Lansing ― The Michigan House fast-tracked the approval of a $152 million supplemental spending plan Tuesday to secure state funding for two runways at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, House Speaker Matt Hall said Tuesday.
The Richland Township Republican said the state funding is meant to expedite federal infrastructure improvements needed to secure a fighter mission at the base before the end of 2028, when President Donald Trump leaves office.
The spending bill, which passed in a 65-41 vote, was advanced in a single day, with no debate and as the state faces a more than $1 billion shortfall in the upcoming annual budget.
House Democrats were told the bill was coming up for a vote minutes beforehand.
“One of the biggest delays was the runway construction,” Hall said of the timeline for the fighter mission. “If we’re going to wait on the federal government to fund the runway, then we’re not going to get this done in time.”
Hall said he hoped to get the bill through the Senate and to the governor’s desk within the next month.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, when asked for comment, expressed support for Selfridge but did not give a direct answer on whether she supports the $152 million supplemental spending bill.
State Sen. Sarah Anthony, a Lansing Democrat who chairs Senate Appropriations Committee, said the plan Tuesday was advanced without any consultation with the Democratic-led Senate. She noted her chamber is focused on addressing a more than $1 billion shortfall in next year’s budget, making the $152 million allocation a difficult ask.
Anthony noted the Senate is committed to supporting Selfridge and has proven that through repeated allocations benefiting the base in prior years’ budgets. But she questioned whether the House first secured a commitment from the U.S. Air Force to pay other remaining infrastructure costs before offering $152 million of state tax money.
“We’re open to doing additional investment in Selfridge, but I’ve got millions of people who are also looking to us to balance a budget and not hurt people in the process,” Anthony said. “So I think these conversations need to be linked.”
State Sen. Kevin Hertel, a St. Clair Shores Democrat whose district includes Selfridge, noted the state already has allocated roughly $63 million toward the base and he planned to continue advocating for the base. Hertel did not say whether he supported the supplemental spending bill.
“I’m committed to ensuring the Legislature makes smart, fiscally responsible investments in the transformational infrastructure upgrades already underway, so we’re fully prepared to welcome the new fleet of F15-EXs and secure a long, bright future for the base and our region,” Hertel said in a statement.
State Rep. Ron Robinson, a Utica Republican who sponsored the bill, called the funding a win for Michigan, regardless of what side of the aisle a lawmaker sat on.
The base’s A-10 Thunderbolt II and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft will be phased out and replaced with a squadron of F-15EX fighters and eight KC-46 tankers after President Donald Trump selected it for the mission last year. Selfridge is preparing for the mission by improving its infrastructure and facilities, which will cost around $1 billion over five to seven years, said Brig. Gen. Leah Voelker, the base’s new commander.
An updated cost estimate for the Selfridge upgrades wasn’t immediately available Tuesday from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, but lawmakers have previously described plans for a $124 million runway realignment project, as well as ground support equipment, modifications to flight lines, as well as flight simulators and larger hangars.
Hall said Michigan officials are hoping to expedite the infrastructure improvements so the fighters and tankers are delivered within Trump’s presidency, which is scheduled to finish Jan. 20, 2029. But he argued the federal government would be responsible for the remaining cost of the $1 billion in infrastructure improvements.
Congress in its 2026 spending bills earmarked just $20 million for infrastructure upgrades, including the runways at Selfridge, despite requests for much more: $200 million was requested by Democratic Sens. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township and Elissa Slotkin of Holly and $90 million by U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township.
The Air Force in recent months quietly cut the number of new KC-46 tankers that Selfridge was allotted from a full squadron of 12 promised under the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden to eight.
Hall said the state’s advancement of $152 million is being proposed after conversations with the secretary of the U.S. Air Force, which had ruled out a new fighter mission for Selfridge before being overruled by Trump a year ago. The speaker is hopeful to finish the runway and secure the jets by the end of 2028, in order to lock in the commitment while Trump still is the president.
“It’s going to keep that base open for the next 30-40 years, so we don’t want to take the risk,” Hall said of potential cancellation by the next administration.
Staff writers Melissa Nann Burke and Anne Snabes contributed.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: House fast-tracks $152M taxpayer aid toward Selfridge runways
Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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