LANSING – Michigan would start spending $2 billion of its federal stimulus dollars under a supplemental that passed the House Thursday. But Republicans held up giving HB 4258 immediate effect, arguing more accountability measures need to be added before the bill heads to the governor’s desk. The bill passed on a vote of 92-16.
The spending would go toward items such as weatherization, law enforcement grants and work force training.
Republicans tried to get amendments to the bill they had pushed for in committee a day earlier, such as prohibiting the money from going to political organizing groups and requiring a clear criteria for the spending before it could occur. But those measures failed.
Rep. George Cushingberry Jr. (D-Detroit) said the amendments would have run afoul of the federal government’s guidelines for the spending. He chastised Republicans for not giving immediate effect on the bills, saying that would hold up much needed spending in the community.
But House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Bellaire) said his caucus wanted to send a message to the Senate that more accountability measures have to be added before they can support the spending.
The bill was amended to require some of the money be spent on a user-friendly website to account for the spending, which the state already is doing. Another amendment added on requires departments using the subgrant process for spending the money to inform the Legislature.
A Democratic amendment that was not adopted would have refunded the quality assurance assessment program (QAAP) paid by hospitals since the 2005-06 fiscal year if the state got retroactive federal Medicaid assistance.
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