LANSING – The popular Pure Michigan tourism campaign will get an infusion of money after all with the Legislature and Governor Jennifer Granholm agreeing to spend $10 million from the high-technology-focused 21st Century Jobs Fund as a short-term move. Under the bill (HB 4817), at least $1.5 million must be spent toward a winter promotional campaign.

“I recognize that this is not a perfect solution,” said Sen. Jason Allen (R-Traverse City), but he said it would at least provide for a small winter promotional campaign and a spring campaign.

After the Senate passed the bill 34-2, the House concurred in the changes 88-6.

Pure Michigan boosters had pushed for a permanent funding source for the effort, namely a tax on rental cars rented near airports, but the Republican-led Senate killed that plan, labeling it a tax increase.

The final haggling involved whether Ms. Granholm could appropriate money from the 21st Century Jobs Fund for the program without legislative authorization. The bill is designed to remove that issue.

The effort is effectively a concession to legislative Republicans who had pushed back against Granholm’s call to use excess revenues the state realized at the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Instead they had urged she use funds unused in the 21st Century Jobs fund, which was created to help promote and develop high-tech industry in the state.

Liz Boyd, Granholm’s spokesperson, said Thursday afternoon that Ms. Granholm and administration officials were “working today top ensure there is funding for the Pure Michigan campaign and to do it through the 21st Century Fund.”

It was still unclear if state law needed to be changed to allow for that funding from the 21st Century Jobs Fund, Boyd said.

Financing the popular and award-winning campaign has proven to be a major issue in the waning hours of the 95th Legislature. After lawmakers refused to fund the campaign as part of the 2010-11 budget, the campaign went dark on television during the critical fall travel season.

And state officials have said they will have to cancel the winter travel season ads they have planned if more funding is not found this week.

As legislators came into Lansing for the last of the lame duck session they were greeted by billboards urging they fund the program.

George Zimmerman of Travel Michigan said both the House and Senate want to fund Pure Michigan but were having trouble on where to come up with funding and ensuring the will to do it.

Governor-elect Rick Snyder has said if Pure Michigan is not financed he will make that a priority once he takes office.

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