Legislator backs plan limiting State Administrative Board abilities

State Rep. Michele Hoitenga, of Manton, today lent support for a new common-sense framework related to the state budget – preserving some State Administrative Board powers while preventing future gubernatorial abuse of the system regardless of who holds the governor’s office.

The plan relates to a board recently used by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to unilaterally shift around $625 million in taxpayer money without oversight or accountability during the budget process.

Her actions eliminated Legislature-approved support for some of Michigan’s most vulnerable people – defunding programs to help children in foster care, boost court-appointed advocates for children, help at-risk youth and fight human trafficking. Instead, the funds were shifted to separate bureaucratic priorities.

“I’m supporting these measures because I support protecting people’s voices in Northern Michigan,” Hoitenga said. “They show up to town halls, call my office and meet with me at coffee hours to communicate what issues matter to them and what I should be fighting for with their tax dollars in Lansing. That ability is compromised severely when the governor can move hundreds of millions of dollars in Legislature-approved funding around with last-minute, bait-and-switch politics. This is a dangerous precedent that undermines our government process and, most importantly, stymies people’s ability to engage constructively with their elected officials.”

One of the proposals introduced in reaction to the governor’s move would limit the amount of money the board could redirect in any one line item to $200,000 in one budget year. The other would change the appropriations process to empower the Legislature with stronger authority on budget transfers.

Limiting the amounts of money that can be transferred by the State Administrative Board would return Michigan to the parameters of the 1970s and 1980s under Gov. William Milliken, adjusted for inflation. It also would place a proper emphasis on current procedures for budget-related transfers that the Legislature and the governor’s administration routinely use year-round.

The legislation, House Bills 5175-77, will be reviewed in the House Government Operations Committee.