House GOP files lawsuit over AG Dana Nessel’s ‘work projects’ opinion

LANSING – Republicans within the Home of Representatives filed a lawsuit Friday, Jan. 9, in an effort to overturn a current opinion from Legal professional Common Dana Nessel. They are saying this may derail their plans to dam wasteful spending.

The lawsuit filed within the Michigan Courtroom of Claims seeks an injunction and short-term restraining order to halt $645 million in “work challenge” spending that the Home Republican Occasion halted in December however that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration resumed after Nessel issued an opinion on Jan. 7.

The Republican-controlled Home Appropriations Committee brought about a statewide uproar on Dec. 10 when it invoked a not often used part of Michigan’s Administration and Finances Act to reject about $645 million in multi-year “work initiatives” requested by the State Finances Workplace on Nov. 14. The funds that have been authorised within the 2025 funds however nonetheless unspent on the finish of the 2025 funds 12 months — and which the Whitmer administration wished to push to 2026 and past by allocating the funding to work initiatives — embody funding for infrastructure, housing and meals help, clear power initiatives, native initiatives similar to new hearth vehicles and emergency automobiles, and a program that gives money to new mother and father. In any other case, the unused cash would ‘expire’ or circulate again into the sovereign wealth funds from which it got here.

Nessel mentioned she believes it’s unconstitutional for an appropriations committee in a chamber of the Legislature to have the ability to block beforehand authorised spending in that manner. She mentioned it permits the legislature to train powers reserved for the manager department of the state authorities and in addition violates a constitutional provision that legal guidelines have to be handed by each homes of the legislature.

In a Jan. 9 information launch, Home Speaker Matt Corridor, R-Richland Township, mentioned Nessel’s opinion was “purely political and deeply flawed” and was meant to allow the continued development of what he describes as departmental “slush funds.”

“Our lawsuit will finish this energy disaster at Nessel and uphold the regulation that enables the Legislature to place an finish to this nonsense,” Corridor mentioned.

The lawsuit filed by the Home of Representatives names 31 state departments and division heads in an effort to cease them from spending the cash. Corridor has mentioned he’s prepared to vote to revive a number of the blocked funding, however solely after negotiations and a vote by lawmakers.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.