Tag Archive | politics

Planned cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will strip away health care and food from hundreds of thousands of Michiganders

May22

“The U.S. House Republicans who voted for this unconscionable budget bill have effectively turned their backs on the people they are supposed to represent and are putting millions of lives at risk — all to further line the pockets of the wealthiest among us.”

The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement today denouncing the U.S. House Republicans’ passage of a budget bill that could strip health care and food away from millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Michiganders, in order to offset the cost of major tax giveaways for the wealthiest U.S. households and corporations. The statement can be attributed to League President and CEO Monique Stanton.

“This is ‘one big beautiful bill’ for millionaires and billionaires…not the rest of us. There is nothing beautiful about taking away food and health care from over half a million Michiganders and millions more around the country. Celebrating this bill means celebrating the loss of jobs, economic security and essential support systems in communities all around our state. People in our country, including those who call Michigan home, deserve so much better than this.”

“The cuts to Medicaid will strip essential care away from an estimated 740,000 people in Michigan through harsh work requirements, while making it more difficult for many more of the 1 in 4 Michiganders who rely on Medicaid to afford the care they need through a plan to impose co-pays. And beyond these very real human costs, the cuts will more than likely force hospitals and other health care facilities — especially those in rural areas — to close their doors, resulting in accessibility issues and major job losses within our already-stretched-too-thin health care system. And our state economy will suffer as a result of reduced federal revenue, additional administrative costs due to new and unnecessary red tape requirements and restrictions on how Michigan raises money to pay for Medicaid. The far-reaching impact of these cuts will be felt not just by those who participate in Medicaid, but by every person in our state.

“Members of our Congressional delegation have heard loud and clear that the vast majority of Michiganders across political views and party affiliations — 83% — don’t want cuts to Medicaid, yet they are forging ahead with this reckless plan. Today’s vote was a huge slap in the face for their constituents. Lives will be put at risk as a result.

“Food insecurity among families in Michigan will also continue to spike as a result of the cuts to SNAP at a time when food banks are already struggling to keep up with community needs. More than 300,000 Michiganders could see their benefits reduced or taken away entirely as a result of the expanded work requirements, which will do nothing to help people who are out of work find jobs faster. Taking food away from those who need it most, including children, will only result in worse outcomes in health, education and overall well-being. SNAP cuts will also impact grocery stores and Michigan’s agriculture industry— one of our state’s largest economic drivers.

“House Republicans have shown where their loyalty lies and it is not with the everyday, working people in our country. It’s with wealthy individuals, businesses and large corporations. Under this bill, the average tax filer earning $1 million or more would receive about $90,000 in tax breaks at the expense of life-saving programs like Medicaid and SNAP, while families earning less than $50,000 would get under $300 in tax cuts in 2027, amounting to less than a dollar a day. The tax cuts that families with low incomes will receive are negligible and will do nothing to help them considering the increased costs they will face if more tariffs are enacted and their health care and food is stripped away. And the expanded Child Tax Credit leaves 17 million children behind whose families earn too little, while the bill takes the credit completely away from 4.5 million citizen or legal permanent resident children by requiring both parents to have a Social Security number. 

“The U.S. House Republicans who voted for this unconscionable budget bill have effectively turned their backs on the people they are supposed to represent and are putting millions of lives at risk — all to further line the pockets of the wealthiest among us.”

Urban League of West Michigan Statement on the Mistrial in the Case of Christopher Schurr

May9

The Urban League of West Michigan calls on the Kent County Prosecutor to swiftly retry the
murder case against former officer Christopher Schurr without delay.

On April 4, 2022, our community experienced a tragedy that forever changed the lives of the Lyoya family, the Grand Rapids Police Department, and the collective spirit of Grand Rapids. That day became a defining moment—testing our values, our institutions, and our commitment to justice.

The recent mistrial in the case of former police officer Christopher Schurr has laid bare a deep
and painful divide in our community. This fissure runs through the very foundation of a city
striving to become a place where all people, regardless of race, background, or circumstance, can
truly thrive.


