(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Simon D. Schuster
Bridge Michigan
LANSING — The Republican-controlled state House budget committee has canceled nearly $645 million in funding for state departments’ projects heading into 2026, arguing departments have been “squirreling away” funding into “slush funds.”
The committee leveraged a relatively obscure provision in state law that allowed them to lapse the funding without buy-in from the state Senate, which is currently controlled by Democrats.
Rather than cutting funding, the committee - through a party-line vote and no discussion - technically disapproved requests from the State Budget Office to continue funding on a litany of ongoing work projects.
House Speaker Matt Hall said the cuts were part of a larger campaign to rein in the size of state government. He also acknowledged, however, that “not everything that the Appropriations Committee cut was waste, fraud and abuse” and that the move was in part a negotiating tactic for future spending bills. Some of the projects that lost funding could get it back again, Hall added.
“It’s the end of the fiscal year and you haven’t spent it … let’s block (funding for) it,” Hall, a Richland Township Republican, told reporters after the vote. “Let’s put (the funding back) in the general fund, and then let’s force a discussion about what is the best way to get value for your tax dollars.”
Democrats lambasted the maneuver.
“There’s a special place in hell for someone willing to yank money away from moms and babies 15 days before Christmas,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “I hope Matt Hall takes this holiday season to look within himself and reevaluate what exactly he’s doing here.”
House Budget Chair Ann Bollin said “there really was nothing to discuss” ahead of the vote, responding to protests from Democrats who had only minutes to review a list of cuts.
—————
What was cut
The disapprovals cut across state departments and types of programs. Among the slashed funding included:
• $18.5 million in funding for RxKids, a cash-grant program for pregnant women and new mothers.
• Grant funding for the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills.
• $56,600 to provide wigs to Michiganders undergoing cancer treatment.
• A $2.5 million pilot study for traffic cameras in school zones.
• $1.3 million in funding for the Office of Global Michigan.
• $1.9 million in grants to symphony orchestras
The largest single disapproval was $159 million for the Make It In Michigan Competitiveness Fund, an economic development program championed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to secure federal funding from legislation like the CHIPS Act. Hall said the Whitmer administration could instead use existing funds to secure the match federal dollars.
Republican members of the budget committee spent hours behind closed doors privately deliberating which projects should face the chopping block ahead of the full committee vote Dec. 10.
“This is some corrupt (bull),” Rep. Jason Morgan, an Ann Arbor Democrat, said after the vote. “I think this is a completely untransparent process.”
The day before, Rep. Thomas Kuhn’s budget subcommittee on general government was the only one to meet and discuss the prospective funding cuts in public. Kuhn, a Troy Republican, said he wanted to explain his recommendations for which projects should see funding cuts.
Among them was the sexual assault and law enforcement program in the Department of Attorney General. It uses funding to assist with ongoing investigations, prosecutions and victim services in cases stemming from a backlog of unprocessed “rape kits” in five different counties, according to the House Fiscal Agency.
“It seems to be run well and they’re doing a lot of stuff there,” Kuhn said of the program, but concluded it was “way over-funded” and noted they had gotten additional appropriations in more recent budgets.
That program was ultimately not cut in the full committee meeting.
—————
How the cuts were made
Ending funding for the projects is possible thanks to a quirk of the state’s Management and Budget Act.
The State Budget Office, which is controlled by Whitmer, can extend the funding provided to them via a request letter to the House and Senate’s budget committees. If the committees don’t act, the funding is automatically carried over to future years. But if either chamber’s committee explicitly disapproves work projects, the money is sent back to the state’s general fund.
The use of disapproval last week, however, was the first in memory for many in the 40 years since the law was written, including during stretches when both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s executive branch were held by different parties.
Bollin, the House budget chair, argued the funding cuts were “an opportunity for oversight” so the Legislature can take a more active role in monitoring the spending of taxpayer dollars.
While about $351 million will return to the general fund and still be available to the Legislature to appropriate, another $245 million comes from a variety of other sources and $48 million is in the form of federal funding, which may not be as easy to access again.
