LANSING – The Michigan House of Representatives today approved a $1.8 billion plan that will speed up construction and infrastructure projects throughout the state and create more than 29,000 jobs for Michigan's workers.
"Creating jobs for Michigan workers and getting Michigan's economy back on track is my top priority," said State Rep. Morris Hood III (D-Detroit), Chair of the Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee. "This plan will bring much-needed improvements to our colleges and universities, which will help our schools prepare our students for the good-paying jobs of the 21st century."
The plan that passed the House today speeds up funding for hundreds of construction projects at universities, colleges, airports, military facilities and state parks across the state. The projects will be funded with a mix of state, federal and local money. In addition to creating jobs now for Michigan's workers, the plan also will create new jobs in emerging fields by equipping our colleges and universities with the facilities they need to train students for high-tech jobs in homeland security, life sciences and other cutting-edge fields. Some of the projects include:
Expanding the Plant Sciences Bio-Economy facilities at Michigan State University, creating 2,341 jobs.
Building a Multi-Disciplinary Biomedical Research Building at Wayne State University, creating 2,880 jobs.
Building a Public Safety/Homeland Security Classroom Building at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, creating 240 jobs.
Building a Health Sciences Building at Saginaw Valley State University, creating 448 jobs.
"The hundreds of projects included in this plan will benefit Michigan now and well into the future," said House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.). "The immediate payoff will be the tens of thousands of jobs that will be created for our residents, which will help get our working families back on their feet. The benefits also will be realized for years to come as our world-class universities produce top-notch workers to join our workforce and make Michigan a magnet for businesses looking to expand or relocate."