LANSING – State Representatives Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) and Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) today voted to pass the "Hire Michigan First" plan, which rewards companies that employ 100 percent Michigan workers with state economic development incentives. The aggressive job-creation plan also cracks down on companies that hire undocumented workers by creating penalties that include requiring them to pay back their state incentives and barring them from future state contracts.
"When taxpayer dollars are used to create jobs in Michigan, those jobs should go to Michigan workers," said Brown, a sponsor of the plan. "'Hire Michigan First' will make sure that our scarce state resources are put to the best possible use. We have to protect our working families and focus on getting our residents back to work."
The "Hire Michigan First" plan:
- Rewards companies that hire the most Michigan residents in the pursuit of state tax breaks and other economic development incentives. This rule would apply to projects handled by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and certain state-funded programs, including the Michigan Economic Growth Authority and the Renaissance Zone Act.
- Encourages transparency and accountability by requiring companies that accept incentives to report on who they hire to ensure that Michigan residents are put first.
- Cracks down on companies that hire undocumented workers by creating penalties that include requiring them to pay back their tax incentives and barring them from future state contracts.
"It was vital to move quickly on this plan to create jobs, bring in new businesses and jumpstart our economy," Barnett said. "Our workers and business owners are struggling and we need to do everything possible to create an economic climate that attracts new employers to our state and helps our existing businesses. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act swiftly on this plan to turn Michigan's economy around."