Michigan lawmakers begin public pitches for earmarks under new transparency rule

• Michigan House makes earmark requests public, as required under new transparency rules adopted after heavy spending on pet projects
• Lawmakers have so far publicly disclosed 13 requests — a fraction of the more than 320 earmarks included in a 2023 state budget bill
• Requests include money for a community college ‘simulator’ and an indoor gun range in Saginaw

LANSING — Michigan lawmakers seeking budget earmarks are requesting them publicly for the first time under new transparency rules in the state House. 

Backed by Republican House Speaker Matt Hall and adopted earlier this year in a unanimous vote, the rules aim to shed light on a process lawmakers from both major parties have used in recent years to secure billions of dollars worth of "enhancement grants" for pet projects in their districts.

While the Senate has not adopted the same rules, Hall has vowed to block House votes on any budget bills with earmarks that have not been publicly disclosed by May 1. 

With a month to spare before that deadline, lawmakers have so far publicly disclosed 13 earmark requests — a far cry from the 320-plus earmarks, totaling more than $1.4 billion, that passed in 2023.

The new requests range from $600,000 to provide services to families facing economic instability to $425,000 to fund a private gun club’s new indoor range and training center.

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One of the requests — for a “simulator” at Kirtland Community College in Grayling proposed by Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord — does not specify what the device would simulate, though it appears to be related to operating forestry machinery. 

Reps. Amos O’Neal, D-Saginaw, and Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, both made three earmarks requests. Miller’s earmark requests largely align with classic earmark topics: a new fire engine, road repairs, or renovations for a new fishing pier and boardwalk on Belleville Lake in Van Buren Township.

“The state budget is a little tighter this year, but I will always work to help my district when I have an opportunity,” Miller told Bridge Michigan in a text message, noting she has secured earmarks for her district in past budgets and supports the new public disclosure rules. 

“Taxpayers deserve transparency into the budget process, and I believe these changes are a big step in the right direction,” she said. 

With the Legislature on an informal spring break this week, several other lawmakers requesting earmarks did not return requests for comment by Bridge Michigan. 

Under the new rules, lawmakers must specify how their requested earmarks would provide a public benefit and be an appropriate use of taxpayer money. 

In his request for $425,000 to fund construction of a training center and indoor gun range at the Bridgeport Conservation Club in Saginaw, O'Neal said it would allow the club to offer training on "new high-demand non-lethal products" and promote "safe firearm ownership, marksmanship skills, and camaraderie among shooting enthusiasts of all ages."

Earmarks, also known as pork-barrel spending, have drawn criticism in recent years as hundreds were packed into state budgets amid a surplus from a glut of pandemic-era federal aid. 

That included more than $1.4 billion in 2023 and more than $600 million in 2024. 

The grants drew criticism over a perceived lack of vetting and the opaque way in which the funding is assigned. Bridge has reported on how, in one instance, a $25 million grant was awarded to a nonprofit started by a former aide to then-House Speaker Jason Wentworth. The earmark is now under investigation.

In another instance, after a Macomb County developer received a $5 million grant to renovate a derelict Mount Clemens motel, he distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations to legislators, and the city later received a larger earmark for redevelopment. 

It’s not clear how or if the new House disclosure rules will shape this year’s budget negotiations. 

In prior years, many earmarks emerged only in the final version of the budget, often just hours before voting, after House and Senate leaders convened to reconcile their two versions of the state spending bills.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also called for reforming the earmark process, saying there should be more transparency in how the one-time grant dollars are allocated. 

Whitmer, however, has called for posting grant information online five days before the budget passes, while Hall has demanded it appear months in advance. 

The state Senate, which is currently controlled by Democrats, has not announced any changes to their earmark process or indicated they will follow the House’s plan.

Hall has also said budgetary earmarks would be considerably smaller compared to previous budgets.

He intends to “pick a limited number of earmarks, but it'll be more like $100 million,” the Richland Township Republican told reporters in February.

Hall has also said he would block passage of the budget if lawmakers try to include earmarks for local governments that consider themselves “sanctuary” jurisdictions for immigrants. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, accused Hall of “weaponizing funding” with the move. 

While Hall has vowed to improve transparency in state government, he has declined to take up a public records disclosure plan approved by the Senate.