Sec. 1.

The legislature hereby finds and declares the following problems and objectives:

(a) The economy of the state of Michigan is at present recovering from a recession and action is needed to encourage increased employment and business expansion in this state.

(b) The economy of the state of Michigan is undergoing a long-term transition requiring new and innovative policies from state government and greater coordination of existing policies and programs related to jobs and economic development.

(c) It is necessary to provide a mechanism to foster greater coordination of state policies and to make available public and private development finance opportunities to agriculture, forestry, business, and industry, and to communities within the state, in order to expand the number of jobs in the state and to help agriculture, forestry, business, and industry prosper in the state.

(d) There exists a need to leverage private sector investment in new and innovative products, in entrepreneurial activity, and in economic development finance; therefore, state assistance for development finance should reflect a leveraging investment strategy.

(e) There is a statewide pressing need for programs to alleviate and prevent conditions of unemployment; to preserve existing jobs and create new jobs to meet the employment demands of population growth and population shifts; to promote the development of existing business enterprises and to meet the growing competition among states and nations for business enterprises; to revitalize and diversify the Michigan economy in general to achieve the goals of long-term economic growth and full employment, and to provide a solid tax base for the state and its local units of government to provide funds for needed public services.

(f) The goals of long-term economic growth and full employment can best be provided by the promotion, attraction, stimulation, retention, rehabilitation, and revitalization of business enterprises and worker-owned enterprises and by actions to lower the costs of business and production.

(g) The retention, promotion, diversification, and development of business enterprises and the lowering of costs of business and production require additional means of financing, including economic development finance mechanisms that support private capital resources, to help existing business enterprises expand more rapidly, and to promote the location of additional business enterprises in Michigan.

(h) It is necessary to provide means and methods for the encouragement and assistance of industrial and commercial development projects, including but not limited to providing aid to development enterprises utilizing new or experimental technologies in locating, purchasing, constructing, reconstructing, modernizing, improving, maintaining, repairing, furnishing, equipping, and expanding in this state and its local units of government.

(i) The retention and expansion of existing business enterprise and the acquiring of new business enterprises to Michigan requires the availability of energy supplies and that, to this end, known sources of energy in Michigan should be developed to the fullest extent possible consistent with environmental protection and ecological preservation.

(j) To conserve the public benefits of nonrenewable oil, gas, and mineral resources which are now subject to increasing development and depletion it is necessary to apply the proceeds of such resources to the encouragement of capital growth and the financing of self-sustaining sources of economic activity.

(k) It is necessary to promote economic activity in the forestry and agricultural sectors by providing incentives to reduce energy consumption, to retain agricultural and forestry enterprises, to reduce the rate at which urban sprawl has been devouring productive farm and forestry lands, and to provide our farmers and foresters with a more favorable export market. It is also necessary to encourage the development of facilities designed to produce energy from renewable resources.

(l) For the preservation and betterment of the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Michigan, it is necessary to promote and develop new and adequate water and air pollution control and solid waste disposal facilities for business enterprises and public utilities located in this state, which equipment or facilities need not be incidental to an industrial building, but may serve the general public.

(m) It is necessary for a sound economy of the state for the local units of government of the state to provide quality services and this requires an adequate and modern infrastructure in the local units of government which makes it necessary for such units to finance local improvements in an economical manner which in many cases can be best done through assistance by the state.

(n) The lending and investment of funds to develop and improve the economy of the state requires specialized and unique knowledge, skills, and experience.

History: 1984, Act 270, Eff. Mar. 29, 1985 Compiler's Notes: For transfer of powers and duties of department of commerce for minority, women, and small business service units to the Michigan jobs commission, see E.R.O. No. 1994-10, compiled at MCL 408.48 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.For creation of Michigan public educational facilities authority within department of treasury; transfer of certain powers and duties from Michigan strategic fund and Michigan strategic fund board of directors to Michigan public educational facilities authority and Michigan public educational facilities authority board of trustees; transfer of certain powers and duties of Michigan municipal bond authority and Michigan municipal bond authority board of trustees to Michigan public and educational facilities authority and Michigan public education facilities authority board of trustees, see E.R.O. No. 2002-3, compiled at MCL 12.192 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.For transfer of Michigan strategic fund from department of management and budget to department of labor and economic growth, see E.R.O. No. 2003-1, compiled at MCL 445.2011.Popular Name: Strategic Fund