LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Sen. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) called for the elimination of the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund and the dismantling of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) on Tuesday.
Soar Fund.
The SOAR Fund, established in December 2021, was initially created to “make Michigan more attractive for economic development and investment projects.”
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Although Albert initially supported the SOAR Fund, he has since voted against funding the program due to “its escalating project costs since late 2022,” according to a press release
“We must fundamentally change how we approach economic development in Michigan — because corporate welfare and the MEDC are failing miserably,” Albert said. “It’s been one disaster after another, and Michigan taxpayers deserve much better.”
Proposed legislation.
Albert introduced Senate Bills 486-491 to repeal the SOAR Fund. The legislation would return all unused SOAR funds to the state’s general fund. Additionally, it would ban elected state and local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements related to economic development projects using public funds.
Albert is also working on future legislation to “responsibly dismantle” Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
“MEDC has funneled billions of tax dollars to huge corporations, risky startups and politically connected grant recipients without any real accountability in the process — and that’s why there have been so many problems,” Albert said. “We’d be much better off reinvesting some of this money into road repairs and community improvements and using the rest to lower taxes overall so Michigan becomes a more attractive place to live for everyone.”
Aric Nesbitt.
Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) also shared his frustrations with MEDC, citing reports that a major donor to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer received a state lease deal even though state-owned buildings sat empty.
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“This is not an isolated incident. It’s a symptom of a much larger problem,” Nesbitt said in a press release. “The system is rigged to serve the governor’s friends at the expense of hardworking taxpayers, and it has to end.”
These incidents reveal a “troubling pattern of mismanagement and a lack of accountability under Whitmer’s leadership,” according to Nesbitt. The Senate Republican Leader renewed his call to create the Michigan Department of Government Efficiency (MI DOGE) to provide independent oversight.
“Michigan families deserve a government that prioritizes their needs — not one that rewards insiders and political donors,” Nesbitt said. “We need MI DOGE to stop this cycle of waste, fraud and abuse.”