Michigan House ties aid to giving virus powers to counties

LANSING » The Republican-controlled Michigan House approved a nearly $3.6 billion coronavirus relief package Thursday but voted to withhold $2.1 billion for schools unless Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cedes the state’s authority to prohibit in-person instruction or sports to local health officials.

The bills would distribute more than $2.6 billion, or roughly half, of the federal COVID-19 aid that was enacted by then-President Donald Trump and Congress in late December for vaccine distribution and other priorities such as a 15% boost in food assistance benefits. Additional state funds would be used to help businesses hit the hardest by the pandemic, by providing grants for property and unemployment taxes along with government fees.

GOP legislators tied education aid, however, to the governor’s unlikely signing of a bill that would let county health departments — not the state health department — close schools to face-to-face classes and bar sporting events. They could do so only if virus case rates, testing positivity rates and related hospitalizations exceed certain thresholds.

Republicans also voted to give $250 per student to K-12 districts that offer in-person instruction by Feb. 15, if it continues for five days a week for the rest of the academic year. The Senate, also controlled by Republicans, has yet to outline its COVID-19 recovery plan. House Democrats unsuccessfully pushed for approval of $5 billion-plus proposal that largely mirrors one proposed by the governor.