[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6101574,"mediaKeyId","2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0","parentId",2807616,"title","Appropriations subcommittee approves March 6 subcommittee minutes","audioSeconds",1747,"startMs",189000,"endMs",1936000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0&start=189&end=1936","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0/thumbnail_189000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6101574/Michigan/Appropriations-subcommittee-approves-March-6-subcommittee-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101574-b90d64024bdaf26443a81b80c5b2d91a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771113154&Signature=Pn5MreXbPGrV82kIRbpn8O-mDrsEG3ATnd70Dt8NrKWa-X4FINnbLhdWJMSp7kyGngW4nnGUbCmEcTwOPfB4eZOK9PndxfAWXGubYzi9zgjt6s10qzMOYmfJQNV~Cy9Fqc8z3U3VVYvocpLzncRUZHNsTol7928A4aeCrlIJXAtlucOWDEImqg--cIB1cn6yHZQ3BAHXw3AfCdMIoRc7oEFsPCAI3jt76m1VW00rVDVPmHypeWYhZu~uoxXXGaaVKiaidqsoaRgKRQS6LXFk~o35yvmsK7jl-pLfidByto8JK63hP5H52OPm2pJrI-KOlhfprKjlzsxZPS7FB~jQFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Appropriations - Corrections and Judiciary","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Beeson moved to approve the minutes from the subcommittee meeting held on March 6. \"There being no objections, those Minutes are approved,\" the chair said, and the committee recorded the approval without objection.

No further action was taken on that item.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations - Corrections and Judiciary Thursday, March 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Beeson moved to approve the subcommittee minutes from March 6; the motion passed without objection.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Corrections, Appropriations, House of Representative, Committees\t\t\t\t\t, Legislative, Michigan","taxId",30758,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6101579,"Ambulance providers tell Michigan lawmakers unpaid MDOC transport bills threaten local services",1787,1969000,3756000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0&start=1969&end=3756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0/thumbnail_1969000.jpg","/articles/6101579/Michigan/Ambulance-providers-tell-Michigan-lawmakers-unpaid-MDOC-transport-bills-threaten-local-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101579-e5100ca9cfd162f35323062e5a391f87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771113154&Signature=VNUJTQU5T~~Uv3CAp9PNw088xNjYHzHkS3pn3MkNfyI7KM4Xb5Kq2cRHmgkOUJEhFhPB0qpViZOIQk8CQ6PwbDfAFh6zXJtBu~~aduockU7Jfr6eAHePOoFNq-dyktTU23DwUzh4jp8cDYGUo0i9lDbCCiZ3cKddlYdrIACPlpC6ImMmg1~CDwyhWgwZgyjXr4gLLiIMiF3QD1TBMtNfeZtiy0l8SDTKjNv-ydhlNWtbDw9TCaCCJF6TMe0KFzVyCAx7S2typ7RSMs9wt2WdnZ1~Ac6FSFXIrjyL6--ob3AgUN~PvG6Fgs3xMEuplEOaGvTkE~ctRI-s~tl~JqqpRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Angela Madden, executive director of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections and Judiciary that multiple EMS agencies across the state are owed payments for patient transports tied to Michigan Department of Corrections facilities and that unpaid amounts are straining local budgets and response capacity.

Madden, who said the association represents roughly 100 EMS agencies and provided the committee a spreadsheet that previously showed $408,000,000 in unpaid or disputed figures (she said those numbers are about a year old), asked lawmakers to address what she called a serious and growing problem. \"These agencies are owed compensation for work they have done for the Department of Corrections over the last 24 months,\" Madden told the panel.

Multiple providers described operational impacts and specific unpaid balances. Jeff White, chief of Richmond Lenox EMS, said the state's third‑party administrator for MDOC health services, Wellpath, \"stopped paying us\" about 24 months ago, leaving agencies without promised reimbursements. Renee Gray of Kinross EMS said her agency had incurred $388,000 in debt to buy an ambulance, exhausted its usual three‑month fund balance and had roughly 10 days of operating cash remaining. Russ Adams of Lapeer County EMS said his agency is owed about $138,000 and framed that as the equivalent of the millage assessment for nearly three townships. Ron Slagle, president and CEO of Emergent Health Partners, said Jackson Community Ambulance is owed about $630,000 and that unpaid amounts comprise roughly 5% of his agency's revenue; he said unpaid claims have led to canceled equipment purchases and could force delays in staff-pay increases.

Several witnesses and committee members said the requirement that EMS respond to 9‑1‑1 calls is statutory. Jeff White noted that state licensing and health‑code obligations require EMS agencies to respond to emergency calls within their licensed geographic areas regardless of a patient's ability to pay.

Kyle Kaminski of the Department of Corrections acknowledged the situation is \"challenging,\" explained that the state procures health-care services through a competitively bid process and said the state paid Grand Prairie Wellpath in excess of $350,000,000 while the contractor provided services. Kaminski said the state ended the contract early for performance reasons and has filed litigation against the contractor; he said the pending litigation limits what the department can say about contract details.

Committee members pressed for clarity on totals and timetables. Madden said her spreadsheet and some agency figures are estimates and that not all agencies have shared current accounting; she also said a current contractor (Vital Corps/Bridalc or similar named vendors) has outstanding payments to some agencies. Members signaled bipartisan concern and asked the department to continue working with providers and the committee to resolve payments.