Rep. Samantha Steckloff, a Farmington Hills Democrat whose district is home to the Zekelman Holocaust Center, was left despondent by the cuts, noting the cut is being made at a time when “we’re seeing an increase in antisemitic attacks, when we’re seeing a rise in Holocaust denialism.”
The funding disapprovals required lawmakers to slash funding across broad categories of support, rather than individual grants. Hall indicated some of it came down to preference.
“I’d rather they give a million dollars to the Grand Rapids art museum, or maybe the Holocaust museum, than give 80 grants out to all these different glass blowing associations that we don’t even know what the hell the use is,” Hall said.
By Simon D. Schuster
Bridge Michigan
LANSING — The Republican-controlled state House budget committee has canceled nearly $645 million in funding for state departments’ projects heading into 2026, arguing departments have been “squirreling away” funding into “slush funds.”
The committee leveraged a relatively obscure provision in state law that allowed them to lapse the funding without buy-in from the state Senate, which is currently controlled by Democrats.
Rather than cutting funding, the committee - through a party-line vote and no discussion - technically disapproved requests from the State Budget Office to continue funding on a litany of ongoing work projects.
House Speaker Matt Hall said the cuts were part of a larger campaign to rein in the size of state government. He also acknowledged, however, that “not everything that the Appropriations Committee cut was waste, fraud and abuse” and that the move was in part a negotiating tactic for future spending bills. Some of the projects that lost funding could get it back again, Hall added.
“It’s the end of the fiscal year and you haven’t spent it … let’s block (funding for) it,” Hall, a Richland Township Republican, told reporters after the vote. “Let’s put (the funding back) in the general fund, and then let’s force a discussion about what is the best way to get value for your tax dollars.”
Democrats lambasted the maneuver.
“There’s a special place in hell for someone willing to yank money away from moms and babies 15 days before Christmas,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “I hope Matt Hall takes this holiday season to look within himself and reevaluate what exactly he’s doing here.”
House Budget Chair Ann Bollin said “there really was nothing to discuss” ahead of the vote, responding to protests from Democrats who had only minutes to review a list of cuts.
—————
What was cut
The disapprovals cut across state departments and types of programs. Among the slashed funding included:
• $18.5 million in funding for RxKids, a cash-grant program for pregnant women and new mothers.
• Grant funding for the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills.
• $56,600 to provide wigs to Michiganders undergoing cancer treatment.
• A $2.5 million pilot study for traffic cameras in school zones.
• $1.3 million in funding for the Office of Global Michigan.
• $1.9 million in grants to symphony orchestras
The largest single disapproval was $159 million for the Make It In Michigan Competitiveness Fund, an economic development program championed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to secure federal funding from legislation like the CHIPS Act. Hall said the Whitmer administration could instead use existing funds to secure the match federal dollars.
Republican members of the budget committee spent hours behind closed doors privately deliberating which projects should face the chopping block ahead of the full committee vote Dec. 10.
“This is some corrupt (bull),” Rep. Jason Morgan, an Ann Arbor Democrat, said after the vote. “I think this is a completely untransparent process.”
The day before, Rep. Thomas Kuhn’s budget subcommittee on general government was the only one to meet and discuss the prospective funding cuts in public. Kuhn, a Troy Republican, said he wanted to explain his recommendations for which projects should see funding cuts.
Among them was the sexual assault and law enforcement program in the Department of Attorney General. It uses funding to assist with ongoing investigations, prosecutions and victim services in cases stemming from a backlog of unprocessed “rape kits” in five different counties, according to the House Fiscal Agency.
“It seems to be run well and they’re doing a lot of stuff there,” Kuhn said of the program, but concluded it was “way over-funded” and noted they had gotten additional appropriations in more recent budgets.
That program was ultimately not cut in the full committee meeting.
—————
How the cuts were made
Ending funding for the projects is possible thanks to a quirk of the state’s Management and Budget Act.
