Hello reader, How do you make neighborhoods safer? It’s the million-dollar question — or billion-dollar, literally — for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The second-term governor appeared in Flint on Monday to tout her newly-proposed $500-million budget for public safety. Since she took office in 2019, Whitmer has increased state spending for police and invested a total of $1 billion. The latest proposal from Whitmer includes almost $70 million for law enforcement training, $10 million for equipment for corrections officers, $5 million for juvenile justice reform, $5 million to expand Job Court to reduce recidivism and more. It also includes nearly $11 million to establish the Office of Community Violence Intervention Services, which works with local organizations to reduce violent crimes. The funding was approved in a supplemental budget in March. Similar programs have worked in other places that have them, such as Chicago, Illinois, New York and Philadelphia, according to multiple studies on the impact of such programs. Whitmer touted the program’s effectiveness Monday, but acknowledged to reporters that there is no one solution to it all. Indeed, despite increased public safety funding annually, Michigan saw a rise in statewide violent crime rates in recent years — something Republicans have blamed Whitmer for but some experts have suggested could be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Multi-sector problems call for multi-sector solutions,” Whitmer said Monday, arguing reducing crime rates means more investments in affordable housing, education and more. It will also be hard to measure how well the community violence intervention program — or any program — works, said Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint. “It is very difficult to assess one program in a vacuum,” he told Bridge Michigan. “This is one tool in a large toolbox, and we need to be exercising all the tools together.” Democrats will likely agree with Whitmer’s budget proposal. Cherry shouted from the audience Monday that the governor will “like this budget.” Do you think the state Legislature is doing enough to address Michigan’s crime problem? What more do you think needs to be done, if anything, beyond increased funding? Share your answer with me at syu@bridgemi.com or reach out to my colleagues Jonathan Oosting at joosting@bridgemi.com or Lauren Gibbons at lgibbons@bridgemi.com. If you like our Capitol coverage, please consider a donation to support our nonpartisan reporting on state politics and policy. Thanks, Yue Stella Yu, Capitol reporter See other newsletter options Despite vows, Democrats do little to improve Michigan government transparency Lawmakers say they still plan to fix public records laws. Transparency advocates say there’s plenty to be done. Support Bridge Michigan's politics reporting Thank you for subscribing to our Politics Watch newsletter! If you value our fact-driven news about politics and policy in our state, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Your support makes this work possible! See our member benefits New Michigan bills could give sexual abuse survivors more time to sue A nine-bill package introduced Thursday would extend the statute of limitations for sexual assault survivors to take legal action. They would be able to sue until they turn 52 and have two years to consider lawsuits even after the statute of limitations expires. Michigan Democrats eye hate crime reform, look to add LGBTQ protections A trio of Democratic lawmakers are seeking to update the state’s anti-hate crime law with an expanded definition of hate crime and enhanced penalties. The law has not been updated since its establishment in 1988. Michigan automatic expungement: What convictions qualify, how to check What to know about what happens now after Michigan became the latest state to employ an automatic expungement system designed to clear old criminal records without a court hearing. A new Michigan legislative committee on mental health gives parents hope Michigan’s thread-bare mental health system fails children in crisis. Can a new committee filled with lawmakers who have experience in healthcare or first-hand knowledge of mental health challenges bring focus? Michigan rejects Camp Grayling expansion, instead offering annual use permits The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has rejected a proposal to double the footprint of the Camp Grayling military training base, instead making 52,000 acres available for potential short-term military use. Twitter Facebook Website Instagram Email Too many Bridge emails? Update your preferences Never want another Bridge email? Unsubscribe here This email was sent to: Cb31450@gmail.com Copyright © 2023 The Center for Michigan • 220 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197