Ending: The subcommittee did not take formal action during the testimony; members requested follow-up information and the department said it would continue engagement while litigation and procurement steps proceed.","Representatives of Michigan EMS agencies told the House appropriations subcommittee unpaid reimbursements for Department of Corrections patient transports have left some providers accruing large debts, cutting crews and risking reductions in coverage; contractor payment problems and pending litigation with a state vendor were cited.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6101583,"Michigan corrections director outlines FY 2026 budget priorities: pay raises, recovery coaches, technology",1105,225000,1330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0&start=225&end=1330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807616-61295446f3bc9017dd743980f4ad21b0/thumbnail_225000.jpg","/articles/6101583/Michigan/Michigan-corrections-director-outlines-FY-2026-budget-priorities-pay-raises-recovery-coaches-technology","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101583-e632c6cb35294187b3d3718f5abc2f13/orig.mp4?Expires=1771113154&Signature=ZJgMoaOrNTLrq8ZXpDYnFbquuHglPw-HUxNSyraI1fqOImiMISuRE9WUjvRZrJm9ZlOtaMkb7KnDd-Gp2lPILAxQZ2mwRuR32~yuIGxrNc7nCGDbWreSHkXr4~XZMDZlUY6uqtkpD4q~px9OpNUkyA6aeKh-2FhaeACzOhYHIe1HgxGLxcxJZWqXW9ZIUCtCkH6IxU4f4F2LYGgYdXbdDqV9RqkDTbP3QyknEdDOr0ueEe1TvAOwphHi01sAn0Ti972xXHYKui5G7M8K1BPPzEmd4gPaE7FZRG8EzA1k44CR4e2LO-ICEMGDS73Rphm32~Y0bljal~EAmegPAygThw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Director Heidi Washington, director of the Michigan Department of Corrections, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections and Judiciary that the governor's FY 2026 budget recommendation prioritizes staff pay and targeted programs intended to reduce recidivism and improve public safety.

Washington said the department oversees roughly 72,000 people under its jurisdiction — about 33,000 incarcerated people, roughly 9,000 on parole and approximately 31,000 on felony probation — and that budget decisions should both sustain safe operations and expand evidence-based programming. \"When we do that, that's when the public is really getting the long term public safety that we want,\" Washington said.

The executive recommendation includes a package of pay and benefit funding Washington said totals nearly $60 million to fund wage and benefit increases for department employees. Specific requests she outlined include $27,000,000 to pay a previously negotiated 3% raise for all classified employees and just over $17,000,000 to fund an accelerated pay-step schedule for corrections officers. Washington said starting pay for a new officer is $22.77 per hour (about $47,005 annually) and that officers can reach a top pay of about $32.94 per hour; the proposal includes a step increase and other funding that she said would move some experienced officers to $35.22 per hour (about $73,005 annually) when combined with the scheduled 3% raise.

\"Building and strengthening our team continues to be our focus in FY '26,\" Washington told the panel, listing recruitment and retention measures — from advertising and facility-led recruitment to leadership training, contraband detection and staff wi‑fi — intended to stabilize staffing at many facilities.

Washington also asked lawmakers to make permanent and expand a peer recovery coach program now funded with state opioid-response dollars. The executive recommendation would embed 48 peer recovery coaches statewide with $6,000,000 in ongoing funding and add $600,000 to support training and oversight for up to 250 incarcerated individuals to serve as peer recovery coaches inside prisons. \"The feedback has been unanimous that their work is changing lives for the better,\" Washington said of the recovery coaches.

On community supervision, the budget requests $1,500,000 to expand community-based services for probationers into three additional prosperity regions, building on a pilot that Washington said provided more than 450 approved services to over 200 probationers in one quarter and drove a 30% increase in behavioral health referrals and a 134% increase in job-placement referrals.

For housing and reentry supports, the department seeks $2,000,000 in one-time funding for a competitively bid public–private transitional housing pilot for people leaving prison. Washington said roughly one‑third of people released initially enter transitional housing.

Education and training remain central elements of the proposal. Washington said Michigan operates 12 postsecondary programs in prisons with more than 1,200 active students and that six of the first 21 schools nationally approved for permanent Pell Grant access for prison-based programs are in Michigan. The budget would continue support for the Thumb Education Center project and bachelor-degree programming inside the department.

Operational modernization requests include $3,400,000 in one-time funding to automate the repeated facility head-count process and to modernize paper itinerary and pass systems so staff can confirm prisoner locations electronically. The department is seeking $2,100,000 in new funding for growing medical-supply costs and is proposing internal re‑allocations — moving $2,750,000 into transportation operations and $1,750,000 from a public safety initiative to the department's Contraband Prevention Fund to maintain investments in contraband-detection technologies.

Washington closed by inviting committee members to visit facilities and vocational villages to see programs firsthand. Committee members including Representative O'Neil and Representative Beeson praised educational programs and asked for more data on outcomes; Washington said the department produces an annual report with GED and technical education completions and will provide figures to the committee.

Washington's presentation was accompanied by department staff member Kyle Kaminski, who later addressed procurement- and contracting-related questions during the EMS portion of the hearing.

Ending: Washington said the budget \"first and foremost supports our staff and allows us to continue with the momentum that we have going right now,\" and stressed the department's dual emphasis on running secure facilities while expanding programs intended to reduce recidivism.

","Director Heidi Washington told the House appropriations subcommittee the governor's FY 2026 recommendation focuses on workforce pay, peer recovery coaches, community supports for probationers, housing pilots, education funding and operational modernization.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations subcommittee approves March 6 subcommittee minutes

Ambulance providers tell Michigan lawmakers unpaid MDOC transport bills threaten local services

Michigan corrections director outlines FY 2026 budget priorities: pay raises, recovery coaches, technology