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Rep Pauline Wendzel
House approves funding for Rep. Wendzel’s licensing package
RELEASE|January 28, 2022

LANSING, MI – Today, the Michigan House of Representatives approved funding for State Rep. Pauline Wendzel’s legislative package to provide broad relief for Michigan’s small businesses and professional license holders.  

House Bill 5524, which passed the House with bipartisan support, includes funding for Rep. Wendzel’s licensing reimbursement package contained in House Bills 4557-4561. Similar funding previously had been vetoed by Gov. Whitmer in March of 2021. After Governor Whitmer’s veto, Rep. Wendzel and several colleagues got to work immediately and introduced legislation that sought to reimburse Michigan’s professional license holders for fees they were forced to pay the state while they were shut down during the COVID pandemic.

“It was fundamentally wrong how the government treated small businesses during the pandemic,” Rep. Wendzel said. “They pay property taxes on their buildings and license fees to be allowed to operate — but the government didn’t allow those same residents and job creators to earn a living for a large part of the pandemic. I fundamentally have a problem with the government forcing you to pay for something the same government says you can’t use. It’s wrong, and after almost a year of fighting for Southwest Michigan small businesses, we’re finally making things right.”

Rep. Wendzel, Chairwoman of the House Commerce Committee, laid out the next steps the state must take to help its residents and small business owners.

“After surviving a global pandemic, Southwest Michigan small businesses now are forced to cope with supply chain issues, a shortage of workers, and rising inflation – all of which can be tied to Washington’s addiction to spending and failed COVID policies at the state level,” Rep. Wendzel said. “The bill we passed today was a needed step toward fixing a problem caused by government, but we must continue pressing forward by providing broad tax relief to all Michigan residents and small business owners. The state has billions of dollars in surplus revenue, and it’s time we return money to the hardworking taxpayers of our state who continue to struggle with bare shelves, high gas prices, and rising inflation. We can and must do better.”

As Chair of the Commerce and Tourism Committee, Rep. Wendzel will continue listening to and fighting for Southwest Michigan small businesses as the Legislature advances policies that help local job creators thrive and make Michigan competitive with our surrounding Midwest states.

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