My colleague, Sen. Adam Hollier of Detroit and myself recently proposed a generational investment in veterans with the construction of a new veterans home in Detroit and the replacement of the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette.

We believe veterans should not have to wait for the state budget process to be completed to set these jobs in motion, and plan to push to include the necessary funding in a supplemental appropriations bill.

Plans for both of these projects have been years in the making, and their construction was proposed by the 2016 Veterans Workgroup as a way to increase and improve the care our military veterans have earned through their service. The Michigan Veteran Facility Authority Board has included both of these projects as priorities since 2016 and now is the time to follow through.

The Veterans Workgroup was created to address the shortfalls of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, with the establishment of the Michigan Veteran Facility Authority Board resulting from its recommendations. Since then, the authority board has overseen the construction of several facilities that now comply with federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations, thus helping obtain essential funding to provide care to the state’s veterans.

Detroit veterans have been particularly underserved and now is the time we correct that issue. Wayne County has the state’s largest community of veterans and they deserve to have a facility near the Dingell VA.

The Jacobetti home is reaching a critical juncture for replacement and cannot fully comply with federal requirements, leaving our vets without services and leaving money on the table.

We will continue to use our positions to advocate and push for this important work to be initiated as soon as possible.

Earlier this month, I voted to approve a fiscal year 2022 supplemental bill to provide an additional $1.2 billion in federal funding to address COVID-19 health care issues across the state.

This latest supplemental builds on the billions of dollars we have already provided to fight the effects of the coronavirus by providing resources to keep our kids in school safely, support our health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes, and provide funding for early COVID-19 therapies to help take the strain off our hospitals around the state.

House Bill 5523 would invest $1.2 billion in federal funding in the current fiscal year, including:

State Budget Director Christopher Harkins recently outlined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s fiscal year 2023 state budget recommendation, which includes $18.4 billion for education and about $6 billion for infrastructure. If passed, the $74.1 billion budget would represent the largest in state history.

The MI Senate is very proud of the work we have done over the past several years to enact balanced budgets that helped build a strong economy and live within our means. Our state’s fiscal outlook is in a solid position today because of our record of responsible spending. Now is not the time to abandon the principles of fiscal responsibility.

The governor’s budget proposal features a lot of areas of general agreement — such as fixing our roads and bridges, supporting our communities and small businesses, and ensuring students can effectively and safely learn in school — but we need more information on her plans.

While our budget situation here in Lansing is strong, that isn’t the reality facing many Michigan families and small businesses. We owe it to them to make sure that their budgets are in an equally strong position as they navigate the effects of the economic shutdowns, job losses and record inflation that increases their costs for everything from food to gas.

As we contemplate how to best use the remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds, it is important to consider whether our investments make transformative changes that will benefit the Michiganders for generations to come and if the spending is sustainable after the federal dollars are gone.

I look forward to working on a responsible budget that helps improve our state and the lives of our people, effectively puts to use our state tax dollars, and provides broad-based tax relief to Michigan families.

Buying a house is often the biggest investment people will make. The Senate has created a new program that has been signed into law to help ease the financial burden of a down payment for first-time buyers and makes buying a home a reality for more people.

Senate Bill 145, now Public Act 6 of 2022, creates a savings program to help people save for the down payment and closing costs on their first home. First-time buyers setting up these accounts would be able to deduct up to $5,000 per year for a single filer or $10,000 per year for joint filers from their income if the money is used for a qualified home purchase.

This program promotes smart homeownership and will help retain and attract talent in Michigan.

Earlier this week, the Senate introduced legislation that would direct $1.4 billion to improve Michigan’s food security and invest in rural communities.

Senate Bill 885 would invest $350 million in food distribution security and stability grants; $45 million to help operate and expand farm markets; and $15 million to help local food banks purchase fresh produce, dairy products, and meat and seafood products.

The bill also invests in rural development, including:

Michigan is second in the nation for agriculture. This supplemental prioritizes local growing, processing, and distribution for Michigan food products — securing our food supply chain by shortening the time and distance from soil to store shelves. Reducing logistics and regionalizing more food processing will help drive down costs and combat rising food costs due to inflation.

The bill was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.