House Bill 5096 would amend the Michigan Renaissance Zone Act to allow the board of directors of the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) to designate all remaining Renewable Energy, Forest Product Processing, and Border Crossing Facility renaissance zones and to approve
extensions for other MSF-designated zones.
Generally speaking, renaissance zones are tax-free zones designed for businesses in specific geographic areas or for specific kinds of facilities or industries anywhere in the state. Under the act, the State Administrative Board designates certain areas in Michigan as Renewable Energy and Forest Product Processing renaissance zones upon the recommendation of the MSF’s board of directors, and the MSF can designate 25 additional areas as Border Crossing zones. As of 2020, there were six Renewable Energy,1 eight Forest Product Processing, and all 25 Border Crossing Facility renaissance zones available for designation.
“Renaissance zones” are special interest areas that politicians set up to allow special interest entities and developers to develop the land at taxpayer expense, while normal people are subjected to the normal oppressive tax and regulatory system. If the legislature was actually seeking to improve the economic outlook of the state, and particularly the poor, the would reduce taxes and regulations on all citizens equally to allow everyone to flourish.
Rep. Wendzel voted no.