GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- West Michigan Policy Forum members recently sent to Governor Whitmer's Growing Michigan Together Council nine policy recommendations to help reverse the trend of Michigan's population loss.
Jase Bolger is a Policy Forum advisor and former Michigan House Speaker. He said on West Michigan's Morning News that the states with the fastest-growing populations are right-to-work states and many don't have an income tax.
"I think people look for their career, and then they see where they want to live. And I think it's very clear, it's not which comes first: a cool community or a place to grow your career. The career comes first, and then people choose between their communities," Bolger said.
The Policy Forum took note of the states that are experiencing population increases and what they are doing. He said the five fastest-growing states from 2021 through 2022 were Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, Texas and South Dakota. He said those states generally have strong education systems. Bolger said that Michigan has lost some big job-producing developments recently to Tennessee, which is a right-to-work state, has no income tax and offers education-savings accounts "for its families, so they can choose the education that's best for their kids."
Bolger said other considerations factor into those decisions, too, such as regulations, healthcare and public safety. He said reciprocity provides one example of red tape in Michigan.
"So, like you've got a trailing spouse and they've got a license in another state. And in many cases they have to go through a whole other licensing process here in Michigan. But first, we ought to look and say, 'Does this particular job need a license. Because too often, a license is a barrier to entry. It is not something that protects the public," Bolger said.
He added that the permitting process in Michigan needs to be more efficient, as well, some companies can get their projects underway.
Here is the website link to a WMPF article on how to grow Michigan's population.
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