(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/23/2024) Areas of the state hit by a natural disaster that aren't covered by federal emergency assistance could apply for a piece of a new $50 million pot of state money, under a Michigan State Police (MSP) budget proposal that moved out of a House subcommittee Tuesday morning.
The "Climate Change Emergency Disaster Relief" Fund was the highlight of the House's $982.4 million MSP budget recommendation for Fiscal Year 2025. It comes after Subcommittee Chair Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) noted the increased prevalence of 100-year storms and the expense that comes with the cleanup.
"We are absolutely seeing increased damage to our communities as a result of climate change," Morgan said. "This is an investment out of resiliency and addressing the costs of climate change."
The new line item in HB 5510 received push back from Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington) and Republicans out of concern that local officials would be put in a position of proving a tornado, straight-line winds or extreme flooding were caused by climate change.
Morgan explained that the earth's changing climate is a reality, and if the language in the budget bill needs to be tightened to make that clear, he supports giving it another look. However, the most important thing is for the state to be ready to assist communities when that next disaster hits.
The House subcommittee also moved $5 million in money the governor recommended away from recruitment and retention and into police training that's already showing results. The Public Safety Academy Assistance Programs, through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, gives scholarships to police academy recruits who may want to be a cop but can't afford to take time away from work to attend an academy.
"There are a lot of people who can't afford the five weeks of no income and no work to be able to be a law enforcement officer," Morgan said. "This program is already working at $20 million and the funds are going very quickly."
Other highlights from the House's MSP proposal include:
- Setting aside six officers and $500,000 to operate the metal detectors at the state Capitol as opposed to the $1.4 million and 13 officers the governor recommended.
- Creating a $400,000 cold case funding program for Western Michigan University and Northern Michigan University. Morgan said cold cases exist at both universities that students could be digging into to assist law enforcement, be it through criminal investigation work, forensic science or legal issues.
- $250,000 to dispose of firearms through the state's buy-back program.
The House's MSP budget is roughly $50 million more than the governor's recommendation and $89 million more than the current year. No Republican members supported moving the spending plan to the full House Appropriations Committee.
More Veterans Homeless Grants Mark House's DMVA Budget
State veteran homelessness grants would more than triple from $1.5 million to $5.5 million as part of a spending plan for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs that moved out of a House subcommittee Tuesday morning.
Subcommittee Chair Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) said he'd like to knock the homelessness population to as close to zero as possible and these grants have been effective in helping those who served our country in the military.
HB 5510 also includes $1 million for a new VETS Ride pilot program that is designed to help veterans living in rural communities get a lift to their various appointments.
The budget also creates a placeholder for a "Veteran Directory," something similar to what was done in Minnesota to help better identify and serve homeless veterans.
Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington) had wanted to bring back a provision in the budget that would allow the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to create a three-person division to address veteran suicide prevention. Morgan noted that without funding, that piece of boilerplate was too confusing to implement.
The $265 million House budget is $2 million less than what the governor proposed. It includes $7.5 million in additional improvements to the Selfridge Air Force base, less than the $10 million the Macomb County facility received this year and what the governor suggested for this coming year.
It also sets aside $1 million to fix the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home, which helps active military, veterans and their families with housing and resources for up to four years in times of financial difficulty.
The plan used $5.5 million in lapse funds from the National Guard Tuition Assistance Fund. Morgan said he saw more value in using the surplus funds for current programming than flopping over the leftover money for next year.
No Republicans supported moving the budget to the full House Appropriations Committee. The plan mostly mirrored the governor's recommendations.
