Lawmakers Praised By Manufacturing Group

Some state lawmakers from southwest Michigan have gotten praise from the Michigan Manufacturers Association for voting in line with its interests 100% of the time. Michigan Manufacturers Association VP of Government Affairs Mike Johnston tells WSJM News the lawmakers it saluted this month include state Representatives Beth Griffin, Kim LaSata, and Mary Whiteford. He says a top concern for manufacturers is worker development.

“One of the greatest barriers to growth here in Michigan is the ability to find enough workers with the right skills, and we’ve been pushing a lot of legislation to deal with training,” Johnston said.

Johnston says, to that end, the lawmakers saluted this month were a help. Other issues of concern were tax policy, regulatory reform, environmental regulation, energy policy, and healthcare. Johnston says another key accomplishment this year was the elimination of the healthcare claims tax.