For those who have long carried the burden of a criminal justice system that too often fails to
serve them, this mistrial is a devastating reminder of that reality. It represents not just a legal
failure but a profound moral one. Communities repeatedly asked to place their trust in the system
are once again left reeling—disillusioned, hurt, and retraumatized.


This is a grave injustice the Lyoya family must now bear—not only today, but for the rest of
their lives. It is a wound that also marks the conscience of every Grand Rapidian who believes in
the promise of justice. Until every system—education, health, housing, economic, and criminal
justice—works for all, our community cannot and will not thrive.


Let us not forget the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere.” An injustice to one is, indeed, an injustice to all.


The Urban League of West Michigan calls on the Kent County Prosecutor to swiftly retry the
murder case against former officer Christopher Schurr without delay. Additionally, we invite the
City of Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) to an immediate and
transparent dialogue with us and the broader community. This conversation should focus on a
thorough examination of the training, policies, practices, and procedures currently in place
within the Grand Rapids Police Department – particularly in instances where these actions result
in a loss of life.

Our city’s future depends on the courage to confront hard truths and the will to make meaningful
changes. Justice delayed is justice denied—not just for one family, but for all of us.

FAMILIES AT RISK IN FEDERAL BUDGET DEBATE, ADVOCATES WARN

May8

 Advocates for immigrant families, health care, food security, and economic opportunity warned today that the federal budget debate in Congress threatens deep cuts to health care and social services for millions of Michigan residents in immigrant families. Spokespersons for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition (PIF), Michigan Primary Care Association, Michigan League for Public Policy, and Food Bank Council of Michigan briefed Michigan journalists by teleconference.

“These cuts will impact immigrant families and communities across the state.” said Christine Sauvé, Policy, Engagement, and Communications Manager at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “Immigrants are integral to Michigan’s social, cultural, and economic fabric and the proposed restrictions would hurt us all. We all benefit when more people have access to the care and support they need to thrive.”

“Policymakers need to understand that – in addition to the human consequences – these cuts will mean job losses, loss of needed services to keep folks well, and facility closures across our state, including areas already experiencing insufficient healthcare access,” said Jackie Chandler, Population Health Manager at the Michigan Primary Care Association.

“The Child Tax Credit and other anti-poverty measures drastically reduce child poverty, making for a more prosperous economic environment with lower public costs in the long term,” said Scott Preston, Senior Policy Analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy. “Immigrants are important contributors to our state’s economy and the proposed cuts would simply make life harder for citizens who want to stay in Michigan and be part of our state’s future.”

“Denying SNAP to lawfully-present immigrants and U.S. citizens in immigrant families will drive up hunger across the state and undermine the economic stability of families, farms and other food producers, and neighborhood retailers across the state,” said Anna Almanza, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations, Food Bank Council of Michigan

“Congress should be looking for solutions to problems like unmet health care needs, hunger, and poverty, not making those problems worse,” said PIF Campaign Strategist Esther Reyes.

U.S. Senate Budget Plan Would Harm Millions of Michiganders and Deepen Wage Inequalities

Apr4

The Michigan League for Public Policy is strongly denouncing the United States Senate’s new budget plan, which is predicted to pass this weekend and would create harmful consequences for Michiganders. Monique Stanton, MLPP president & CEO states:

“The Senate’s new budget plan is downright dangerous, and if passed this weekend as planned, will set the stage for a damaging tax and budget bill. It delivers massive tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations — and covers the cost in part by slashing essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP. In Michigan alone, 2.6 million residents rely on Medicaid — including over 1 million children — and more than 1.4 million Michiganders rely on SNAP. These cuts would lead to higher health care and food costs for families, increased financial hardship, and millions potentially losing health coverage. 

Even with deep cuts, the tax breaks are so expensive that they will lead to a significant rise in the national deficit, increasing economic risks tied to unsustainable debt — all to benefit the wealthiest households.

