State Rep. Jay DeBoyer issued the following reaction to a breaking story about secrecy surrounding a $250,000 earmark in the 2025 state budget for a Detroit building rehabilitation project. Not only is the building’s current ownership uncertain, but there is also a hesitancy from lawmakers in majority to take ownership of the earmark, and a lack of commitment to take on the project from the organization slated to receive the grant:

“This is certainly in keeping with the Democrats’ tendency to shroud information and their irresponsibility when it comes to putting in the work to ensure public funds are being used wisely. First it was a $4,500 publicly funded coffee maker, and now this.

“It has become apparent that Michigan’s budget process has become broken. Perhaps the Legislature should vet these projects and the people behind them proactively before the funds are doled out, rather than waiting for the funds to be wasted and then spending further public funds on an Attorney General investigation.”

“The fact that no one will vouch for this earmark isn’t surprising given the clear lack of information about who owns the building, what it would be used for once developed, and who will be responsible for developing. As a legislator, these are all serious red flags to me. Who is in charge of the budget? Neither Speaker Tate nor Appropriations Chair Witwer have shown any accountability or leadership in this clear oversight of public dollars.

“Politicians in Lansing must think the taxpayers are ignorant. The people of Michigan deserve transparency from their government, especially when it comes to how their tax dollars are being spent. Families across our state are being forced to tighten their belts amid inflation; meanwhile the government is bleeding funds on obscure and secretive pet projects like this one. It’s not right. Sadly, I don’t think this line item or any of the other irresponsible pet projects within this misguided budget will keep the governor from signing it into law.

“I commend the members of the media who practiced due diligence in vetting this funding project, even if the lawmakers who signed off on it didn’t.”