Watchdog cries foul on stadium earmarks

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has sued the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity over what it says are unconstitutional earmarks approved by the Legislature. Its legal team is seeking an injunction to prevent the department from dispersing the money until the court resolves the dispute.

The lawsuit was filed in the Court of Claims to prevent the department from dispersing a total of $2.5 million that was approved for two professional baseball fields, Jimmy John’s Field in Utica and Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts.

Earmark Lawsuit by mcclallen on Scribd

The Utica field received $1.5 million from taxpayers and Jackson Field was awarded $1 million.

The earmarks, often referred to as district pork projects, violate Article IV, section 30 of the Michigan Constitution, Patrick Wright, vice president of legal affairs at the Mackinac Center, told Michigan Capitol Confidential.

The provision says taxpayer money that is approved for private or local purpose must receive a two-third vote of the Legislature. The earmark for those stadiums did not meet that supermajority threshold.

“Too often, decisions were made behind closed doors, shaped by political connections rather than the broader public interest,” Wright said in a press release.

There was $2 billion in similar requests included in the 2023-24 state budget and $1 billion approved in the 2024-25 budget.

House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, ordered all of the legislators’ requests to be published online for the public to view. House members have thus far requested 800 pork projects for the 2025-26 budget totaling $4 billion, MIRS reported.

In previous years, the public was only privy to earmarks after they were approved.

CapCon extensively covers pork spending each year. It is often unable to determine which legislator requested an earmark and why, due to a culture of opaqueness at the Michigan Capitol.

District pork project favors are not subject to scrutiny, as other appropriations are.

A legislator requested for example, money for a dedicated curling facility in Traverse City, without vetting the recipients. As CapCon reported in 2023, another curling facility in the area objected.

David Gerenson invested his own money to create the Leelanau Club, a dedicated curling facility. But his competitor asked for a favor from a legislator and was awarded $2 million to compete with Gerenson’s facility. Gerenson had no opportunity to compete for the funds – as is the case with most earmarks.

Some nonprofits receive large sums of money from taxpayers after existing for only a short time. There is no financial accountability to ensure the money was properly spent.

Such was the case with the Women’s Innovative Social Enterprise Partnership in Detroit. It received $1.5 million from taxpayers in 2024, just three years after it was approved as a nonprofit. Its 990 forms are not available as of this writing.

CapCon is currently covering earmarks requested in the 2026 budget.