State Rep. Timmy Beson, R-Bangor Township, today issued the following statement after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in her State of the State address, mentioned afflicted business relief she vetoed twice before finally approving it:

“Apparently, the third time is the charm for Gov. Whitmer. She now loves my plan for afflicted business relief. But before she signed it in December, she vetoed it twice. She blocked relief for small businesses that were hurt by her executive orders.

“This should have been done last March. Businesses that are finally going to get help soon could have received this help last year when the struggle was real — even more so than now. Some small businesses have closed since then, and this relief might have helped them keep their doors open.

“As elected officials, we’re here to help everybody in our state. We have to help the people at our small businesses. I hope the governor’s praise for business relief will carry over to other pro-small-business plans.”

Beson proposed afflicted business relief in early 2021 with his House Bill 4047. The budget proposal passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, but Whitmer removed the business relief from the bill before signing it in March. She again vetoed the plan when it was passed in a different bill. She finally signed the relief plan last December.

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