LANSING –State Representatives Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak), Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington/Farmington Hills), and Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) today announced an aggressive job-creation plan that rewards companies that employ 100 percent Michigan workers.
"Michigan's economy has been decimated by the loss of our manufacturing sector and corporate outsourcing and downsizing policies," Donigan said. "State funds earmarked for economic development are designed to jumpstart and diversify Michigan's economy and attract businesses, and our Hire Michigan First job-creation plan prioritizes these resources to businesses that employ 100 percent Michigan workers."
The "Hire Michigan First" plan:
· Gives companies that hire 100 percent Michigan workers priority in the awarding of tax breaks and other economic development tools. This rule would apply to projects handled by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and certain state-funded programs, including the Strategic Fund Act, Transportation Economic Development Fund, and the 21st Century Jobs Fund;
· Requires businesses with contracts for construction of state buildings to hire 100 percent of their workers from Michigan, strengthening the current requirement of 50 percent; and
· Cracks down on companies that exploit illegal immigrant workers by canceling their state contracts and tax incentives. The plan would require them to pay back incentives already received and bar them from future contracts.
"Michigan's working families are second-to-none, and this plan ensures that state resources are being used for our residents," Vagnozzi said. "We must provide our local workers with as many employment opportunities as possible."
The "Hire Michigan First" initiative also cracks down on the practice of hiring illegal immigrants and prohibits businesses that violate these guidelines from receiving tax breaks or future state contracts.
"We must stand by Michigan's talented and diverse workforce during these challenging economic times," Meisner said. "We need to make sure our state will use tax payer dollars to help Michigan workers."