Senate Republicans tonight announced a spending plan related to the coronavirus without revealing exact dollar figures before adjourning until Friday morning while House Speaker Lee Chatfield said in a statement he expects more details from the administration tonight.
Yesterday, sources familiar with the situation said the House and Senate Republicans agreed to a less than $300 million spending bill to provide COVID-19 relief and Ms. Whitmer's office was reviewing. A statement from Senate Republicans tonight announced a "supplemental relief package," though didn't include specific funding amounts.
The Senate then adjourned until Friday when it was previously expected tonight would be the last day of session of the term for the chamber. A spokesperson declined further comment on why the Senate adjourned.
The Senate statement said the spending would go toward expanding testing and vaccine distribution and helping hospitals and nursing homes address their shortage of nurses, including an extension of the pay increase for direct care workers.
It would also provide assistance to businesses and furloughed or laid-off workers, the statement said.
"Governor Whitmer continues to go it alone on COVID-19, closing down businesses and laying off workers in the middle of the holiday season," said Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland). "But Senate Republicans are stepping up to help the thousands of Michiganders struggling financially and to ramp up testing and vaccine distribution to a point where we can safely reopen our state once and for all."
Mr. Chatfield (R-Levering) said in a statement that providing COVID relief has long been a priority for the Legislature.
"Including more than $6 billion in additional testing, protections for health care workers, safety equipment, and more boots on the ground to keep people safe," he said. "Our budget committees are working on the details of the budget agreement right now. We are waiting for more detail on the spending requests from the administration at the moment, but I'm sure they will respond tonight."
Jen Flood, a deputy chief of staff for Ms. Whitmer, pointed to a letter from the governor on the spending plan two weeks ago.
"Um. Here it is. In a letter. From December 3," Ms. Flood tweeted in response to Mr. Chatfield waiting for more details.
Gongwer News Service will have more on this story in today's Michigan Report.
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Senate adjourns until Friday as Chatfield expects to hear from Whitmer on COVID spending - Crain's Detroit Business
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