Corrections budget moves forward with Mueller’s amendment

State Rep. Mike Mueller explains his amendment to his colleagues in the Michigan House.

A crucial initiative to prevent overcrowding in the Genesee County Jail has been retained in the Michigan House budget, thanks to a measure sponsored by state Rep. Mike Mueller of Linden.

The corrections budget approved by the House Appropriations Committee would have eliminated funding for the Genesee County Public Safety Initiative, which covers costs associated with housing the overflow of Genesee County offenders in the Flint City Lockup and jails in other counties. Mueller today proposed an amendment to restore the $4 million in funding and gained the support needed for its approval.

“Protecting the safety of the people in our community must always be a top priority,” Mueller said. “We must never go back to the situation we had a decade ago, when the Genesee County Jail was so overcrowded there was nowhere to put the criminals who were arrested.”

The amended corrections budget passed the House today, advancing it to the Senate for consideration.

###