Michigan reps seek $911M in district projects

Michigan House leadership held hearings in early March to review $911 million of legislators’ district grant requests — a new process that gives closer attention to legislatively directed spending, often referred to as earmarks or pork projects.

Beginning in 2025, House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, required lawmakers to submit formal funding requests for projects they want the state budget to pay for. The projects typically involve grants for nonprofits and local governments in lawmakers’ districts. Through much of the current century, these requests had lacked sponsor identification, usually appeared late in the budget process, and in other ways avoided public deliberations. Michigan’s Constitution requires supermajority approval for locally or privately directed spending items.

These requests, including those submitted this year, are posted publicly on the House website.

House leaders have held multiple committee hearings recently, where applicants can testify about their requests for funding in the fiscal year 2027 state budget. The new process gives legislators a chance to argue that the requested spending items will benefit the entire state rather than only local or private interests.

So far, lawmakers have submitted 419 requests totaling $911 million according to a spreadsheet that tracks the requests.

The 2027 spending requests are close to those in the fiscal year 2026 budget, which included $1 billion in earmarked spending. Earmarks have plummeted since the budget for fiscal year 2025, when Democrats controlled the legislative and executive branches and enacted $4 billion across 800 items.

Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno, R-Clayton, chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity, where the meetings have been held.

"These hearings are focused on making the budget process as transparent and accountable as possible,” Jenkins-Arno wrote in an email to Michigan Capitol Confidential. “Our goal is to carefully review each request, ask meaningful questions, and ensure every proposal is fully justified and truly benefits the people of Michigan.”

Important spending decisions should be made openly and in view of the public, Jenkins-Arno noted, not behind closed doors.

The increased attention on projects such as a curling rink or community swimming pool has brought criticism of earmarks from residents struggling to afford necessities. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has long opposed grants toward arts projects and other local community initiatives.

“District projects, whether spending on museums or splash pads or local charities, advance a particular lawmaker’s agenda,” said James Hohman, fiscal policy director at the Mackinac Center, in 2024.

If it is in the public interest to fund these types of projects, Hohman said, legislators ought to set up a grant program, establish criteria and select the best projects. Many of the requests come from local governments to support district interests such as park upgrades and beautification that he said should be paid for using local money.

“Handing out money to the projects selected by legislators ensures that we are not spending money wisely,” Hohman said.

Among the requests in the budget for fiscal year 2027 is one made Feb. 12 by Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-Dearborn, seeking $3 million from statewide taxpayers to support the Detroit Auto Show.