by nikki devitt
2025 was a tough year for northwest LowerMichigan.
In the spring, the region was hit with an ice storm that caused significant hardship and historical levels of damage that will take generations to truly recover from. Our state legislators acted quickly, but the efforts of the Northern Caucus amounted to little success, securing merely $14-million in the state budget for ice storm relief.
Then, in an unprecedented action on Dec. 10, the Michigan House Appropriations Committee negated $645-million in work project funding that had previously been approved and voted on by the state Legislature in 2024. This highly unusual action taken by several representatives has resulted in mass confusion across the state and cancellation of funding for many important initiatives at state community colleges, the Department of Education, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Strategic Fund, and many more.
These funds were allocated to projects such as Rx Kids, which provides funding and support to soon-to-be and new mothers and their babies; apprenticeship programs; occupational training; and housing supports for the Sault Tribe’s homeless community. These are not abstract budget items; they are investments that directly support Northern Michigan’s workforce, families, and long-term economic competitiveness.
Northern Michigan residents deserve representation that does more than observe these decisions after the fact. Elected officials have a responsibility to actively advocate for their districts, understand the regional consequences of budget actions, and ensure their constituents’ interests are represented when critical decisions are made in Lansing.
On Dec. 16, Sens. Jon Bumstead, R-North Muskegon, John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, and Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, voted to reverse the House actions and ensure programs supporting social programs, talent and job development would again be funded as intended in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 state budget.
The Senate-approved House Bill 4576 includes supplemental appropriations to restore all funding cut by the House Appropriations Committee. Meanwhile, the Senate has yet to act on HB 4328, which would provide $100 million in ice storm relief dollars to the region.
It is important that our elected officials understand that both bills present opportunity for Northern Michigan to benefit.
Please make your voice heard, call your state senator and thank them for their efforts in restoring critical work projects to the region, and ask them to support continued ice storm relief.
Call your state representative and thank them for their advocacy for ice storm recovery and ask them to support the restoration of our work projects.
No matter which chamber, there is opportunity for the region to benefit.