Michigan lawmakers OK $125M in earmarks, from Tulip Time to eviction aid

Michigan lawmakers added roughly $125 million in earmarks for local projects in the new state budget
That’s less than $160 million from last year, and far less than the $4 billion in projects lawmakers had requested for this year
It’s also the first year that House and Senate lawmakers needed to follow new transparency laws for the spending requests

LANSING — Michigan lawmakers added roughly $125 million in pet project earmarks to a new state budget approved Friday, funding everything from a tenant eviction clinic to concert venues — and even Tulip Time and the Detroit Auto Show.

That’s a tiny fraction of the overall $84 billion state budget — which passed the Legislature at the end of a nearly 24-hour marathon session — and is less than the $160 million in earmarks approved last year.

But the spending is notable for another reason: It’s the first full year lawmakers have had to abide by new laws that require all spending projects be publicly requested at least 45 days before final budget votes and be subject to a legislative hearing.

“I’m proud we were able to advance a budget that not only invests in our state’s priorities but also leaves taxpayers with a clearer understanding of how their dollars are being spent,” said Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno, a Clayton Republican and chair of the House subcommittee responsible for reviewing spending projects, in a Friday statement.

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However, legislative sponsorship is not immediately clear for all grants included in the final budget. The State Budget Office is expected to compile that list, but the work could take days or weeks.

Senators submitted around 500 funding requests this year, while House lawmakers submitted roughly 750. Combined, they sought more than $4 billion in earmarks.

The final budget, as negotiated by legislative leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, included 135 earmarks. A Bridge Michigan analysis showed near-even counts for Republicans and Democrats.

Among the notable funding approvals:

$2.5 million to a Trout Unlimited chapter and other conservation groups for infrastructure improvements to the Au Sable and Upper Manistee rivers, sponsored by Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, in an effort to “fill the gap in infrastructure and river restoration efforts” previously undertaken by the Department of Natural Resources.
$2 million for the Detroit Auto Show, sponsored by Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-Dearborn. Money would be used to “support” the annual show, which Farhat called a “key economic driver for the state” that “stimulates workforce development, and provides educational opportunities for students and the broader public.”
$1.5 million for the Detroit Right to Counsel program, sponsored by Sen. Mary Cavanagh, D-Redford Township, which “provides full legal representation and outreach to low-income residents” facing eviction in Detroit. The money enables the group to continue working after federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act ends this month.
$615,600 for Michigan’s Military History Museum, sponsored by Rep. Kathy Schmaltz, R-Jackson, to “increase exhibit space, improve collections storage, and create additional capacity for public programs and events.” The initial funding request was for $750,000.
$250,000 for the City of Inkster to design and construct a downtown amphitheater, sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, which she said will benefit the community by “expanding access to cultural, recreational, and entertainment opportunities for residents of all ages.” She had requested $750,000.
$70,000 to “create programming” for the Dutch-themed Tulip Time Festival, sponsored by Rep. Nancy DeBoer, R-Holland. The initial funding request was for $100,000.

The requested amount and actually appropriated amount differed significantly in several cases.

In one instance, state Rep. Samantha Steckloff, D-Farmington Hills, requested $23 million for the Jewish Federation of Detroit to implement public safety measures to “protect Jewish residents of metropolitan Detroit and other locales in the State of Michigan from potential harm stemming from anti-Jewish acts and violence.”

Steckloff requested the funding in the wake of the March attack on Temple Israel, where federal officials say a 41-year-old naturalized citizen from Lebanon drove his truck through the synagogue’s front doors in an attempted “targeted act of violence.” Police shot and killed the gunman onsite.

The approved earmark, however, ended up totaling $6 million and was also supported by Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Bloomfield Township. Steckloff did not respond to a request for comment regarding the partially funded request.

James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said Monday that the smaller-than-asked-for dollar amounts are a reflection of budget negotiations.

Even if the final total doesn’t reflect the initial amount asked for, “I think it’s useful to know who is specifically requesting the money, and give them a chance to explain why they’re doing this and … how it can serve a public purpose,” Hohman said.

While his group had previously filed a lawsuit arguing that state budget earmarks should benefit all of Michigan, not just certain areas, Hohman said it “would be tough” to do this year, as each chamber passed the budget by a two-thirds majority vote.

The Michigan Constitution requires that any public funding for “local or private purposes” must be approved by two-thirds of all lawmakers. The Mackinac Center contends earmarks should meet that threshold.

In 2025, the Republican-led state House pushed for earmark reform under House Speaker Matt Hall following a series of scandals over allegedly misspent or embezzled funds awarded during spreading sprees by the Legislature.

In recent years, billions of dollars in earmarks were added to state budgets, often shortly before late-night votes, including millions for rockets, private firms, lavish coffee makers and projects benefiting the politically connected.

Nonetheless, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have in recent days championed new spending approvals as wins for both the state and the communities they represent.

Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township, said she was able to secure roughly $3.5 million for infrastructure projects in her district — $2 million of which is for an update to an intercounty drainage system.

“The reconstruction of this drain is absolutely critical to our community’s stormwater management, infrastructure health and water quality, but the cost has been an immense burden on residents,” Witwer, a former state House budget chair, said in a statement.

“…I hope this relief will help those who have been stretched thin by this project, and I will continue to pursue additional aid to offset the costs.”

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