The State Budget Office, which is controlled by Whitmer, can extend the funding provided to them via a request letter to the House and Senate’s budget committees. If the committees don’t act, the funding is automatically carried over to future years. But if either chamber’s committee explicitly disapproves work projects, the money is sent back to the state’s general fund.
The use of disapproval last week, however, was the first in memory for many in the 40 years since the law was written, including during stretches when both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s executive branch were held by different parties.
Bollin, the House budget chair, argued the funding cuts were “an opportunity for oversight” so the Legislature can take a more active role in monitoring the spending of taxpayer dollars.
While about $351 million will return to the general fund and still be available to the Legislature to appropriate, another $245 million comes from a variety of other sources and $48 million is in the form of federal funding, which may not be as easy to access again.
Rep. Samantha Steckloff, a Farmington Hills Democrat whose district is home to the Zekelman Holocaust Center, was left despondent by the cuts, noting the cut is being made at a time when “we’re seeing an increase in antisemitic attacks, when we’re seeing a rise in Holocaust denialism.”
The funding disapprovals required lawmakers to slash funding across broad categories of support, rather than individual grants. Hall indicated some of it came down to preference.
“I’d rather they give a million dollars to the Grand Rapids art museum, or maybe the Holocaust museum, than give 80 grants out to all these different glass blowing associations that we don’t even know what the hell the use is,” Hall said.
Nessel Releases Report on Clergy Abuse Allegations Within Grand Rapids Diocese
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released a report by the Department of Attorney General concerning allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct that took place in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
The report was released Monday to acknowledge the reports of abuse from victims and to report the Department’s findings. The document is a compilation of excerpts from the information obtained from the tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the Diocese of Grand Rapids, and the electronic documents found on the diocesan computers, as well as reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese.
The list of priests for which there were allegations of sexual misconduct against either children or adults since Jan. 1, 1950, is derived from information gleaned from a search warrant that was executed against the Diocese of Grand Rapids on Oct. 3, 2018, and from the tipline operated by the Department of Attorney General since 2018. There are 51 entries on this list, and of these 51 priests, 38 were ordained or incardinated by the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
“Accountability does not end with criminal prosecution,” Nessel said. “Accountability includes transparency, acknowledgment and a commitment to believing in and supporting victims. No matter how much time has passed, survivors deserve to be heard, and by releasing these reports, we hope to honor the courage of victims and ensure their experiences are no longer hidden.”
The Diocese of Grand Rapids agreed to provide reports of abuse to the Department of Attorney General. Victims often reach out to their faith leaders to share stories of alleged abuse. The willingness of the Diocese to provide information was instrumental in the compilation of the report.
The report contains detailed descriptions of allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct, including grooming and misuse of authority against minors and adults. The possible criminal prosecution of many of these allegations is barred by the statute of limitations, or because the accused priest is deceased, or for other allegations because the conduct did not violate Michigan law or the person who alleged the sexual abuse did not wish to pursue criminal charges.
The information is being released to the public as an acknowledgment to the victims of these alleged crimes and as a public accounting of the resources allocated to the Department of Attorney General to investigate and prosecute clergy abuse. It is important to note that a criminal charge is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is also important to note that the inclusion in this report does not reflect a determination by the Department that the allegations are credible or otherwise substantiated or indicative of a crime.
This is the fifth of what will be seven separate reports, one regarding each of the six Dioceses and the Archdiocese of Detroit. Earlier reports addressed reports of abuse within the dioceses of Marquette, Gaylord, Kalamazoo and Lansing.
In October 2018, 42 Michigan State Police troopers, five officers from different law enforcement agencies and 15 special agents from the Department of Attorney General executed search warrants at Michigan’s seven dioceses. In that effort, they seized 220 boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents.
“This report is only possible through the victims who came forward and the dedicated work of the Michigan State Police and members of my office as part of the Clergy Abuse Investigation,” Nessel said. “I am incredibly grateful for their commitment on these difficult cases.”
