Muskegon Sun

Fiscal reforms made by Republican leaders in Michigan before the COVID-19 pandemic will help the state as it builds its way back from the economic downturn, according to Sen. Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo).

“The corporate income tax was implemented to replace the Michigan business tax,” Bumstead said in a video posted to his Facebook page. “Republicans also passed retirement parity reforms, reduced the income tax rate for individuals and reformed personal property taxes. Under Republican leadership, quality jobs returned to our state, and the budget deficit was turned into a budget surplus.”

Republicans made “historic investments” in education and put more than $1 billion into the state’s rainy-day funds for economic emergencies.

“We paid down the state’s long-term debt by accelerating payments to the public school employees' retirement system,” Bumstead said in the video.

The COVID-19 pandemic could not have been predicted, according to Bumstead.

“But the strong foundation that Republicans built has lessened the negative impact of COVID-19,” he told his constituents.

The current administration still needs to work on the day-to-day problems in the Michigan Unemployment Agency, he pointed out.

“But Republican investment over the past ten years ensured we had one of the best-funded systems in the nation,” Bumstead said in the video.

"Republicans brought back thousands of auto industry jobs," Bumstead said, which are now the backbone of the state’s economy.

“Despite the continued forced shutdown of businesses across the state, the negative economic impact of COVID-19 has largely been eased,” Bumstead said in the video. “Federal funding has been critical in our state’s recovery. Investments made in our rainy-day fund have eased our budget deficit.”

However, he warned that prolonged closing of the economy will hurt the state in the long term.

“As we build our way back from this economic downturn, we must get back to the Republican principles of the last ten years,” the senator told his constituents. “I will continue to advocate for fiscal responsibility and conservative budgeting that invests in the future and provides an economy for all Michigan residents to prosper.”