LANSING — A Michigan Court of Claims judge issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday, May 12 that temporarily blocks spending on two state legislative “earmarks” — sometimes referred to as pork spending.
The lawsuit filed in May 2025 by the conservative Mackinac Center for Public Policy relates specifically to “community enhancement grants” for two ballparks that were part of the 2025 state budget, but the case could have wider ramifications.
The center argued that the $1 million grant to Jackson Field in Lansing, home to the minor league Lansing Lugnuts, and the $1.5 million grant to Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, which was recently renamed UWM (United Wholesale Mortgage) Field, were local acts that under the state Constitution required two-thirds votes in each chamber of the Legislature, not the narrow margins by which the budget bills passed.
Though the budget bill didn’t identify either city or ballpark by name, as a local act normally would, the center argued that the ballparks were described in such a way that the appropriations could only apply to them and no other recipients.
Judge Michael Gadola ruled that the Mackinac Center has a good chance of winning its case on the merits and ordered the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to make no further grant payments to the two ballparks while the lawsuit continues.
The state argued in court filings that both grants serve a statewide purpose, but Gadola was not convinced.
“Plaintiff presents a compelling argument that the appropriations in question were for the benefit of the cities and counties where they are located, rather than for the state as a whole,” Gadola wrote in a 22-page opinion.
“The idea that fans from other areas of the state or Midwest may come to Jackson Field on occasion does not change the fact that the grant to the ballpark will primarily benefit Lansing and Ingham County,” and the ballpark in Utica also primarily serves the nearby area, Gadola wrote.
Billions of dollars in earmarks, using similar non-specific but highly targeted wording, have been included in state budgets in recent years. Notable among them was a $20 million grant to a nonprofit organization headed by Farmington Hills businesswoman Fay Beydoun, which is now at the center of criminal charges announced May 6 by Attorney General Dana Nessel.
“While Plaintiff only challenges two appropriations here, a ruling in its favor could affect hundreds of previous earmarks and billions of dollars,” the Mackinac Center said in a court filing.
The state has not yet paid out any of the Lansing grant and has only paid out $200,000 of the Utica grant, according to court filings.
Patrick Wright, vice president for legal affairs at the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, called Gadola’s ruling “a major victory for Michigan taxpayers and the rule of law.” He said the state constitution is clear that “lawmakers cannot funnel taxpayer dollars to favored projects and private interests without meeting the constitutional supermajority requirement.”
Nessel’s office, which represented the state in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge blocks funding for 2 ballparks; case could impact other grants
Reporting by Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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