To date, the department has:
• Completed the paper document review of more than 1.5 million documents;
• Completed the electronic document review of more than 3.5 million documents;
• Hired and trained a full-time victim advocate to support the hundreds of victims identified during the investigation;
• Continued to refer the completed criminal investigations back to the respective dioceses;
• Followed up with victims who have not been interviewed by a trauma-informed interviewer; and
• Issued criminal charges in 11 cases throughout the entire state and secured convictions in nine cases, delivering justice for 38 survivors.
In addition to the paper and digital documents seized from the dioceses, information is also received through the Attorney General’s clergy abuse tip line. The tip line has generated 1,228 tips related to abuse, leading to many police investigations, at least 180 victim interviews, and more than 285 police reports.
For Grand Rapids, the investigation yielded 105 tips to the AG tipline; 27 those were provided directly from the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Of the 220 boxes of paper documents that were seized from the Archdiocese and the six Dioceses, 60 boxes containing approximately 150,000 documents were reviewed related to the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Of the 3.5 million electronic documents seized, 271,975 documents were reviewed related to the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
Information can be shared via the investigation hotline at 844-324-3374 or by email.
For more information on the Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation or to submit information, visit the department’s website.
Victims of sexual abuse and/or assault in need of additional resources should contact 855-VOICES4.
The report was released Monday to acknowledge the reports of abuse from victims and to report the Department’s findings. The document is a compilation of excerpts from the information obtained from the tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the Diocese of Grand Rapids, and the electronic documents found on the diocesan computers, as well as reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese.
The list of priests for which there were allegations of sexual misconduct against either children or adults since Jan. 1, 1950, is derived from information gleaned from a search warrant that was executed against the Diocese of Grand Rapids on Oct. 3, 2018, and from the tipline operated by the Department of Attorney General since 2018. There are 51 entries on this list, and of these 51 priests, 38 were ordained or incardinated by the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
“Accountability does not end with criminal prosecution,” Nessel said. “Accountability includes transparency, acknowledgment and a commitment to believing in and supporting victims. No matter how much time has passed, survivors deserve to be heard, and by releasing these reports, we hope to honor the courage of victims and ensure their experiences are no longer hidden.”
The Diocese of Grand Rapids agreed to provide reports of abuse to the Department of Attorney General. Victims often reach out to their faith leaders to share stories of alleged abuse. The willingness of the Diocese to provide information was instrumental in the compilation of the report.
The report contains detailed descriptions of allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct, including grooming and misuse of authority against minors and adults. The possible criminal prosecution of many of these allegations is barred by the statute of limitations, or because the accused priest is deceased, or for other allegations because the conduct did not violate Michigan law or the person who alleged the sexual abuse did not wish to pursue criminal charges.
The information is being released to the public as an acknowledgment to the victims of these alleged crimes and as a public accounting of the resources allocated to the Department of Attorney General to investigate and prosecute clergy abuse. It is important to note that a criminal charge is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is also important to note that the inclusion in this report does not reflect a determination by the Department that the allegations are credible or otherwise substantiated or indicative of a crime.
This is the fifth of what will be seven separate reports, one regarding each of the six Dioceses and the Archdiocese of Detroit. Earlier reports addressed reports of abuse within the dioceses of Marquette, Gaylord, Kalamazoo and Lansing.
In October 2018, 42 Michigan State Police troopers, five officers from different law enforcement agencies and 15 special agents from the Department of Attorney General executed search warrants at Michigan’s seven dioceses. In that effort, they seized 220 boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents.
“This report is only possible through the victims who came forward and the dedicated work of the Michigan State Police and members of my office as part of the Clergy Abuse Investigation,” Nessel said. “I am incredibly grateful for their commitment on these difficult cases.”
