LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan lawmaker says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's elimination of Pure Michigan from the 2020 budget is "a dumb move."
State Rep. Jack O'Malley of Lake Ann in Benzie County says there's a lot more to Michigan than just freeways.
"Pure Michigan is not just about tourism. It is about promoting the state for jobs and attracting people to live and work, and maybe bring business, to our state," O'Malley said in a statement released Wednesday. "Population is the number one resource this state is losing – Pure Michigan is one of the best assets our state has to bring people back and invite newcomers to our state."
O'Malley said he would fight to get Pure Michigan back on the budget "with appropriate funding."
Whitmer signed the 2020 budget on Monday, Sept. 30, but not without also issuing 147 line-item vetoes. Among them was a cut to the proposed $37.5 million funding for the Pure Michigan tourism campaign. The vetoes also impacted other significant parts of the budget — including funding for roads, hospitals, counties, need-based college scholarships, tourism advertising and charter schools.
Whitmer's office says the governor supports Pure Michigan but was forced to cut the budget after negotiations with Republicans broke off.
The city of Holland has been a long-time partner of Pure Michigan, first joining as part of a pilot program in its early years. The executive director of Holland's visitor's bureau, Sally Laukitis, said she was shocked to hear the program was cut, never dreaming that a successful tourism marketing campaign with huge economic impact to disappear from the budget.
Laukitis attributes much of Holland's growth to its partnership with Pure Michigan, saying that for every $1 spent on marketing with the organization, the city sees about a $9 return on investment.
See all of the line-items vetoed by the governor here:
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