LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2021) — Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills) has issued the following statement after the Michigan Senate today passed the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which included substantial investments in programs to help workers get the skills they need to earn good-paying jobs, increase the number of kids eligible for low- or no-cost childcare, and provide for sorely needed infrastructure improvements across the state.

Totaling just under $70 billion — using a combination of state and federal funds — the bipartisan budget agreement provides endless possibilities to renew and rebuild Michigan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The budget passed by the Michigan Senate today is the culmination of hard work and sacrifice from both sides of the aisle, and prioritizes the health, safety and futures of all Michiganders,” Sen. Bayer said. “The progress made today is nothing less than a decisive, fiscally responsible response to some of the biggest concerns our residents have faced, and I am proud to have played a part in its creation on behalf of the residents I represent.”

Some key investments for Sen. Bayer’s district secured in the FY 2022 budget are:

  • $250,000 for a Violence Interruption Program planning grant to be run by the Oakland Community Health Network.
  • $1 million for Honor Community Health, a federally qualified health center in Pontiac.
  • $200,000 for the replacement of sewer lines in Franklin.

“I’m also pleased to see the state make serious investments in water infrastructure, such as replacing lead service lines, as well as PFAS remediation and environmental initiatives — like the Green Revolving Fund — to respond to the devastating effects of climate change across the state,” Sen. Bayer added. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure all Michiganders reap the benefits of what this budget agreement has to offer and promise to make sure that additional federal dollars coming our way are invested appropriately in the months ahead. Together, we can emerge from the other side of the pandemic stronger than before.”

###