To date, the department has:
• Completed the paper document review of more than 1.5 million documents;
• Completed the electronic document review of more than 3.5 million documents;
• Hired and trained a full-time victim advocate to support the hundreds of victims identified during the investigation;
• Continued to refer the completed criminal investigations back to the respective dioceses;
• Followed up with victims who have not been interviewed by a trauma-informed interviewer; and
• Issued criminal charges in 11 cases throughout the entire state and secured convictions in nine cases, delivering justice for 38 survivors.
In addition to the paper and digital documents seized from the dioceses, information is also received through the Attorney General’s clergy abuse tip line. The tip line has generated 1,228 tips related to abuse, leading to many police investigations, at least 180 victim interviews, and more than 285 police reports.
For Grand Rapids, the investigation yielded 105 tips to the AG tipline; 27 those were provided directly from the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Of the 220 boxes of paper documents that were seized from the Archdiocese and the six Dioceses, 60 boxes containing approximately 150,000 documents were reviewed related to the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Of the 3.5 million electronic documents seized, 271,975 documents were reviewed related to the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
Information can be shared via the investigation hotline at 844-324-3374 or by email.
For more information on the Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation or to submit information, visit the department’s website.
Victims of sexual abuse and/or assault in need of additional resources should contact 855-VOICES4.
Red, White and Blue License Plate to Return
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has announced the return of Michigan’s beloved red, white, and blue license plate in celebration of the United States’ semiquincentennial, marking 250 years of independence. Drivers can order the limited-edition plate from Jan. 2, 2026 until the end of the year.
“As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m proud to announce Michigan’s iconic red, white and blue license plate will return to our roads in 2026,” Benson said. “Our latest legacy plate honors our country’s founding and history along with our ongoing fight for freedom, equality, and justice for all.”
The new license plate design is a modern take on the original 1976 bicentennial plate, which earned Michigan its first “Plate of the Year” award from the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. The plate includes elements of the American flag with bold patriotic colors, stars and stripes.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 317 of 2023 to revive the red, white, and blue plate and to create legacy plates replicating the white-on-blue and white-on-black license plate designs originally launched in the 1970s and 1980s. Drivers ordering any of the three new legacy plates will pay a one-time $55 fee, which includes a $5 plate service fee and a $50 contribution to the Michigan Transportation Fund for road construction and repairs across the state. Drivers renewing a legacy plate will pay a $10 renewal fee in subsequent years.
Michiganders can order the new semiquincentennial legacy plate starting Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 online at Michigan.gov/SOS, when purchasing a vehicle through a dealership, or by scheduling a visit to any Secretary of State office.
Visit Michigan.gov/LegacyPlates for more information.
Consumers Energy this year has provided $7 million to help electric and natural gas customers who qualify to receive help with bills.
Anyone who needs assistance with their energy bills can also call 2-1-1, a free resource that connects people with nonprofit organizations.
“As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m proud to announce Michigan’s iconic red, white and blue license plate will return to our roads in 2026,” Benson said. “Our latest legacy plate honors our country’s founding and history along with our ongoing fight for freedom, equality, and justice for all.”
The new license plate design is a modern take on the original 1976 bicentennial plate, which earned Michigan its first “Plate of the Year” award from the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. The plate includes elements of the American flag with bold patriotic colors, stars and stripes.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 317 of 2023 to revive the red, white, and blue plate and to create legacy plates replicating the white-on-blue and white-on-black license plate designs originally launched in the 1970s and 1980s. Drivers ordering any of the three new legacy plates will pay a one-time $55 fee, which includes a $5 plate service fee and a $50 contribution to the Michigan Transportation Fund for road construction and repairs across the state. Drivers renewing a legacy plate will pay a $10 renewal fee in subsequent years.
Michiganders can order the new semiquincentennial legacy plate starting Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 online at Michigan.gov/SOS, when purchasing a vehicle through a dealership, or by scheduling a visit to any Secretary of State office.
Visit Michigan.gov/LegacyPlates for more information.
Consumers Energy this year has provided $7 million to help electric and natural gas customers who qualify to receive help with bills.
Anyone who needs assistance with their energy bills can also call 2-1-1, a free resource that connects people with nonprofit organizations.