It doesn’t have to be this way. There’s still time for Congress to change course. Lawmakers must honor their commitments to ease the burdens families face, not reshape the budget to serve those at the very top. A responsible plan would lower health care and grocery costs, expand the Child Tax Credit, and invest in working families — and ask corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share through a more balanced tax policy.

Senate Republicans are using misleading tactics to obscure the truth about this budget. They’ve downplayed the cost of these tax cuts and hidden the full scope of planned reductions to Medicaid, food assistance, student loans and other critical programs. In reality, the budget would make college more expensive and take away essential supports from families the President once vowed to protect — all while delivering an average annual tax cut of $62,000 to households earning over $1 million, according to the Tax Policy Center.

The plan includes at least $5.3 trillion in tax breaks over the next nine years — $1.5 trillion more than the cost of extending the 2017 tax cuts — and that number could climb even higher with additional program cuts under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee.

What does that mean for Michigan? According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, simply extending the 2017 tax cuts would give the richest 1% of Michiganders an average tax cut of $35,970 while the poorest 20%, who are already struggling to afford the basics, would receive an average tax cut of just $90. What’s worse is that we expect the plan to go beyond this — providing windfall tax breaks for wealthy Michiganders while making it harder for the rest of us to see a doctor, put food on our table and send our kids to school. 

It’s becoming clearer and clearer. Many in Congress are embracing an agenda that threatens public services and undermines democratic processes. Alongside the budget, Republicans are advancing executive actions that unlawfully withhold congressionally approved funding, politicize and weaken the civil service, and erode institutions like the Social Security Administration and the Treasury Department — putting the privacy and stability of millions at risk. On top of this, the administration is pushing new, unilateral tariffs that will raise everyday costs for working families by hundreds or even thousands of dollars — easily wiping out any modest tax relief they might receive.

This budget plan — like so much of the current agenda — is upside down. It breaks promises, deepens the already massive income gap, and puts the interests of the wealthy above the needs of the nation. The American people deserve a plan that builds shared prosperity — not one that leaves families behind.”

MLPP calls for Michigan lawmakers to keep kitchen table issues at the forefront of budget and policy

Jan10

The Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) issued the following statement on the State of Michigan’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC) held today. MLPP president and CEO Monique Stanton shares:

“While revenues are coming in higher than expected for both the state’s General Fund and School Aid Fund, we are urging state lawmakers to keep in mind that there is a lot of uncertainty around how federal programs and funding will be impacted by the incoming administration at the federal level. Over the past few years, federal funding has made up more than 40% of Michigan’s budget, leaving our state’s economic standing particularly vulnerable if future cuts to federal revenue sources are made.

In these uncertain times, it’s critically important to remain focused on the people of Michigan and the things they need most. That means keeping kitchen table issues like healthcare and prescription drug costs, access to healthy and affordable food, strong education systems, child care access and affordability, and housing and utility costs at the forefront of budget and policy discussions in the weeks and months ahead. 

These are the issues that remain top of mind for many Michigan families, especially the approximately 4 million Michigan households facing financial hardship and could be just one emergency or missed paycheck away from severe economic decline. These are also the issues that remain critically important for the more than 2.1 million children in Michigan—nearly 1 in 5 of whom are living in poverty. Each and every child growing up in our state today needs and deserves to have a safe place to live, healthy food on the table, a strong education, and the quality early child care and healthcare they need to get a good start in life and grow up healthy and strong.

Given this morning’s projections, we also want to caution our state lawmakers not to heed calls for tax cuts, which we know will largely benefit the wealthiest Michiganders. Now is not the time to slash state revenues that are vital to helping communities flourish and to lifting up and providing stability for families who are struggling to make ends meet.”

MLPP recently released an overview of its 2026 State Budget Priorities, which have been developed by pairing community input with the League’s own data and research. The priorities are centered around what a state’s budget should value most: its people. For this reason, it is called The People’s Budget. The League urges state lawmakers and leaders to use The People’s Budget as a roadmap for their budget and policy decisions in the year ahead.