Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) issued the following statement after House Democrats rejected his LEO budget amendment that aimed to promote stronger stewardship of tax dollars by ensuring SOAR funds are not directed to organizations tied to nations named “countries of concern” by the U.S. Department of State.

Any project considered by SOAR would have been required to receive a report from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. that included a review of foreign persons and entities associated with the project. His amendment also required the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) to notify the Legislature of any ties a project has to a country of concern prior to the projects approval:

“As we witnessed with the negligent misappropriation of Michigan taxpayer dollars toward the Gotion battery plant, it is prudent that we install failsafe mechanisms to ensure our dollars are not directed to an entity with ties to one our enemies. That investment should have never happened. The budget that was passed out of our Labor and Economic Opportunity Subcommittee failed to increase security measures for the SOAR fund.

“I am disappointed that my peers on the committee do not acknowledge the importance protecting our state from dangerous nations that pose serious threats to our safety and security. I am committed to speaking out against partnership with countries of concern, and I will continue to fight for policies that promote proper stewardship of our tax dollars.”