FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
Gov. Whitmer Signs Bills to Put More Money in Your Pocket, Making Michigan a Better Place to Live, Work, and Invest
Legislation bolsters infrastructure in our state, ensuring hardworking Michiganders are paid more and cutting red tape to eliminate blight in our neighborhoods
LANSING, Mich. – Governor Whitmer signed three bills this week to raise wages for workers building clean energy projects, lower costs for cities and towns to help them fix up damaged properties, and cut red tape to eliminate blight in our communities and make them better places to live, work, and invest.
"Michiganders across the state deserve competitive wages to help them get ahead and safe neighborhoods to return home to at the end of the day,” said Governor Whitmer. “That’s why I’m proud to have signed three commonsense bills, putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Michiganders, ensuring that they are well paid for good work, and making it easier to redevelop blight in our neighborhoods so we can make them more attractive places to live, work, and invest. Together, we’ll keep supporting our workers, growing our economy, and making progress on the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Delivering on Key Infrastructure Priorities
Senate Bill 571, sponsored by state Senator John Cherry (D-Flint), ensures that Michiganders working on renewable energy projects get more money in their paychecks, allowing for competitive wages and a higher quality of work. It also requires contractors to register with the state before bidding on a state project. This bill will foster a more competitive and equitable process for state projects. It will also prioritize local manufacturing and development, boosting Michigan’s economy and promoting homegrown solutions, ensuring that any business can “Make it in Michigan.”
“This legislation isn’t just about fair compensation; it’s about safeguarding the skills and safety of our workforce,” said state Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint). “This law will be instrumental in supporting our state’s transition to clean energy and it’ll ultimately save us more money in the long run. I’m incredibly proud to have worked alongside my Senate colleagues to build a more sustainable and just future for the state of Michigan and all those who call it home.”
House Bill 4331, sponsored by state Representative Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit), responds to inflated costs, giving local governments more financial flexibility and capability to fix damaged properties. This bill works to make Michigan’s communities safer by ensuring local governments have sufficient funds to respond to property damage quickly and demolish blighted buildings that pose safety concerns to residents.
“This legislation is important to help communities recover quicker after property losses. It’s important to take care of damages from fire or other disasters to prevent blight and abandonment of property in our neighborhoods. Now municipalities will have more money withheld for demolition or repairs if needed,” said state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit).
House Bill 4332, sponsored by state Representative Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit), puts public safety and infrastructure first by ensuring that offenders are incentivized to correct blight violations in a timely manner, ensuring that local communities are repaired and revitalized while also maintaining the state’s commitment to public safety.
“This is about keeping our neighborhoods free from blight and pollution. My bill increases the penalties and puts more pressure and accountability on these landlords and landowners who contribute to making these unsafe eyesores in our neighborhoods due to their neglect. Enough is enough, and polluters must pay up — and pay more,” said state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit).
Governor Whitmer’s Work to Restore Workers’ Rights
- Repealed anti-worker laws and put the power back in the hands of hardworking Michiganders, ensuring workers can more effectively bargain together for fair wages and benefits.
- Signed an executive directive to fight payroll fraud and required the state to increase the number of contracts awarded to companies that create good-paying jobs in the state
- Ensured Michiganders could get to work easier by fixing 20,000 lane miles of road and 1,400 bridges, supporting 118,000 jobs
- Protected Michigan's construction workers, mandating traffic control measures that keep both drivers and workers safe
Governor Whitmer’s Work to Reduce Blight in Our Communities and Neighborhoods
- Announced that the State of Michigan will make the largest investment to build housing in Michigan history, with nearly $1.4 billion to build or rehabilitate nearly 10,000 affordable homes in her 2024 State of the State Address.
- Signed a bipartisan supplemental investing $275 million to build and refurbish thousands of affordable housing units, revitalize communities, and address blight.
- Secured a sustainable funding source for Revitalization and Placemaking Grants, used to make communities more attractive places to live and work by building housing.
###
| STAY CONNECTED: | |||
 |
 |
|
|
|
Subscriber Services:: |
|
||||
