrence, the Golden Dome, and our military families. This important legislation directly increases economic opportunity for individuals, families, and small businesses while keeping more money here in Ottawa County.
As your voice in Congress, I will continue working to make our community an even better place to call home.
Former MSU Student Sues University for $100 Million
A former student research assistant at Michigan State University is suing the school for $100 million, saying she developed thyroid cancer after being exposed to dangerous chemicals without protective equipment or safety training.
LingLong Wei, who attended MSU between 2008 and 2011, pursuing a master’s degree in horticulture, filed the suit in Ingham County Circuit Court late last week. She claims she and other student researchers were required to spend thousands of hours spraying dangerous pesticides and herbicides including glyphosate and oxyfluorfen, which have been specifically linked to thyroid cancer.
The lawsuit further alleges that, though MSU knew the dangers of these chemicals, they failed to provide Wei or other student research assistants with any safety training or personal protective equipment. Even after Wei specifically requested the safety equipment and training, MSU officials denied her request. After Wei sought treatment for shortness of breath from the university’s health clinic, officials wrote her symptoms off as anxiety instead of the exposure to toxic chemicals, the suit claims.
Wei was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma, which the lawsuit says is directly linked to the chemical exposure, in July 2024. Since then, she has been undergoing medical treatment, including having her thyroid removed.
This is not the first time MSU has been in legal trouble recently. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Education fined the university $4.5 million after it was found that it failed to accurately report crime statistics, including the sex crimes against by former university sports physician Larry Nassar, and failed to warn students of possible criminal threats for years. The university was hit with another $2.7 million fine last September for violating terms of the 2019 settlement.
In June of this year, three victims who survived the February 2023 shooting on campus settled a lawsuit against MSU for a total of $29.75 million.
“Let’s be clear. MSU knew these were dangerous, toxic chemicals and they had the resources to protect Ms. Wei and her fellow student research assistants. But they chose not to,” said Maya Green, one of the attorneys representing Wei.
LingLong Wei, who attended MSU between 2008 and 2011, pursuing a master’s degree in horticulture, filed the suit in Ingham County Circuit Court late last week. She claims she and other student researchers were required to spend thousands of hours spraying dangerous pesticides and herbicides including glyphosate and oxyfluorfen, which have been specifically linked to thyroid cancer.
The lawsuit further alleges that, though MSU knew the dangers of these chemicals, they failed to provide Wei or other student research assistants with any safety training or personal protective equipment. Even after Wei specifically requested the safety equipment and training, MSU officials denied her request. After Wei sought treatment for shortness of breath from the university’s health clinic, officials wrote her symptoms off as anxiety instead of the exposure to toxic chemicals, the suit claims.
Wei was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma, which the lawsuit says is directly linked to the chemical exposure, in July 2024. Since then, she has been undergoing medical treatment, including having her thyroid removed.
This is not the first time MSU has been in legal trouble recently. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Education fined the university $4.5 million after it was found that it failed to accurately report crime statistics, including the sex crimes against by former university sports physician Larry Nassar, and failed to warn students of possible criminal threats for years. The university was hit with another $2.7 million fine last September for violating terms of the 2019 settlement.
In June of this year, three victims who survived the February 2023 shooting on campus settled a lawsuit against MSU for a total of $29.75 million.
“Let’s be clear. MSU knew these were dangerous, toxic chemicals and they had the resources to protect Ms. Wei and her fellow student research assistants. But they chose not to,” said Maya Green, one of the attorneys representing Wei.
