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Michigan legislators have passed state COVID-19 relief totaling $4.25 billion, but there may be more revisions before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs it into law, according to reporting by Bridge Michigan.

The bill comes after several weeks of partisan disagreements about relief spending. While garnering bipartisan support, Whitmer is likely to veto various elements of the current bill because the legislation was crafted without the governor’s input, and the bill also contains connections to other legislation that would strip Whitmer of her authority to respond to the pandemic.  

The bulk of the funding within the plan focuses on education, vaccine distribution, pandemic unemployment benefits and specific business tax breaks. The main point of disagreement between Republican and Democratic legislators was when to use the remaining federal funding for the pandemic. Michigan Republicans wish to save the funds for later months, but Whitmer and the Democratic lawmakers say that using the funding would greatly help public health and schools across the state. 

Rep. Thomas Albert | Michigan House Republicans

In the midst of the political back-and-forth, many claims have been made on both sides of the aisle about the consequences of either option. Despite the delays from Republicans in allocating federal funding, this will not affect the number of vaccines coming to Michigan; the state is actually expecting to receive more than previously estimated. 

Republican leaders such as Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) accused Whitmer of using her COVID-19 executive orders as “calculated measures to retain power,” reports Bridge Michigan. The claims also assert that Whitmer’s restrictions have made Michigan worse off than other states economically. However, economists have emphasized that it is the virus itself and not the health measures that have influenced the economy the most.   

To contrast, Democrats and school officials have also claimed that Republicans have been holding school relief funding “hostage” to gain political leverage. Though there is validity to these claims, the level of consequence is not as devastating as claimed by Democratic officials. Even if the bill is vetoed by Whitmer, schools are on track to receive approximately $1 billion in funding throughout the rest of this year. 

Lastly, concerns have been raised about the possibility of losing federal funding if it is not used. For now, that shouldn't be a worry. However, if the political standoffs continue through into the summer, it could potentially jeopardize the situation. 

As Whitmer reviews the bills, the Michigan Legislature is aiming move towards a consensus to provide COVID-19 relief for the state.