LANSING – State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) went to work on creating jobs immediately after being sworn in for his second term at the Capitol on Wednesday, introducing the Hire Michigan First plan with his colleagues on the first day of the 95th Legislature.
""The Legislature's top priority should be creating jobs for our residents, and that's why I will work hard to get the Hire Michigan First plan through the House and the Senate as soon as possible," said Brown, who is beginning his second term representing the residents of Huron and Tuscola counties. "In my second term, I will continue seeking solutions that put working families first and get our economy going again. One of the keys to doing that is rewarding businesses that hire Michigan residents instead of giving tax dollars to companies that send jobs overseas."
The Hire Michigan First plan will ensure that Michigan workers get first crack at jobs created by companies that
benefit from state economic development programs or tax breaks. The plan punishes companies that knowingly hire
illegal immigrants by canceling their state contracts and tax incentives. It also requires those companies to pay back
incentives already received and bars them from obtaining future contracts.
Brown will also push to reduce lawmakers' pay, a plan that passed the House last year but was stalled in the
Senate.
"Families all over Michigan are making sacrifices during these tough times, and lawmakers shouldn't be immune from that," Brown said. "Reducing legislators' pay is just part of doing a better job of cutting state spending and using taxpayer money more responsibly. To truly serve the people we represent, legislators must put residents' interests first – not our own."