LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, some Democrats supported efforts to defund the police.

Former State Rep. Jon Hoadley, a Democrat from Kalamazoo, voted against a June 17, 2020 resolution adopted by the Michigan House that discouraged local governments in Michigan from defunding or abolishing their police departments.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she supported the “spirit of defund the police” and marched with Black Lives Matter during the summer of 2020.

The idea of defunding the police has waned in recent years based on funding data and comments made by some Democrats.

State funding for the Michigan State Police, the only police agency funded by the state legislature, reached record levels in 2024-25.

And in September 2025, House Democrats put out a press release criticizing Republicans for cutting funding to police during budget negotiations.

“State House Republicans are abandoning working families to pursue an agenda that will attack Michiganders’ health care, defund the police, and kill jobs,” said Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Curtis Hertel in a press release. “Michigan Dems are hitting the doors to remind constituents that their Republican representatives prioritized Matt Hall’s political agenda over the community that they took an oath to protect.”