State Rep. Ann Bollin has introduced a plan to restore funding to help people recovering from opioid addiction after Gov. Whitmer gutted the program.

The Legislature set aside $600,000 to form a grant program to help community organizations establish or expand support services for people seeking long-term recovery from substance use disorders. The program was eliminated by one of the 147 line-item vetoes issued by the governor last week.

Bollin, of Brighton Township, said it was a mistake for the governor to strike the program because it was funded with part of a $28 million federal grant that must be used for the state’s opioid response. Bollin’s legislation, House Bill 5072, would restore the $600,000 the Legislature originally allocated to the program.

“It makes no sense to cut this service,” Bollin said. “Not only is it funded with a grant that can’t be used for anything else, but it’s also going to help fight the opioid epidemic that has hurt so many families in Livingston County and all across our state.”

Bollin’s measure is part of a bipartisan plan to restore funding to 24 programs vetoed by the governor. The plan has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.

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