LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A series of bills that would earmark $4.5 billion to economic development and transit over the next decade gained the approval of a Michigan House committee.

The funds would be part of the “Make It In Michigan” program and replace the current Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund (SOAR). It’s a program strongly supported by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer since she says the housing and transportation subsidies would help grow Michigan’s waning population.

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State Rep. Donni Steele (R-Orion Township) is critical of the program no matter what it is called.

“SOAR is broken, and House Democrats plan to fix it by moving some money around to create similarly flawed programs with even more specific carveouts,” said Steele. “If we’re going to offer corporate incentives, we need to ensure that every Michigan company has an equal shot for assistance. Nothing in this plan addresses that clear lack of fairness, oversight, and accountability.”

However, dissenting Republicans aren’t the only hurdle for majority Democrats in Lansing when it comes to passing this package of bills. Representative Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) is also against it. He referred to it as a “corporate handout fund.”

“The problem is that this type of economic development historically hasn’t worked,” he testified on Tuesday. “We have to stop gambling with taxpayer dollars.”

 

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The corporate welfare Wegela mentioned has been a staple of Gov. Whitmer’s tenure along with her partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). So far she has used taxpayer dollars to fund four megasites in Big Rapids, Marshall, Clinton County, and the Flint area despite sizeable community pushback.